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After the Funeral: The Posthumous Adventures of Famous Corpses
Even though it is widely thought the human adventure ends with death, for a select and celebrated few it continued well beyond the grave. Exhuming some fascinating facts from history, this anthology of "necro-biographies" chronicles the bizarre after-death exploits of several prominent corpses, including:
* Joseph Haydn, whose head was fought over for 145 years;
* Cardinal Richelieu, whose mummified face was kept as a family heirloom--in someone else's family!
* Percy Bysshe Shelley, whose wife kept his heart pressed between the pages of his most famous work;
* Oliver Cromwell, whose corpse was dug up so he could be "properly" hanged for treason;
* John Barrymore, whose final performance took place several days after his death;
* and Buffalo Bill Cody, whose casket was covered with cement to discourage grave robbers. From lost ashes to stolen corpses to wandering body parts--this collection of post-mortem exploits provides provocative postscripts to 35 famous lives. B&W photos.
* Joseph Haydn, whose head was fought over for 145 years;
* Cardinal Richelieu, whose mummified face was kept as a family heirloom--in someone else's family!
* Percy Bysshe Shelley, whose wife kept his heart pressed between the pages of his most famous work;
* Oliver Cromwell, whose corpse was dug up so he could be "properly" hanged for treason;
* John Barrymore, whose final performance took place several days after his death;
* and Buffalo Bill Cody, whose casket was covered with cement to discourage grave robbers. From lost ashes to stolen corpses to wandering body parts--this collection of post-mortem exploits provides provocative postscripts to 35 famous lives. B&W photos.
244 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1995
11 people are currently reading
759 people want to read
About the author
Edwin Murphy
5 books1 followerAuthor Edwin Murphy is a Harvard grad and U.S. Treasury Department employee whose more conventional tomes include "Diodorus: On Egypt." In his book "After the Funeral," critics say: "He doesn't lose his head over material that might make you or me retch." As a Greek scholar, Murphy is well equipped to appreciate the tragicomic indignities that have visited the cadavers of some of Western culture’s most celebrated figures.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 8, 2011
What an amusing little book this is. I found in amongst other treasures on the Death shelf at the Brand Bookstore in Glendale, California. Why is it all the SoCal used bookstores have these brilliant Death shelves? The Brand is, by far, the best, which I guess is due to Eddie, bless ’im.
Anyway, Murphy describes After The Funeral as a “necrobiography.” In some lights, it might just be. But it’s really closer in tone to its subtitle, a collection of post-mortem adventures. Of course, there’s Eva Peron, who’s body was shellacked, hijacked, buried under an assumed name in Italy, exhumed, had someone else’s corpse kidnapped and ransomed for her return to Argentina, and was finally buried at government expense in a bomb-proof mausoleum in the Recollecta Cemetery.
Evita got lucky when her survivors elected to leave her remains in one piece. Contrary to legend, Byron’s heart reposes (albeit, in a jar) alongside his body in England. His lungs, however, were granted to the Greeks, so they could honor part of their hero in the land of his death. Mary Shelley kept Percy’s heart in her desk, which it crumbled to powder. A gravedigger saved a skull he claimed was Mozart’s, which changed hands several times before coming to rest in the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Molière, whose grave was used to make Pere-Lachaise Cemetery attractive to the masses in 1817—and begin the whole garden cemetery movement, was probably never exhumed from St. Joseph’s Cemetery until that and other graveyards were emptied out, their anonymous contents shifted to the Paris Catacombs. Does a pilgrimage count if you visit the grave but not the occupant alleged to be buried within?
If you wanted to visit the grave of Christopher Columbus, the pilgrimage would take you to four different cities: Valladolid and Seville in Spain, Santo Domingo and Cuba in the New World. Each claims to hold the remains of the explorer, who died in profound obscurity.
After the Funeral makes for very entertaining, if sobering, reading. Who would have guessed that the price of fame would include having your bones and entrails scattered hither and yon, while impostors repose in your tomb(s)?
This review was originally published in Morbid Curiosity #4.
Anyway, Murphy describes After The Funeral as a “necrobiography.” In some lights, it might just be. But it’s really closer in tone to its subtitle, a collection of post-mortem adventures. Of course, there’s Eva Peron, who’s body was shellacked, hijacked, buried under an assumed name in Italy, exhumed, had someone else’s corpse kidnapped and ransomed for her return to Argentina, and was finally buried at government expense in a bomb-proof mausoleum in the Recollecta Cemetery.
Evita got lucky when her survivors elected to leave her remains in one piece. Contrary to legend, Byron’s heart reposes (albeit, in a jar) alongside his body in England. His lungs, however, were granted to the Greeks, so they could honor part of their hero in the land of his death. Mary Shelley kept Percy’s heart in her desk, which it crumbled to powder. A gravedigger saved a skull he claimed was Mozart’s, which changed hands several times before coming to rest in the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Molière, whose grave was used to make Pere-Lachaise Cemetery attractive to the masses in 1817—and begin the whole garden cemetery movement, was probably never exhumed from St. Joseph’s Cemetery until that and other graveyards were emptied out, their anonymous contents shifted to the Paris Catacombs. Does a pilgrimage count if you visit the grave but not the occupant alleged to be buried within?
If you wanted to visit the grave of Christopher Columbus, the pilgrimage would take you to four different cities: Valladolid and Seville in Spain, Santo Domingo and Cuba in the New World. Each claims to hold the remains of the explorer, who died in profound obscurity.
After the Funeral makes for very entertaining, if sobering, reading. Who would have guessed that the price of fame would include having your bones and entrails scattered hither and yon, while impostors repose in your tomb(s)?
This review was originally published in Morbid Curiosity #4.
April 25, 2013
After the funeral is not a bad book per se it's just that at times it can be a tedious because it was not very well written in my opinion. The book does not flow and it seems choppy. If you can deal with that than I guess you are ok. The subject matter is quite interesting. You would think that once someone is dead than thats it. They lay the body to rest sccording to the wishes of the deceased or the deceased's family and that is the end of things. Well you would be suprised at what some people will do to a dead body especially if they are famous or it means extra money. Some of the stories kinda gave me a chuckle considering what these people did. Here are a few examples: Writer Mary Shelley buried her husband, but kept his heart with her. Oliver Cromwell, who was not very well liked, was laid to rest in 1658. His enemies and those that despised him decided in 1661 that it was time to exhume his body and punish him the way he should have been punished before he died. First they hung the corpse and left it there for several hours. Next they cut off his head and then paraded the corpse around town. I guess that will teach Ollie the next time around. If you are one of those people that like the odd trivia or like to wander the cemetries in search of famous graves than this is the book for you.
November 5, 2017
Well researched stories of bodies and some unplanned adventures. I found myself wishing that Mary Roach had written it instead. Could have benefited from a more humorous approach.
September 19, 2012
This book took me a long time to read because I had to keep stopping and share stories with my friends and coworkers. Did you know that Roger Williams's corpse was eaten by an apple tree and all that was left was a Roger-shaped tree root? (Suspicious of that story, I asked my father, a PhD botanist, if such a thing could happen. He assured me it could.) Did you know that Dorothy Parker's ashes sat in a filing cabinet for years because no one could decide what to do with them? This is an amusing, eye-opening and not at all depressing book.
June 4, 2014
It's been too long since I read this to give an accurate review but I remember loving it in a macabre sort of way. It satisfies the curiosity we all have and hate to admit. :)
Fascinating!
Fascinating!
October 15, 2020
Got this one from a Free Little Library book box, and it was a quick pick up and put down book that I read between other books.
In interesting to see how many body parts were separated and went on their own adventures after death throughout history.
Yeah, it might require a little taste for the ghoulish tales, but it was interesting and not too ghoulish to read.
What ever happened to Einstein's brain? Who was eaten by a tree after death? Where did Christopher Columbus' body end up? (hint, it just wasn't one place)
Most of these tales involve well-known historical figures like Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull, Francisco Goya, Mozart, Eva Peron, Daniel Boone and more.
I enjoyed reading it...a little different than the usual collection of celebrity tales :lol:
In interesting to see how many body parts were separated and went on their own adventures after death throughout history.
Yeah, it might require a little taste for the ghoulish tales, but it was interesting and not too ghoulish to read.
What ever happened to Einstein's brain? Who was eaten by a tree after death? Where did Christopher Columbus' body end up? (hint, it just wasn't one place)
Most of these tales involve well-known historical figures like Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull, Francisco Goya, Mozart, Eva Peron, Daniel Boone and more.
I enjoyed reading it...a little different than the usual collection of celebrity tales :lol:
December 3, 2021
Written in short, sweet little chapters and divided into sections by body part. An easy and memorable read for those interested in weird stories. My favorite is Errol Flynn's friends pranking him with the body of his recently-deceased houseguest, John Barrymore. Ah dark humor at its finest!
Speaking of humor, I didn't notice at first, but the introduction to each vignette refers to the book's title in italics. Pun-generated groans may be endemic to reading.
Speaking of humor, I didn't notice at first, but the introduction to each vignette refers to the book's title in italics. Pun-generated groans may be endemic to reading.
April 12, 2023
I was disappointed in this book, and I believe it is a problem of scope. At least half of the people included in the book may be unfamiliar or a little interest. The few very well-known have their stories poorly rehashed.
September 30, 2017
A strange and sometimes funny book. I guess when you have money you can do all sorts of weird things.
February 19, 2019
Odd bits of history.
October 21, 2020
Not as entertaining as I had hoped, interesting, but kind of dry. The best story was on Dorothy Parker's ashes, and was the last section of the book. meh.
May 10, 2023
This was a very entertaining yet weird book. All these famous people removed from their graves or mutilated after they were buried.
I'm glad I'm not famous so in the end I can stay put.
I'm glad I'm not famous so in the end I can stay put.
June 18, 2024
Really interesting book but at times feels very clunky, at times it feels like the author has used a thesaurus on random adjectives for no reason, the overall writing doesn't feel smooth.
June 1, 2014
On the face of it, this looks an intriguing read about the various odd things that happens to the corpses of the rich and famous.
In actuality, while there are a handful of interesting stories here, at least half are fairly mundane tales of ashes being left in a cupboard for years before something's done with them.
It becomes clear that this is an American book as most of the people featured are key figures from American history, such as Abraham Lincoln, including a lot of people who I have no idea who they are. Forgive me but people like Joe Hill, John Paul Jones and Thomas Paine couldn't be any more anonymous to me. I would have preferred to have a lot more internationally known figures to accompany Thomas Hardy and DH Lawrence but sadly the few that there are manage to be not major landmark figures, as far as I'm concerned.
An okay read that turns slightly bland towards the end, so most probably a book you'd read once out of curiousity and then donate to a charity shop or give away, which is exactly what I plan to do with it.
This is probably somewhere between a 2 or 3 star rating but I'll be generous and round it up to a three.
In actuality, while there are a handful of interesting stories here, at least half are fairly mundane tales of ashes being left in a cupboard for years before something's done with them.
It becomes clear that this is an American book as most of the people featured are key figures from American history, such as Abraham Lincoln, including a lot of people who I have no idea who they are. Forgive me but people like Joe Hill, John Paul Jones and Thomas Paine couldn't be any more anonymous to me. I would have preferred to have a lot more internationally known figures to accompany Thomas Hardy and DH Lawrence but sadly the few that there are manage to be not major landmark figures, as far as I'm concerned.
An okay read that turns slightly bland towards the end, so most probably a book you'd read once out of curiousity and then donate to a charity shop or give away, which is exactly what I plan to do with it.
This is probably somewhere between a 2 or 3 star rating but I'll be generous and round it up to a three.
May 6, 2015
I picked up this book on a whim at a used book store. It was cheap and revolved around dead people, that was all the convincing I needed. What I didn't expect was a romp though centuries of famous deaths. What struck me the most about this book was the humor and the vocabulary. This book's humor is as dry as Death Valley! It's rife with puns, understatement, and off-handed nonchalance. It definitely doesn't have an academic tone. It's more as if a good friend is telling you bar stories. As another reviewer pointed out, the book can get tedious and mildly repetitive, though the book does try to combat this with lively banter. Oh! The other thing-- the vocabulary. I was not expecting and was simply enthralled with the author's use of an expansive vernacular. He utilizes grandiose words but in such a way that does not feel pedantic or off putting. His vocabulary made me want to run to the dictionary and refresh my own verbiage! This was a quick, light, and sassy read that I would definitely revisit and would definitely suggest to friends.
July 16, 2009
After the Funeral: The Posthumous Adventures of Famous Corpses has been making the rounds at our local BookCrossing meetings. After having read and enjoyed similar books like Stiff, Spook and Teasing Secrets from the Dead I had to take this book the last time it showed up at one of our meetings.
After the Funeral is a rather lighthearted look at death and the bizarre things that people do to the dead (or parts of the dead). The book as the title promises, focuses on the misadventures of famous dead people. It's divided up into themes: heads, hearts, bodies and miscellaneous. Each section has a lot of repetition (same style of burial or adventure but different celebrity) so I found it more fun to read out of order. I read the book by picking out the names that most interested me and then going back and reading one from each section until I had read all of the stories.
After the Funeral is a rather lighthearted look at death and the bizarre things that people do to the dead (or parts of the dead). The book as the title promises, focuses on the misadventures of famous dead people. It's divided up into themes: heads, hearts, bodies and miscellaneous. Each section has a lot of repetition (same style of burial or adventure but different celebrity) so I found it more fun to read out of order. I read the book by picking out the names that most interested me and then going back and reading one from each section until I had read all of the stories.
December 2, 2010
Interesting read. Lots of weird stuff has happened to corpses and parts of their bodies over the years. Funny how so many end up getting misplaced. I found it a little annoying that every time the book's title was mentioned, (virtually every chapter), it was italicized. I KNOW the name of the book, I GET IT. Include the name but don't continue emphasizing your wit over and over. And there was some good wit to close a few of the chapters.
July 11, 2013
Sometimes macabre. Sometimes weird. Always interesting and entertaining. Many people (myself included) love to be fed our history in small easy-to-read doses; this book does just that. But the surprising thing about this book is the author's poetic command of English and his picturesque way of expressing his thoughts. This was a wonderful read.
April 6, 2014
Written with humor and skill, this is a terrific take on a macabre subject. It might just help you come to terms with you own fear of death, if you have one. It also shows how creepy people can be when it comes to mortal remains. Who wants somebody's head, heart, or bones? It isn't them anymore, just their parts. If anything, the book shows us that people were much crazier in the past.
November 30, 2007
Weird, but interesting. Not for the squeamish.
February 27, 2009
Very interesting.
August 30, 2010
Some of these bodies are more traveled than I am. A great read for anyone who loves history!
October 29, 2010
It was entertaining.
November 1, 2011
I found the author's insistence in tacking on the phrase "after the funeral to one of the sentences in almost every chapter to be extremely annoying.
May 17, 2013
"Michelle" explained it perfectly.
January 15, 2013
An entertaining little read.
November 18, 2015
Fun read. Some pretty comical post-mortem travels for sure. Sparked my interest in a few historical personalities that I'd normally never give a second thought.
September 26, 2015
Who knew that being dead could be so eventful?
April 17, 2015
Boring and I didn't really care for any of the people whom the stories were about
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews