Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Rituals performed for the dead and how they have lifted mankind from mere hominids to sentient, reflective beings is the thematic genesis of this ironic and witty book of anecdotes. Anthropologist Nigel Barley describes how other cultures in Africa and Asia, Europe and the Americas, both past and contemporary, formulate prescribed behavior for expressing emotions at final rites. Western society, for example, dictates formality and rigid self-control at funerals, whereas the Nyakyusa of Malawi think the deceased's relations need cheering up, hence they sit and talk and laugh until the relatives laugh too. Many societies, both past and contemporary, place emphasis on preserving the bones of the deceased, whereas in America the aim is to preserve the flesh as well, as seen in the lingering cadaver of Walt Disney in a California freezer. Cannibalism, self-mutilation, or even sex may seem gruesome or even shocking in a more primitive culture's rites, but the author points out our own practice of turning over the bodies of our relatives to virtual strangers to 'strip, eviscerate and do with as they will.' Such ironic bite is part of the book's appeal. As is much wit, such as seeing the postmortem video as a throwback to scaffold speeches." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-232) and index.