Monday, August 24, 2020

Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker - ADVISABLE

 

Cursed Objects
by J. W. Ocker
272 pages. NON-FICTION Quirk Books, 2020. $20. 

Language: PG (2 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG. 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

When an object is cursed, it seems to have powers to cause harm - or at least takes the blame for said trouble. Ocker recounts the stories of more than 30 different items including the Hope Diamond, the Tomb of Tutankhamen, Shakespeare’s Grave, Painting of “The Crying Boy,” even Rudolph Valentino’s Ring and the Annabelle doll. There’s a section about museums which house these strange items, creepy things that ought to be cursed like a book covered in human skin, and the story behind James Dean’s death car. and people who investigate and collect these items. 

If your patrons like the macabre, horror movies or just creepy stories, this was a great read. The illustrations were fun, and well detailed. Ocker writes in a funny conversational tone - like we were sitting around a campfire or Halloween dinner party. Each anecdote is short, making Cursed Objects a fun reference book. Includes a bibliography.

Lisa Librarian

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