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Cemetery Stories: Haunted Graveyards, Embalming Secrets, and the Life of a Corpse After Death
Admit it: You're fascinated by cemeteries. We all die, and for most of us, a cemetery is our final resting place. But how many people really know what goes on inside, around, and beyond them? Enter the world of the dead as Katherine Ramsland talks to mortuary assistants, gravediggers, funeral home owners, and more, and find out about: If you've ever scoffed at the high price of burying the dead, or ever wondered how your loved ones are handled when they die, or simply stared at tombstones with morbid fascination, then take a trip with Katherine Ramsland and learn about the booming industry -- and strange tales -- that surround cemeteries everywhere.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
95 people are currently reading
1356 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Ramsland
102 books691 followersI've loved books since I was 3, and the library was a highlight of my childhood. I've been fortunate to be able to find great joy in what others have written and sometimes to give this to readers. I follow my own muse, because it leads me on interesting adventures. I began my writing career with "Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice." I had a bestseller with "The Vampire Companion." Since then, I've published 69 books and over 2,500 articles, reviews and short stories. I have also been an executive producer for "Murder House Flip" and "BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer." From ghosts to vampires to serial killers, I have taken on a variety of dark subjects, mostly in crime and forensics. I hold graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminal justice, creative writing and philosophy. Currently, I teach forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University. My books include "I Scream Man," "How to Catch a Killer", "Confession of a Serial Killer", "The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds", "The Mind of a Murderer", "The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation", "Inside the Minds of Serial Killers", "Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators", and "Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers". My background in forensic studies positioned me to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, "The Cases that Haunt Us", and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler, Gregg McCrary, "The Unknown Darkness", as well as "Spree Killers" with Mark Safarik, "The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist" with Henry C. Lee, and "A Voice for the Dead" with James Starrs. I speak internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, NPR, Dr. Oz, Coast to Coast, Montel Williams, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood. Currently, I'm working on a fiction series, The Nut Cracker Investigations, which features a female forensic psychologist who manages a PI agency. "I Scream Man" is the first one.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
October 4, 2019
DNF despite amazing nuggets like, "[Herrera] once recovered semen from the body of a man who'd fallen from a balcony, so the man's fiancee could get pregnant." How exactly do you do that?
After readmg Caitlin Doughty and Jessica Mitford's wonderful books on the funeral business in the US, I was quite excited to find this book. But it reads like a bathroom book.
Despite the immense amount of research, the author badly lets the reader, or at least this reader, down by being cowed by the funeral directors fear that she is going to do a Jessica Mitford hatchet job ( The American Way of Death) and expose all the scams the industry inflicts on people when they are grieving a loved one, at their most vulnerable and likely to want "the best" and "all the services" no matter what the cost.
She tells the funeral directors she isn't going to do that and so any criticism of the undertaking business is very mild indeed. Mostly she presents them all as jolly, family people who have to be on call 24 hours a day to perform their selfless service (and sell a coffin for $6,000 plus the rest of the services they offer) to people who apparently can't wait until morning to have their dear departed taken out of bed still warm and plunked into a commercial refrigerator. Obviously there are some very decent people in the business, but why go easy on the rest? It makes the book less credible.
The second way in which I felt let down is she presents other people's peculiar ideas as facts without bothering to check. She says she knew nothing about Jewish funerary rites so she asked the (non-Jewish) widow of a man. She tells her that Jews have to stop every few yards to pray on the way to the burial. Really? I come from an observant Orthodox background and we didn't do that! She says that when sitting shiva (shiva just means 7, in this case the 7 days of morning) the mirrors are covered with black cloth so that if the soul comes back, it will know it's dead. Nope, the mirrors are covered because vanity has no place in a house of morning. Clothes have a traditional rip on them, make up is not worn, washing is kept to a minimum, it's so the world doesn't come between the mourners and their grief. She goes on in this vein with even more weird things from this woman that I'd never even heard of before.
So that makes me wonder what else is presented as fact but is just what someone told her? How accurate is this book really? In any case, the book lacks insight and depth. The writing per se isn't bad, so perhaps I'm expecting too much?
Two stars and a half stars for a good bathroom book to pick up and read a bit, and put back until next time, r ounded up to three because it wasn't a bad book, just shallow.
______________
Notes on reading I recently read Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, so now I want to know what about the dog?OMG, this dog went for his owner before she was even cold. The poor woman had been dead for several hours before her body was discovered. Her dog had chewed off her chin, jaw, right cheek and lower lip. So much for man's best friend. (Btw the cat will go for more tender parts, like the neck).
After readmg Caitlin Doughty and Jessica Mitford's wonderful books on the funeral business in the US, I was quite excited to find this book. But it reads like a bathroom book.
Despite the immense amount of research, the author badly lets the reader, or at least this reader, down by being cowed by the funeral directors fear that she is going to do a Jessica Mitford hatchet job ( The American Way of Death) and expose all the scams the industry inflicts on people when they are grieving a loved one, at their most vulnerable and likely to want "the best" and "all the services" no matter what the cost.
She tells the funeral directors she isn't going to do that and so any criticism of the undertaking business is very mild indeed. Mostly she presents them all as jolly, family people who have to be on call 24 hours a day to perform their selfless service (and sell a coffin for $6,000 plus the rest of the services they offer) to people who apparently can't wait until morning to have their dear departed taken out of bed still warm and plunked into a commercial refrigerator. Obviously there are some very decent people in the business, but why go easy on the rest? It makes the book less credible.
The second way in which I felt let down is she presents other people's peculiar ideas as facts without bothering to check. She says she knew nothing about Jewish funerary rites so she asked the (non-Jewish) widow of a man. She tells her that Jews have to stop every few yards to pray on the way to the burial. Really? I come from an observant Orthodox background and we didn't do that! She says that when sitting shiva (shiva just means 7, in this case the 7 days of morning) the mirrors are covered with black cloth so that if the soul comes back, it will know it's dead. Nope, the mirrors are covered because vanity has no place in a house of morning. Clothes have a traditional rip on them, make up is not worn, washing is kept to a minimum, it's so the world doesn't come between the mourners and their grief. She goes on in this vein with even more weird things from this woman that I'd never even heard of before.
So that makes me wonder what else is presented as fact but is just what someone told her? How accurate is this book really? In any case, the book lacks insight and depth. The writing per se isn't bad, so perhaps I'm expecting too much?
Two stars and a half stars for a good bathroom book to pick up and read a bit, and put back until next time, r ounded up to three because it wasn't a bad book, just shallow.
______________
Notes on reading I recently read Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, so now I want to know what about the dog?OMG, this dog went for his owner before she was even cold. The poor woman had been dead for several hours before her body was discovered. Her dog had chewed off her chin, jaw, right cheek and lower lip. So much for man's best friend. (Btw the cat will go for more tender parts, like the neck).
May 13, 2022
Equal parts interesting, informative, grotesque, and fascinating. Informal and anecdotal in style, Ramsland covers a lot of topics briefly and shallowly while providing enough to satisfy superficial curiosity. But how much does the average person really want to know about most of these topics? I read this over several months, dipping into it here and there so as not to become overwhelmed, grossed out, or phobic.
April 8, 2024
Forget cozy ghost stories by the fireplace. Cemetery Stories is more like being dragged, screaming, into a pitch-black mausoleum and slammed shut. Katherine Ramsland doesn't just peel back the veil on death, she yanks it clean off, revealing the gruesome realities that lie beneath. This book caught me by complete surprise partially because I’m surprised it hasn’t been banned yet! The section on necrophilia and necromancy literally made my jaw drop.
Interviews with gravediggers paint a picture of the earth groaning as it reluctantly accepts its new residents. Embalming fluids become a noxious cocktail threatening to seep into your very dreams. You'll never look at a tombstone the same way again, knowing it might be a mere marker for a restless horror beneath.
This isn't a book for the faint of heart. It's a chilling plunge into the macabre, guaranteed to leave you sleeping with the lights on and a newfound respect for the peaceful slumber of the dearly departed. Be prepared to check the shadows behind you long after you finish the last page. If you want to be grossed out, mortified, shocked, speechless and/or engulfed by this spellbinding book- this one’s for you!
October 31, 2020
Thought I’d read a bit about cemeteries this year (2020) for Horrorween.
So far I’ve learned about autopsies and the embalming process, gravedigging, and decomposition.
So far I’ve learned about autopsies and the embalming process, gravedigging, and decomposition.
May 8, 2008
I picked up a copy of this book based on a negative review which claimed it was disgusting. It's always an occasion when such reviews on the subject matter turn out to be true, but absolutely, to a large portion of the population this book would be quite disgusting.
I'm part of a smaller percentage of the population who have no problem whatever with reading about decomposition, embalming, exploding corpses, and leaking crypts. In fact it was all good until I reached the section on necrophilia...
The act of sleeping with a corpse isn't what disgusted me about the cases of necrophilia presented in this book, it's the people themselves. It was beyond pure sexual gratification for some. I shouldn't go into detail, but the idea that a person could do what "John" did to the corpse of a woman. She had arranged her funeral pre-need (she was dying of cancer) so he'd met her and planned to sleep with her while she was still alive. This man then would have consoled her family after what he did. That is low. It's tantamount to rape. It bothered me.
Necrophiliacs aside, Cemetery Stories: Haunted Graveyards, Embalming Secrets, and the Life of a Corpse After Death is an interesting book. It drags a little in the middle (during the section on ghost and urban legend related stores) but that could have been due to my familiarity with the subject matter. It's also slightly patchy in parts, it seems that the author had a little trouble going back and forward from facts and stories. But over all, I liked it.
I'm part of a smaller percentage of the population who have no problem whatever with reading about decomposition, embalming, exploding corpses, and leaking crypts. In fact it was all good until I reached the section on necrophilia...
The act of sleeping with a corpse isn't what disgusted me about the cases of necrophilia presented in this book, it's the people themselves. It was beyond pure sexual gratification for some. I shouldn't go into detail, but the idea that a person could do what "John" did to the corpse of a woman. She had arranged her funeral pre-need (she was dying of cancer) so he'd met her and planned to sleep with her while she was still alive. This man then would have consoled her family after what he did. That is low. It's tantamount to rape. It bothered me.
Necrophiliacs aside, Cemetery Stories: Haunted Graveyards, Embalming Secrets, and the Life of a Corpse After Death is an interesting book. It drags a little in the middle (during the section on ghost and urban legend related stores) but that could have been due to my familiarity with the subject matter. It's also slightly patchy in parts, it seems that the author had a little trouble going back and forward from facts and stories. But over all, I liked it.
February 11, 2017
The death industry needs a special kind of person with a certain kind of personality. Katherine Ramsland's Cemetery Stories: Haunted Graveyards, Embalming Secrets, and the Life of a Corpse After Death asks and answers many questions on these topics. The author covers these areas, but unfortunately with her stiff writing style, the book which has a great deal of information is flat. It comes across as a high school term paper where the student struggles with the topic she has chosen. It is written as a list and does not flow as a book should. If one has read on these topics before, much of the book will be a repeat. Not that I am completely comfortable with these areas, but the author often appears frightened while presenting her research and interviews with death industry personnel. The ghost stories at the end of the book are fun even though some are urban legends.
August 29, 2013
I found this book enjoyable, but it's very poorly written. The organisation of the book is haphazard, information is often repeated, and topics that should be given at least 20-page chapters are summarised into paragraphs. Although there are resources at the end of the book, nothing in the text is cited and very few sources even mentioned. This essentially makes it a heresay book of storytelling, which would be absolutely fine, except that the writing has absolutely no flavour or pizazz.
I would have given this book 3 stars, because despite the poor writing, I did enjoy it.... HOWEVER.... I cannot forgive frequent instances of completely inaccurate information. For example, the writer states that The University of Tennessee's Body Farm used for forensic research obtains its bodies from unclaimed homeless people. In fact, the bodies used at the Body Farm come from people who in life decided to donate their cadavers to science. The author also calls Pamela Courson Jim Morrison's wife, and although that story of their "common law marriage" enacted after Morrison's death for financial gain is quite interesting, Jim Morrison and Pamela Courson were never married. There is also a mention of a law enacted in 1604 by "King Henry of England." The King of England in 1604 was James I (who was also James VI of Scotland).
Although Cemetery Stories is entertaining at times, I would recommend Mary Roach's books Stiff and Spook over this book.
I would have given this book 3 stars, because despite the poor writing, I did enjoy it.... HOWEVER.... I cannot forgive frequent instances of completely inaccurate information. For example, the writer states that The University of Tennessee's Body Farm used for forensic research obtains its bodies from unclaimed homeless people. In fact, the bodies used at the Body Farm come from people who in life decided to donate their cadavers to science. The author also calls Pamela Courson Jim Morrison's wife, and although that story of their "common law marriage" enacted after Morrison's death for financial gain is quite interesting, Jim Morrison and Pamela Courson were never married. There is also a mention of a law enacted in 1604 by "King Henry of England." The King of England in 1604 was James I (who was also James VI of Scotland).
Although Cemetery Stories is entertaining at times, I would recommend Mary Roach's books Stiff and Spook over this book.
November 21, 2007
The subtitle sums this book up nicely - if you've done other reading on the death care industry, a lot of the information will be a repeat.
Although she does have a bibliography page, many of the "haunted graveyard" and funeral home stories have an air of the apocryphal about them. The embalming section does go into detail - so if you're easily squicked, you might want to skip that section. And unless you're *really* strong-stomached - skip the necrophilia section - TMI indeed.
All in all - if you find yourself fascinated by what is supposed to happen to us after death (versus what actually does), and are not easily creeped out, this is a good, basic read on the topic - probably better as a library read than a purchase.
Although she does have a bibliography page, many of the "haunted graveyard" and funeral home stories have an air of the apocryphal about them. The embalming section does go into detail - so if you're easily squicked, you might want to skip that section. And unless you're *really* strong-stomached - skip the necrophilia section - TMI indeed.
All in all - if you find yourself fascinated by what is supposed to happen to us after death (versus what actually does), and are not easily creeped out, this is a good, basic read on the topic - probably better as a library read than a purchase.
February 16, 2010
Very interesting book for me. I learned alot from this book about death, funeral homes, embalming and a bit of what goes on behind the scenes before a funeral or burial takes place. Nothing really brutal, but can be a sensitive area if you have recently lost a loved one.
November 14, 2008
This was kind of creepy, but very informative. It's a factual trip of what a body goes through, from death to the monuments they have on their graves. I really liked it!
October 8, 2016
Lots of interviews and urban legend, not a lot of research or depth. Mary Roach's STIFF is excellent, though.
March 28, 2024
3 very generous stars
I didn’t actively hate this book but I didn’t enjoy it either. It’s not well written or researched. How can I believe anything Ramsland writes when there are numerous inaccuracies and typos? On top of that most of her sources are anonymous and the stories are just to coincidental to be believable. Very suss.
Also, while this may have been cutting edge stuff back the early 2000s, by now people who are interested in this subject know most everything mentioned in the book. Very skippable. But if you just really want to read this book definitely save your money and borrow it. Or better yet just check out anything by Caitlin Doughty or Mary Roach. They are much better and more trustworthy writers. Not to mention entertaining. This book was kind of boring and very gross and disturbing in sections (I’m looking at you necrophilia). Save yourself!
I didn’t actively hate this book but I didn’t enjoy it either. It’s not well written or researched. How can I believe anything Ramsland writes when there are numerous inaccuracies and typos? On top of that most of her sources are anonymous and the stories are just to coincidental to be believable. Very suss.
Also, while this may have been cutting edge stuff back the early 2000s, by now people who are interested in this subject know most everything mentioned in the book. Very skippable. But if you just really want to read this book definitely save your money and borrow it. Or better yet just check out anything by Caitlin Doughty or Mary Roach. They are much better and more trustworthy writers. Not to mention entertaining. This book was kind of boring and very gross and disturbing in sections (I’m looking at you necrophilia). Save yourself!
June 10, 2025
While informative and a fairly quick read, the structure and flow felt a bit haphazard. Personally, I wish I had skipped the Necrophilia section, but I suppose the author wanted to cover ALL possible eventualities and this section maybe of interest to some. However, it made me incredibly uncomfortable, so it's something to take into consideration when you decide whether to proceed. It wouldn't be my top recommendation for the subject of after-death reads. That spot is securely held by Stiff by Mary Roach.
February 9, 2024
Me on my way to visit the grave of the "son of the devil"
And my god, were the necrophilia stories relayed here graphic AF. Katherine Ramsland may think body cheese is the most disturbing thing ever, but hearing stories from people who watched other people enthusiastically fuck corpses has got to be worse.
And my god, were the necrophilia stories relayed here graphic AF. Katherine Ramsland may think body cheese is the most disturbing thing ever, but hearing stories from people who watched other people enthusiastically fuck corpses has got to be worse.
February 5, 2025
Interesting stories in this one with a wide range of different perspectives on funeral homes, cemeteries, and lots of weird practices.
April 10, 2010
This was a quick read. As a child I grew up with an old graveyard right across the road from where I lived. I think that is where the fascination began. This book is good but I could have done without what sickening things people do with dead bodies. I did find most of the book interesting and did find out things that I didn't know. Overall a good read but wouldn't pass it on as most people I know would find reading about sex with a corpse offensive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2012
All I can say is this is in my top ten of my very favorite books. She goes across the country talking with morticians and their families and teaches, in a very storytelling way, about the history to now of the mortuary services. This was very helpful for me when I wrote my first book.
January 20, 2013
Read for research for my next book - not for the faint-hearted but an excellent overview of what happens to corpses. Cremate me as fast as possible when I pop off, because I do not want to end up on an embalming slab ...
July 13, 2013
Although I was initially excited with this book, I found only a few chapters of it to be specifically about cemeteries! I did enjoy the funeral home chapter though, as I too was writing a book on funeral homes/cemeteries, and enjoyed my interviews.
March 28, 2012
Enjoyed every minute of this book. It had many interesting stories covering the variety of topics as in the title.
I thought Stiff was going to be more like this book...Stiff was
a disappointment.
I thought Stiff was going to be more like this book...Stiff was
a disappointment.
June 7, 2011
Here Lies the Hype
This novel was undeveloped and mostly anecdotal. There are much better books out there.
This novel was undeveloped and mostly anecdotal. There are much better books out there.
May 7, 2017
This is what I would describe as an overview book, it does not go into detail about anything. I don’t feel it needs to as Ramsland describes at the beginning that this was a subject she was curious about and intended to find out more. At no point was she trying to write an exhaustive or academic account and therefore should only be treated as an introduction or interest book.
It took me two attempts to read this, I started reading this a while ago but then a family member took seriously ill and there was no way I could continue, it was a little too close to home. About a year later I tried again now my family member is a lot better and the book proved much easier to read. There was no way I could have enjoyed it earlier. When I write reviews if I can offer any advice to other readers I will always include this, therefore my advice is this… this book may not be suitable if you are recently bereaved of have someone close to you who is very ill, however once you have overcome these issues and are feeling less emotionally vulnerable it is worth a read. I knew next to nothing about the funerary or death processes (although this is predominantly based in America and I am British so I am aware that a number of things will be different based on which country you’re in) and found these parts to be quite interesting.
There were some very touching parts, 2 spring to mind, her section on pet cemeteries and her very moving story of how she and her friends adopted a grave during the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. I shed a tear while reading both of these parts and it’s unusual for a book to make me cry.
There were also some very uncomfortable sections particularly nearer the end about people who have particular tastes for the deceased and a few bits about necromancy. Few of us would ever feel comfortable reading this and I will admit to reading this section as fast as possible wanting it to be over and to move onto something less uncomfortable, but I do respect Ramsland for not shying away from these issues. They do exist whether we like it or not and it would not be right to wright a book about the dead that only covers the “nicer” bits.
I remain sceptical about her story of her own ghost hunt in a cemetery, many ghost hunters try for decades and get less what she claims to have experienced on her first attempt. Perhaps she was just in the right place at the right time but I admit I’m not convinced.
Overall I enjoyed this, some people will hate it, others will be offended, still others will not be able to read parts due to personal experiences, but for those who are curious and easily put off I’d definitely recommend it as a nice easy read.
It took me two attempts to read this, I started reading this a while ago but then a family member took seriously ill and there was no way I could continue, it was a little too close to home. About a year later I tried again now my family member is a lot better and the book proved much easier to read. There was no way I could have enjoyed it earlier. When I write reviews if I can offer any advice to other readers I will always include this, therefore my advice is this… this book may not be suitable if you are recently bereaved of have someone close to you who is very ill, however once you have overcome these issues and are feeling less emotionally vulnerable it is worth a read. I knew next to nothing about the funerary or death processes (although this is predominantly based in America and I am British so I am aware that a number of things will be different based on which country you’re in) and found these parts to be quite interesting.
There were some very touching parts, 2 spring to mind, her section on pet cemeteries and her very moving story of how she and her friends adopted a grave during the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. I shed a tear while reading both of these parts and it’s unusual for a book to make me cry.
There were also some very uncomfortable sections particularly nearer the end about people who have particular tastes for the deceased and a few bits about necromancy. Few of us would ever feel comfortable reading this and I will admit to reading this section as fast as possible wanting it to be over and to move onto something less uncomfortable, but I do respect Ramsland for not shying away from these issues. They do exist whether we like it or not and it would not be right to wright a book about the dead that only covers the “nicer” bits.
I remain sceptical about her story of her own ghost hunt in a cemetery, many ghost hunters try for decades and get less what she claims to have experienced on her first attempt. Perhaps she was just in the right place at the right time but I admit I’m not convinced.
Overall I enjoyed this, some people will hate it, others will be offended, still others will not be able to read parts due to personal experiences, but for those who are curious and easily put off I’d definitely recommend it as a nice easy read.
October 29, 2018
I picked this book up at a recent library booksale and took it on a flight to FL to pass the time. I'm an admitted taphophile and found it the perfect diversion for the cramped and uncomfortable flight. The first segments of the book got into the mortuary life and the anecdotes from funeral directors, undertakers and morticians were entertaining, and often tinged with sadness. I'm not someone who is squeamish about the decomposition of the body after death, or the processes employed by the funeral industry to prepare a body for interment.
Had the book not finished with an overly long and seemingly manipulated attempt to titillate the reader or disgust the reader by getting into the weeds about the horrific things that have been done to bodies after death (and I'm talking about sex here), I would have given the book another star. In fact, there are two incidents the author goes into unnecessary detail of the sexual perversions that were committed by individuals on the deceased. I'm not disputing the possibility these events did not occur or do not happen (although, I'm thinking it's far more rare than the author would like you to believe), but it was a sour note in an otherwise lightly entertaining read.
Had the book not finished with an overly long and seemingly manipulated attempt to titillate the reader or disgust the reader by getting into the weeds about the horrific things that have been done to bodies after death (and I'm talking about sex here), I would have given the book another star. In fact, there are two incidents the author goes into unnecessary detail of the sexual perversions that were committed by individuals on the deceased. I'm not disputing the possibility these events did not occur or do not happen (although, I'm thinking it's far more rare than the author would like you to believe), but it was a sour note in an otherwise lightly entertaining read.
January 2, 2019
I wanted to rate Cemetery Stories higher than I did. I've always been interested in death, cemeteries and all the science and medicine behind them, and in learning about those subjects, I've read a decent number of books about those things. Katherine Ramsland's book had been on my list for a few years, but by the time I finally read it, perhaps I'd already read other books that contained similar subjects, because I found Ramsland's rather dull. Oh, sure, the mystery of death is still an interesting subject, but interesting as it is, Ramsland's book still didn't contain anything staggeringly new to me. Plus, she went off the rails at the end of the book a bit, when she purported to write about the darker side of the death business but instead delve into necrophilia and necromancy, the latter for far too many pages. Neither of those subjects had any research or hard data, so to speak, behind them, and I wished Ramsland had devoted less time to pseudo-science and deviance and more to actual practices and studied results.
September 25, 2025
If this is your introduction to all things 'corpse', I would recommend it! It's a simple read, the author is engaging and entertaining which makes the information easy to consume. Yet it's refusal to dive past the US is very telling and at times irritating.
If the book had stated 'US cemetery stories' the read would have been nicer. However, when any other continent is written in as an afterthought or shown through a random story, it hurts the content of the book itself. Especially because burial rites in contents such as Asia and Africa have a commitment lengthier than the entire of the history of the States! Even Native Americans weren't talked about as much in the historical sections, the author writing a sentence on ancient burial mounds of the Natives and switching immediately back to the European settlers. For a book claiming it's claws are stuck on the 'secrets of corpses', it sure does read like a fanfiction.
This isn't to say I didn't get any enjoyment out of it as I thought it had interesting pieces of information.
If the book had stated 'US cemetery stories' the read would have been nicer. However, when any other continent is written in as an afterthought or shown through a random story, it hurts the content of the book itself. Especially because burial rites in contents such as Asia and Africa have a commitment lengthier than the entire of the history of the States! Even Native Americans weren't talked about as much in the historical sections, the author writing a sentence on ancient burial mounds of the Natives and switching immediately back to the European settlers. For a book claiming it's claws are stuck on the 'secrets of corpses', it sure does read like a fanfiction.
This isn't to say I didn't get any enjoyment out of it as I thought it had interesting pieces of information.
May 3, 2023
This book takes a fascinating look at what happens to a body after death, the death industry & cemeteries, as well as touches on ghost stories and spirits. I have always had a curiosity for funeral home stories and cemeteries, so I enjoyed the first half of this book more so than the second half. This book had a good blend of technical details as well as stories. I appreciate the time and research that was put into this book and shared with us readers so we can understand a little better of what happens behind the mystified veil of death. This book is a little on the older side now, but I have followed some of Katherine Ramsland’s current work and value her thoughts and opinions.
July 25, 2019
Grabbed this one because duh, ITS SPOOPY SEASON.
“SHE AIN’T FUNNY”-Frank Reynolds.
I had a REALLY hard time not comparing this to “Stiff” by Mary Roach, because they are pretty similar in some bits. Mary has a much better sense of humor but this book was filled with a lot of different (and new) information. Loads of information on customs of preparation of the dead and means of burial, all varying ur to cultural beliefs. What I didn’t expect was the super graphically described incidents of necrophilia. I mean, some shit that even made my mouth drop. When I die, throw me in the trash.
“SHE AIN’T FUNNY”-Frank Reynolds.
I had a REALLY hard time not comparing this to “Stiff” by Mary Roach, because they are pretty similar in some bits. Mary has a much better sense of humor but this book was filled with a lot of different (and new) information. Loads of information on customs of preparation of the dead and means of burial, all varying ur to cultural beliefs. What I didn’t expect was the super graphically described incidents of necrophilia. I mean, some shit that even made my mouth drop. When I die, throw me in the trash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2019
One star because I loved the Shelley Winters story
Note on part 3 of the book. Ugh how many stories do we need to hear about people telling Katherine stories about how they watched people do God awful things to corpses and just let it happen and did nothing. They just watched and apparently were ok with what was going on. My suggestion read part one and two skip part 3 unless you want your faith in humanity greatly tainted. It's really just To much information.
Note on part 3 of the book. Ugh how many stories do we need to hear about people telling Katherine stories about how they watched people do God awful things to corpses and just let it happen and did nothing. They just watched and apparently were ok with what was going on. My suggestion read part one and two skip part 3 unless you want your faith in humanity greatly tainted. It's really just To much information.
December 1, 2019
Weird stuff. This book didn’t keep me up at night but it helped me decide to be cremated after I die. This is story after story after story of far out oddities and things I never wanted to know. Seriously... I started reading some sections and then skipped them because I didn’t want to put that stuff into my brain. And yet... it was all strangely fascinating. I guess i’m a whack-o. But I have absolutely NO desire to steal a corpse. Much less be “intimate” with one.
December 1, 2023
Death. The complete ending of one's existence. Or is it? The author takes a fascinating look and explored many of our morbid curiosities of what happens to our physical body after death. The book explores everything from prepping a body, the burial process, and what our bodies go through as we decompose. Fascinating facts but not for the weak of heart (or stomach) so definitely consider this before reading.
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