"Dark Archives" provides a fascinating look for the morbidly curious into the practice of anthropodermic bibliopegy--the binding of books with human skin. Not only does the author cover the specifics of the practice, she also provides interesting historical context about the specific titles she is investigating. "Dark Archives" will satisfy the curiosity of those interested in a wide variety of subjects including libraries/archives, bookbinding, the history of medicine, crime, and more.

This book was everything I wanted it to be, and more.

I first heard about Dark Archives on the Morbid Anatomy podcast, and I knew immediately that I had to read it, but it wasn't due out until October (quite appropriate but SO FAR AWAY!) I started following the author, Megan Rosenbloom, on Twitter and discovered that the book was available on NetGalley. I requested it immediately and crossed my fingers.

Until I heard Megan speak on the podcast, I had NO IDEA that books bound in human skin was a thing. How had my macabre sensibilities missed this gem? However, this book is more than just Megan's quest to search out true anthropodermic bibliopegy (fancy words for "books made of human skin"), it's an education and procedural in antique books, it's' a study in medical ethics past and present, and a behind-the-scenes look at the exciting world of a medical librarian! You get to follow Megan around the globe as she hunts down various legendary tomes and testing them to see if they're the real deal. Some turn out to be made out of animal skins, but a handful turn out to be the real McCoy.

Amidst the "treasure" hunt, you receive a brief education on the history of medicine in western world, how far doctors have come from paying grave robbers for bodies to autopsy to now using bodies that have been donated. It's a gruesome truth that is riddled with controversy when you consider how medicine has advanced from the dark ages on the literal backs of the poor, the murdered, and minorities. Collectors and librarians juggle their want and need to conserve history whilst trying to respect the memory of those whose bodies were used to enrich someone's personal library.

Dark Archives is a fascinating read that brings together so many elements to create a well-rounded text that is as enjoyable as it is informative.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had no idea that there was such a thing as a book bound in human skin. I had a Silence of the Lambs moment several times throughout. the book. It was somewhat sickening, yet ghoulishly interesting. There is much in this book for discussion in medical ethics and the dark side of human nature. Worth a read and then some.

It gives me pause to admit that I absolutely loved this book written by a librarian whose specialty is the scientific analysis of archival books purportedly bound in human skin.

I initially wanted to read it out of morbid curiousity, but I really got sucked into all her various digressions about various related topics--historical suppression of midwives' expertise by male doctors, a brief trend for binding the trial records of hanged criminals in their own skin, the bodysnatchers of Edinburgh (Burke and Hare), etc.

It's not a book for the fainthearted, but neither is it gory or disrespectful of the dead. I liked reading it much more than i expected to. If you think the extended title sounds intriguing (albeit gross AF), I recommend it!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What could be creepier than reading about the trial of a murderer than to be reading a copy bound in the perpetrator's own skin? Not since taking History of the Book in college has my imagination been so captivated by details of the bookmaking process. Dark archives takes you through the history of anthropodermic books. The author shares with us a scholarly hunt to discover the providence of these tomes and use scientific testing to determine which volumes really are bound by human skin.

Dark Archives is an amazing and fascinating journey about Rosenbloom’s quest to find anthropometric books. The book itself is very engaging through its well crafted tapestry of library and special collection visits, histories, rumors all while contextualizing the implications of this practice with our current understanding of informed consent. This book was so good, y’all. The subject matter would have been trash in inexpert hands, so thank goodness that is not the case. I plan to purchase this book for both my personal collection and for my library—I always buy spooky, weird, or macabre books with my share of our popular reading collection funds at a university library and Dark Archives will fit in nicely.

Such a well researched and intriguing look into human skin binded books. As a librarian, this caught my interest and took me deep into a world I had no clue existed outside of fantasy books. This has been and will continue be a good conversation piece with my fellow colleagues, friends and family alike.