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Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial
Drawing on extensive historical and anthropological research, personal accounts, and interviews with people who work in the funeral industry, Penny Colman examines the compelling subjects of death and burial across cultures and societies. The text, enriched with stories both humorous and poignant, includes details about the decomposition and embalming processes (an adult corpse buried six feet deep without a coffin will usually take five to ten years to turn into a skeleton) and describes the various customs associated with containing remains (the Igala people in Nigeria have a custom of burying people in as many as twenty-seven layers of clothing). Intriguing facts are revealed at every turn; for example, in Madagascar winter was considered the corpse-turning season. This comprehensive book also includes a list of burial sites of famous people, images in the arts associated with death, fascinating epitaphs and gravestone carvings, a chronology and a glossary, and over a hundred black-and-white photographs, most of which were taken by the author. Penny Colman writes with compassion and intelligence and humanizes the difficult subjects of death and burial. The result is a powerful look at an inevitable part of life--death.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1997
18 people are currently reading
1562 people want to read
About the author
Penny Colman
29 books10 followersPenny Colman is the author of award-winning biographies and social histories. Her intriguing topics range from Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II to Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial. A popular speaker, Penny has appeared on television and radio, including National Public Radio, and on Book TV, C-Span2.
She has been honored by the New Jersey State Legislature for her books and public appearances that have “contributed to the advancement of women.” The New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs presented her with the New Jersey Women of Achievement Award.
A graduate of The University of Michigan and The Johns Hopkins University, Penny has taught nonfiction literature and creative writing at various colleges and universities, including Teachers College, Columbia University and Queens College, The City University of New York, where she was a Distinguished Lecturer.
She has been honored by the New Jersey State Legislature for her books and public appearances that have “contributed to the advancement of women.” The New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs presented her with the New Jersey Women of Achievement Award.
A graduate of The University of Michigan and The Johns Hopkins University, Penny has taught nonfiction literature and creative writing at various colleges and universities, including Teachers College, Columbia University and Queens College, The City University of New York, where she was a Distinguished Lecturer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
October 13, 2013
I can be a pretty morbid person. I have a dark sense of humor and appreciate such in others as well. I'm not scared of death, though for a long while my fear was more about losing everyone I cared for because there was a period where I was losing friends like most kids lose baby fat. I've since gotten over that fear because, as Colman points out in her book, death is inevitable and the sooner we all come to terms with that, the better we are.
For the last couple of years before I left Missouri, I worked in a hospital as a unit clerk. I worked the evening shift, and occasionally would help cover the night shift as well. Especially the night shift could be quiet, so once in a while I would be able to assist the morgue technician transport bodies to the morgue if our floor lost a patient. She showed me the autopsy table, the freezer, the little tackle boxes that were sadly used to transport dead babies. It was heartbreaking and interesting and fascinating all at once. I gave considerable thought to becoming a morgue technician myself. I never witnessed an actual autopsy, but I imagine if I hadn't moved that would have been my next project.
Now I work in a hospital again and I haven't found the morgue, although a coworker overheard something recently that may clue us in. (Strangely I've never seen any bodies transported in this hospital the way I did at my last one, so I don't know how it all works. Does the floor just open up and the body slides down into the morgue? I mean, really.)
This is one of the first books I bought when I started working at Half Price Books in 2003, so it's about time for it to finally be off my shelf now. I'm not sure if I realized when I bought it that it's actually geared towards young adult readers, but that's okay. The information inside isn't particularly new to me, and anyone who has read Mary Roach's Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers or Jan Bondeson's Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear will find some similarities.
Colman discusses the fascination different cultures have surrounding death, the preservation of bodies, the celebration of death, and even how symbols and epitaphs on gravestones have changed over the years. Because this was geared towards younger readers, I was a bit bugged that there wasn't more information; but what is included here is decent and could easily help younger readers who have questions or concerns about death and what happens to ones body. I would recommend handing this off to a younger reader before, for example, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, but that's just me.
I think the real reason I probably purchased this book was that inside the front cover, a whole bunch of people wrote to someone named Mike, clearly the person for whom this book was a gift. They were all his coworkers, it sounds like he might have been a teacher, and he was about to get married to someone named Alisha and they were moving to North Carolina. The inside cover looks like a high school year book. I love shit like that. Apparently Mike did not, because he sold this book to Half Price Books at some point - I wonder if he sold it immediately before he moved with his beloved to North Carolina, or if he sold it after coming back for some reason? There's a story in there, I'm sure of it.
There's a wonderful cemetery in North Carolina, by the way, should you ever find your way in those parts. Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, NC is the resting place of Thomas Wolfe and William Sidney Porter (aka O. Henry). My mom and I stopped there on a road trip years ago to allow me to spend a good portion of the afternoon looking for both their graves. I highly recommend it if you're in the area - the cemetery is lovely and, hello, has literary connections.
I am one of those people Colman discusses in her book that has a fascination with cemeteries. For me, it's not a morbid thing. For me, it's a natural place to be, a comforting and safe place. Often they're beautiful and historical and I learn something every time I step on their grounds. In all the people I have lost over the years, I've never been to a funeral. I refuse. It doesn't mean I don't love any of them, or that I don't miss any of them, or that I was scared to go to one; it means that I chose to remember each of them the way I last saw them, or our last conversation, or our last shared moment. It's a personal choice, and one I might not always choose, but to date that's where I stand.
So when I go into a cemetery, that's my time to reflect and to give my thanks to those I've lost. I don't need to share that with anyone else.
For the last couple of years before I left Missouri, I worked in a hospital as a unit clerk. I worked the evening shift, and occasionally would help cover the night shift as well. Especially the night shift could be quiet, so once in a while I would be able to assist the morgue technician transport bodies to the morgue if our floor lost a patient. She showed me the autopsy table, the freezer, the little tackle boxes that were sadly used to transport dead babies. It was heartbreaking and interesting and fascinating all at once. I gave considerable thought to becoming a morgue technician myself. I never witnessed an actual autopsy, but I imagine if I hadn't moved that would have been my next project.
Now I work in a hospital again and I haven't found the morgue, although a coworker overheard something recently that may clue us in. (Strangely I've never seen any bodies transported in this hospital the way I did at my last one, so I don't know how it all works. Does the floor just open up and the body slides down into the morgue? I mean, really.)
This is one of the first books I bought when I started working at Half Price Books in 2003, so it's about time for it to finally be off my shelf now. I'm not sure if I realized when I bought it that it's actually geared towards young adult readers, but that's okay. The information inside isn't particularly new to me, and anyone who has read Mary Roach's Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers or Jan Bondeson's Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear will find some similarities.
Colman discusses the fascination different cultures have surrounding death, the preservation of bodies, the celebration of death, and even how symbols and epitaphs on gravestones have changed over the years. Because this was geared towards younger readers, I was a bit bugged that there wasn't more information; but what is included here is decent and could easily help younger readers who have questions or concerns about death and what happens to ones body. I would recommend handing this off to a younger reader before, for example, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, but that's just me.
I think the real reason I probably purchased this book was that inside the front cover, a whole bunch of people wrote to someone named Mike, clearly the person for whom this book was a gift. They were all his coworkers, it sounds like he might have been a teacher, and he was about to get married to someone named Alisha and they were moving to North Carolina. The inside cover looks like a high school year book. I love shit like that. Apparently Mike did not, because he sold this book to Half Price Books at some point - I wonder if he sold it immediately before he moved with his beloved to North Carolina, or if he sold it after coming back for some reason? There's a story in there, I'm sure of it.
There's a wonderful cemetery in North Carolina, by the way, should you ever find your way in those parts. Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, NC is the resting place of Thomas Wolfe and William Sidney Porter (aka O. Henry). My mom and I stopped there on a road trip years ago to allow me to spend a good portion of the afternoon looking for both their graves. I highly recommend it if you're in the area - the cemetery is lovely and, hello, has literary connections.
I am one of those people Colman discusses in her book that has a fascination with cemeteries. For me, it's not a morbid thing. For me, it's a natural place to be, a comforting and safe place. Often they're beautiful and historical and I learn something every time I step on their grounds. In all the people I have lost over the years, I've never been to a funeral. I refuse. It doesn't mean I don't love any of them, or that I don't miss any of them, or that I was scared to go to one; it means that I chose to remember each of them the way I last saw them, or our last conversation, or our last shared moment. It's a personal choice, and one I might not always choose, but to date that's where I stand.
So when I go into a cemetery, that's my time to reflect and to give my thanks to those I've lost. I don't need to share that with anyone else.
October 19, 2012
Too short to really go into detail about the vast range of things Colman wants to talk about. And yet it seemed interminably long.
Read
September 22, 2017I read this way, way, way back, when I was just a wee morbid kid and the death positivity movement, if it existed, was completely unknown to me. I had forgotten this book until now, going through the All the Saints You Should Know bookshelf.
November 16, 2011
An excellent and detailed account of the history of human death and burial, Penny Colman’s Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts presents her audience an instructive look at our inevitable end, oft overlooked from pessimism and fear. She does not shy away from the topic and often uses stories from her own life to relate the facts presented—an effective approach that makes her material more personal and consoling than frightful.
What I believe is most commendable about Colman’s writing is her ability to portray a heavy topic with such worldliness. Her writing is simple enough for younger audiences to comprehend, yet she also uses elaborate tales and myths that will educate, and entertain, adults and kids alike. I particularly enjoyed her chapter on storing the remains of the dead— from mummies to mausoleums. The brick “oven-graves” of New Orleans are particularly ingenious.
Concerning how the living revere and honor the dead, Colman leaves no stone unturned. She covers the burial rituals in a variety of cultures and time periods and even includes some recipes for traditional funeral foods. I believe most people will find interesting the chapter on requests people have made for when they die. It’s almost as if the living spare no expense for their dead body! Finally, to prove it’s worthy as a true reference book, a rather long list of famous grave sites is presented, along with epitaphs.
I would recommend this book for virtually all age groups and anybody with interest in a topic that isn’t addressed often enough.
What I believe is most commendable about Colman’s writing is her ability to portray a heavy topic with such worldliness. Her writing is simple enough for younger audiences to comprehend, yet she also uses elaborate tales and myths that will educate, and entertain, adults and kids alike. I particularly enjoyed her chapter on storing the remains of the dead— from mummies to mausoleums. The brick “oven-graves” of New Orleans are particularly ingenious.
Concerning how the living revere and honor the dead, Colman leaves no stone unturned. She covers the burial rituals in a variety of cultures and time periods and even includes some recipes for traditional funeral foods. I believe most people will find interesting the chapter on requests people have made for when they die. It’s almost as if the living spare no expense for their dead body! Finally, to prove it’s worthy as a true reference book, a rather long list of famous grave sites is presented, along with epitaphs.
I would recommend this book for virtually all age groups and anybody with interest in a topic that isn’t addressed often enough.
February 18, 2025
Much like the bathroom book the same author, I did not realize this was a juvenile book when I requested it. It is much longer though, and provides very well written overview of the cultural practices surrounding death. I don't remember learning anything new, but the black and white photographs throughout, many of which were taken by the author, added an additional layer of interest. Recommended to anyone unfamiliar with the subject as it goes beyond burial to include cremation, memorial art, etc.
October 24, 2022
For a shorter YA book written in the late 90s, this book has a surprisingly comprehensive review of the historic and current death practices. I appreciate the efforts made to not just focus on western practices. Overall an excellent introduction into the topic, that holds up 25 years later.
December 25, 2008
Fascinating. Even more so because the author makes it very personal by giving family and personal examples of rites, perceptions, and symbolism found around burying the dead. It had social history, folklore, technological history, and some plain good fun.
My favorite: she found a headstone in New England that had the usual information, b.-, d.-, and the it had a recipe carved into the stone. Under that was also chiseled, "I told you the only way you were gettin this recipe was over my dead body."
P.S.- "R.I.P. The Complete Book of Death and Dying" is better.
My favorite: she found a headstone in New England that had the usual information, b.-, d.-, and the it had a recipe carved into the stone. Under that was also chiseled, "I told you the only way you were gettin this recipe was over my dead body."
P.S.- "R.I.P. The Complete Book of Death and Dying" is better.
October 22, 2013
My criticism of this book was going to be that it seemed written for middle schoolers, and lo and behold, it is! Totally missed that when I ordered it. So yeah, it's probably alright if you're 10.
October 19, 2022
Penny Colman presents an interesting overview of death and burial practices across cultures and The text, at times both humorous and touching, includes details about what happens to our bodies when we die, how various peoples deal with their dead (the Igala people in Nigeria have a custom of burying people in as many as twenty-seven layers of clothing), the history of cemeteries in western culture, death in art and literature. Also included are a list of burial sites of famous people, fascinating epitaphs, gravestone symbols and a chronology and a glossary. The author is very knowledgeable about her subject, but the scope is a bit too broad to make such a short book feel satisfying.
May 6, 2023
What a cool book. It took me far too long to read (I have a curse with non-fiction, even when it's interesting), but I enjoyed that the author explored death and burial in broad ways. I loved her photographs throughout (though I do wish a few had more directly shown some of the things described in the text at times) and the way she wove personal experiences in with the more scientific and socially-informative segments. The book isn't long enough to offer a very detailed insight into any one aspect of the ways in which we deal with death, but the author did a great job bringing insight from all around the world and across history in order to contextualize some of our burial traditions.
October 12, 2024
It read a little disjointed in it's delivery from start to finish-- like it needed a better editor in part because it read like a self-published story of a traveling taphophile who wanted to share a bit about the topic rather than provide a well-researched book with perspective from her own history.
The pictures weren't particularly effective either but was that the nature of a book published in 1997, maybe? I still learned some things like a recipe for funeral pie, symbolism, and burial techniques around the world, so all was not lost, it just wasn't a pretty package from start to finish.
The pictures weren't particularly effective either but was that the nature of a book published in 1997, maybe? I still learned some things like a recipe for funeral pie, symbolism, and burial techniques around the world, so all was not lost, it just wasn't a pretty package from start to finish.
November 24, 2021
It's interesting to see that the more you learn about death, the easier it is to cope with the fact. We will all die, somehow but it shouldn't be a great fear of losing a life. Death should be a celebration of all you have accomplished this far in existence. Not a punishment that we all have to go through. I'd say that reading books on this subject not only educates you in the matter but helps you overcome the big anxiety and distress that comes with talking and experiencing this sort of subject matter.
November 16, 2025
This book is very broad when talking about death and burial customs to include rituals and traditions in a myriad of cultures and throughout history. There are several places where Colman could go more in depth, but would probably be best explored in a separate book. What stands out is the use of Colman's personal experiences with death and the experiences and stories of others. Death is told by the living and we all deal with it, and sharing our stories and beliefs helps us understand each other.
January 2, 2023
This is a book for juveniles or people who have never read a single book about this subject matter. I learned nothing from this book. I feel it would be a great intro to a dark curious 14-16 year old.
Photos are very poor quality and blurry at times.
Most of the book is quoting other books. Examples given are generic and so is the writing in general.
If this is a topic you already enjoy reading, take my advice and skip this one.
Photos are very poor quality and blurry at times.
Most of the book is quoting other books. Examples given are generic and so is the writing in general.
If this is a topic you already enjoy reading, take my advice and skip this one.
October 2, 2020
TITLE:
Corpses, Coffins and Crypts - A History of Burial | Penny Colman | Book Review | Consuelo Culver
If you already read the book, I might bring you a new perspective.
If you haven’t, you will still enjoy the video where I share my very own Cemetery Day story, and suggestions on how to cope with the death of a loved one.
YouTube LINK: https://youtu.be/0U2pUDuJpW4
---- ESPAñOL ----
TITULO:
Cadáveres, Ataúdes y Criptas - La Historia de Entierros | Penny Colman | Reseña de Libro | Consuelo Culver
Si ya lo leiste, a lo mejor te ofrezco una nueva perspectiva.
Si no lo haz leído, como quiera vas a disfrutar el video donde comparto mi propia historia del Dia de Cementerio, y sugerencias para sobrellevar la muerte de un ser querido.
ENLACE YouTube: https://youtu.be/-8eZJ6tDgEg
Corpses, Coffins and Crypts - A History of Burial | Penny Colman | Book Review | Consuelo Culver
If you already read the book, I might bring you a new perspective.
If you haven’t, you will still enjoy the video where I share my very own Cemetery Day story, and suggestions on how to cope with the death of a loved one.
YouTube LINK: https://youtu.be/0U2pUDuJpW4
---- ESPAñOL ----
TITULO:
Cadáveres, Ataúdes y Criptas - La Historia de Entierros | Penny Colman | Reseña de Libro | Consuelo Culver
Si ya lo leiste, a lo mejor te ofrezco una nueva perspectiva.
Si no lo haz leído, como quiera vas a disfrutar el video donde comparto mi propia historia del Dia de Cementerio, y sugerencias para sobrellevar la muerte de un ser querido.
ENLACE YouTube: https://youtu.be/-8eZJ6tDgEg
July 28, 2021
An amazing, informative read. Covers the basic aspects of death, funeral rites and cemeteries through out the world and history. Mixes the authors own experiences in with what she has learned in her research which gives the rather cold subject matter a certain warmth.
highly recommended for fellow cemetary enthusiasts.
highly recommended for fellow cemetary enthusiasts.
November 1, 2021
2021 Halloween read. It was ok. It seemed a mish-mash of often odd, but mostly interesting facts about all aspects of death, and burials and the treatment of the dead. It was not encyclopedic, nor all encompassing, and not a droll textbook. A good coffee table book, for conversation starters, not for illustrious pictures.
October 4, 2023
I rather enjoyed this :)
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Hello!
This is part of my pumpkin spice and apple slice
FALL IS BACK 2023 reading project!
In other words, I read a LOT of fall-ish books!
By that, I mean mystery, coffee shops, bookstores, and MURDER!
Also if they take place in fall...
🍁Fall is back 2023🍁
#1>Legends and Lattes
#2>The Tygrine Cat
#3>Coraline (re-read)
#4>The Crucible
#5>Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
#6>Unfamiliar, Vol 1
#7>Gothic Short Stories
#8>The Ghostly Tales of the Haunted South
#9>Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial
---------
Hello!
This is part of my pumpkin spice and apple slice
FALL IS BACK 2023 reading project!
In other words, I read a LOT of fall-ish books!
By that, I mean mystery, coffee shops, bookstores, and MURDER!
Also if they take place in fall...
🍁Fall is back 2023🍁
#1>Legends and Lattes
#2>The Tygrine Cat
#3>Coraline (re-read)
#4>The Crucible
#5>Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
#6>Unfamiliar, Vol 1
#7>Gothic Short Stories
#8>The Ghostly Tales of the Haunted South
#9>Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial
July 29, 2017
Si hubiera alguna carrera universitaria relacionada con el arte de morir, este libro sería la introducción más adecuada, completa, ingenua y obvia a una de sus asignaturas. También serviría como manual de la muerte humana para extraterrestres.
October 3, 2017
3.5 stars
I simply just wanted more from this book. It was interesting and I guess I would have just loved more information and more in depth inquiries on the topics the author presents.
I simply just wanted more from this book. It was interesting and I guess I would have just loved more information and more in depth inquiries on the topics the author presents.
January 17, 2018
Full of fun facts. The lengthy bibliography is a great resource for more reading and/or information. The list of burial locations of famous people is a road trip waiting to happen.
January 28, 2018
I have an AAS in Funeral Service and Embalming, so this book was a bit redundant for me, but still an interesting quick read.
June 1, 2018
Very interesting and always interesting book, I definitely recommend it!
May 1, 2018
I find death and the rituals that accompany it interesting. While the book looks at a heavy subject in our history, the stories and bits of culture are shared with respect in an easily read format.
July 8, 2018
nyc is built on top of a 19th century city of the dead. Washington Square Park is a cemetery. The fountain is the gallows. Manhattan covers massive graves. definitely haunted.
August 5, 2018
Got a feeling that the content in this book wasn't accurate. Confirmed when I read what she's written about sati. Ruined the book for me as I kept second guessing everything in it.
September 1, 2019
It was a very nice informational read with very interesting pictures, but the sentence structure was a bit choppy at times and didn’t really flow too well.
September 6, 2019
Read this for my undergraduate dissertation, really informative for creating a basic timeline of the evolution of the concept of cemeteries, crematoriums and general practises related to death.
April 24, 2020
I enjoyed the anecdotal way this book was written. Everyone's life is touched by death. Ms. Colman used stories from her life and others to illustrate the differences in cultural views on death.
May 15, 2020
3.5/5
I enjoyed this as a general overview of the history of burial. A lot could have been expanded upon to really justify the subtitle of "a history of burial", but overall, an interesting read.
I enjoyed this as a general overview of the history of burial. A lot could have been expanded upon to really justify the subtitle of "a history of burial", but overall, an interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews