"Dark Archives" by Megan Rosenbloom offers a captivating exploration into the obscure domain of rare books, unveiling their unsettling histories with meticulous research and compelling narration. Rosenbloom delves into the enigmatic narratives surrounding these antiquarian volumes, ranging from tales of mortality to esoteric themes. While the narrative occasionally experiences pacing fluctuations, Rosenbloom's ability to engage readers with her extensive knowledge and storytelling prowess ensures an intellectually stimulating experience throughout.

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

I love the work of Mary Roach and Caitlin Doughty, so this seemed right in my wheelhouse. I felt like this didn't need to be a full-length book. Really, a long-form article would've been enough. It felt kind of repetitive and uninteresting over time.

Such a fascinating, weird, creepy and addictive book! I knew very little about books made of human skin but I think it's safe to say I have a much better understanding now. Also, I will be careful of picking up any 'leather' bound books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

OMG I absolutely loved this book.

This is a very detailed history of books made of human skin from all over the world. The author works on a project which tests the authenticity of such books, so she certainly is an expert. But she goes beyond the science, explaining the history of the individual books and where possible, talks about the lives of the 'donors' of the skin.

I will admit this book isn't for everyone, and many may think it creepy and macabre but for me this book was a must read (I have an archaeology background and don't get creeped out by bodies).

As a horror lover, finding fictional novel that include horrifying real life things is a real delight. While you may not agree with all of the author's points, it is hard to look away from a topic as morbid as this one. Love being able to discover new books that help grow my love of nonfiction!

I am a huge fan of the Mutter Museum and even got to see one of the books referenced in "Dark Archives", so I was very excited to read this title. The author does a good job of covering the history of anthropodermic bibliopegy, sharing the science behind studying books claimed to be bound in human skin, and examining the ethics behind the practice. I found myself sharing a lot of the facts with my partner as I read along. I recommend this title for anyone who likes medical history and curiosities.

This book is absolutely essential for anyone who loves luscious, morbid nonfiction! Well-researched, informative, and exciting.

On the one hand, this is a fascinating and important subject about the use of skin - human skin - to bind books.
On the other?
The fact that it doesn't seem to be ... I dunno how to explain other than it felt like the reverence was missing.
A really interesting book, just don't really expect the book to reflect the seriousness of the material's use, I guess.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I appreciate that a lot of study went into this subject, and I am not one to be easily grossed out, there was something about the manner in which the author described the humans whose skin was made into books just rubbed me the wrong way. It seemed to be justifying the act and preservation, rather than acknowledging that they were in fact, human remains, and seemed to not take into account the other opinions that they should be treated like remains, rather than artifacts.

An interesting and engrossing book about binding books in human skin.

Despite my mind going immediately to all things occult (grimoires, etc) and then to the Nazis, both of my immediate thoughts of who might have bound books in the most taboo of leathers was disproved through a series of incredibly thorough sets of evidence. The sheer excitement of the French collectors in testing their macabre books was a thrill ride, and I wish more time had been spent on why and how the occult books were created (this seemed more like an afterthought than the rest of the book).

The majority of books that have been tested and proved to be bound in actual leather of man were mostly bound in the late 18th through early 20th centuries by highly educated, well respected doctors who were used to playing a little fast and loose with ethics (Rosenbloom notes that ethics and consent with regards to literally anything medical were developed relatively recently). I did like that she spent much of the book discussing the people who were possibly turned into an object, rehumanizing the literally dehumanized, and talking about the responsibilities of respecting the dead, educating the present and contextualizing the past (contextualizing, not excusing).

However, I was annoyed by how often the book seemed like a log of Rosenbloom's travels to various places. At first it was cool, and I appreciated the amount of research, passion and dedication she has put into demystifying this gruesome (and rare) practice, but after a while the "I went here to talk to this person, and walked around the beautiful building/grounds/museum/library/center/etc" felt repetitive and more of a way to increase word count instead of add value.

But perhaps I wanted more macabre, more occult, more weird!

Overall, it's well worth a look at how ethics in medical practice has changed, and who suffers and is exploited by systems riddled with inequality and injustice.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review, although I ended up checking the book out from the library because I'd forgotten I'd requested it as an ARC a couple years ago!

A thrilling look at some of the darkest deeds of history -- harvesting human skin to bind books.

I found this to be a thorough and accessible text -- and I don't typically enjoy history books. There's a wealth of knowledge here that can't be overstated, and with a flair of the author's voice to make it humorous at times.

A gruesome, but gripping, read into the history of anthropodermic books, or books bound in human skin. Megan Rosenbloom is no stranger to the topic of death and dying. Having run a death cafe, and working with archive materials for years, she soundly launches the first foundation to test and study anthropodermic books. Hundreds of books around the world claim to be bound in human skin but quite few of them have actually been tested. And their history and ethics around them remain a taboo conversation that Rosenbloom does not shy away from.

Dark Archives delves into the sordid history of early medicine, social justice, and economics. It also gives a unique perspective into the rare books world and how archives and medical schools/museums provide context and learning opportunities.

While a morbid topic indeed, I learned a lot and appreciated all Rosenbloom included. At times, the text was a little clinical for me, but I stuck with it because the history was so fascinating.

Amazingly informative and macabre, but in a way that makes even my squeamish self able to read it. I was horrified and fascinated and added so many museums to my wish list while reading this.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review, which has not altered my opinion of this book.

This is such an interesting topic that I never thought I would be interested in, but as someone who is preparing for my own study in the library sciences, it’s so interesting how deep and far back this study goes and the variety of topics that can be addressed. The concept of a book bound in human skin is one that I have heard of before but just in a fictional concept the idea that it is an actual practice is startling but I would not call it surprising. This is the most well researched book I have read about book binding yet. Not that I have read many but I would still stand by the fact that I learned quite a lot about the history of book binding as well as the impact human skin has on this.

I do believe that this book is not one that is necessarily essential for everyone to read, but if you have ever seen a book bound in human skin, or are at all curious, then this is an excellent book to look into. This really looks at the practicality from the point of view of a librarian and researcher. There are many opinions about this process, and seeing all the views is important, this book is an ideal way to see this particular point of view.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. Some of the science went a bit over my head, but it was explained well and I can’t recommend it enough in order to understand. There are descriptions of murders, hangings, and the process of creating a tanned skin (non-living version), so consider that before reaching for this book. Four out of five from me.

If, like myself and the author, you are a person who is interested in subject that most would consider to be morbid, and if you have a huge love of books and the history of them, then this is a book you'll want to read. I got strange looks from both friends and family and a number of ewww's and that's gross but I found this book completely fascinating. I couldn't put it down and honestly, I want to know more. I'll be following any news of the author's project to see what new and interesting things they discover while testing and researching these rare books bound in human skin (or not...). I felt like I'd found a kindred spirit for however creepy that makes me. Anyway, I highly recommend this book if it doesn't gross you out.

Library collections are always made of odd, nontraditional, materials. Personal libraries tend to have even more strange features, including some volumes bound in human skin. The practice of binding books in human skin, or anthropodermic bibliopegy, is not as ancient as one would think. Some even desire their own flesh to continue on the tradition after they pass, but there are still questions of morality and ethics surrounding the practice.
One thing I didn't expect from this book is how common it is for forgeries to take place and be passed on for decades, or even centuries, as authentic creations. This book is not based around horror, but around a unique practice, often condemned (sometimes rightfully), that has shaped human society as a whole.

I’m judging a 2020 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory
glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

Obviously, this is not a work of fiction so I was not considering it for the prize but I thought this was an interesting project related to my dissertation, great work well researched...

This is an excellent supplemental read for my course on Dark Tourism. Rosenbloom tackles the subject with a scholarly frame and as that of a respectable researcher. She include both the history of the subject and ethical concerns.

Dark Archives is an absolutely fascinating read about Megan Rosenbloom’s research in the history, making, and medical influence of anthropodermic bibliopegy. What might that be you may be asking? Well, it’s the practice of books bound in human skin.

I’ve got a pretty good curiosity for morbid things. When I saw that this book was about I knew I had to read it. It is so brilliant and informative. Plus, for me, it was an actual joy to read through. That probably sounds strange. Let me explain.

Rosenbloom is clearly very passionate about the subject. It leaps off the page and filled me with the giddy excitement of learning something new. I was wholly unprepared to find the medical history as fascinating as it is. The author’s observation on the ethical side of the matter were eye opening for me. As a person who has gone to The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia and seen the anthropodermic book on display there, at the time, all my thoughts had centered on was “wow that is so nuts, it’s like a real life Necronomicon.” And not at all on the why or The Who of it. Whose skin was it? I didn’t care at the time, and historically that certainly is part of the problem.

What I did want to make note of here is, while this book was fantastic in my eyes, I could tell that perhaps this subject might not be everyone’s cup of tea. There are things to be gleaned here in regards to medical ethics that I think are important to learn. But this book, at its heart, is a research book. I hope more people would be willing to give this one a try regardless.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.