Synopsis:
An illustrated compendium that reveals the true stories behind the most infamous, creepy, and bizarre real-life cursed objects throughout history. Spanning decades and continents, subjects range from the opulent Hope Diamond to the humble Busy Stoop chair.
They’re lurking in museums, graveyards, and private homes around the world. Their stories have inspired countless horror movies, reality TV shows, campfire tales, books, and even chain emails. They’re cursed objects, and in order to unleash a wave of misfortune, all they need…is you. As a culture, we can’t seem to get enough of cursed objects. But never before have the true stories of these infamous real-life items been compiled into a fascinating and chilling volume.
Entries include:
- Annabelle the Doll, a Raggedy Ann doll which inspired the acclaimed horror franchise The Conjuring
- The Tomb of Tutankhamen, the discovery of which kicked-started media hysteria over a rumored “Curse of the Pharaohs”
- The Ring of Silvianus, a Roman artifact believed to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit
- The Hope Diamond, which was owned by kings and inspired the Heart of the Ocean in James Cameron’s Titanic
- The Dybbuk Box, which was sold on eBay and inspired the horror film The Possession
Whether you believe in curses or not, the often tragic and always bizarre stories behind these objects will fascinate you. Many of them have intersected with some of the most notable events and people in history. But beyond Hollywood and beyond the hysteria, author J. W. Ocker suggests that cursed objects are simply objects which have been witness to great human tragedy, and thereafter operate as mechanisms for remembering and retelling those stories. Cursed Objects will be equally appealing to true believers as well as history buffs, horror fans, and anyone who loves a good spine-tingling tale.
Edition:
E-ARC via Net Galley that I should have posted a long time ago
Click here for other books I’ve reviewed by this author.
My Thoughts:
J.W. Ocker is a very engaging writer. I like his style – it’s approachable while still being informative, and he uses humor to his advantage. Cursed Objects highlights all of this very well. It was a super fun read.
If I were to have one piece of criticism, it would be that the book lacks actual photos of any of the objects – there are just some illustrations. I am not sure if this is an issue of rights, or if that was a stylistic choice. However, I found myself a little disappointed that I couldn’t fill my eyes with cursed items. Some of them, like the Hope Diamond or Robert the Doll I can just picture in my head. But there was actually a lot of stuff in here that I had never heard of.
Aside from the lack of photographic proof of cursed life (where applicable), I found that I flew through this highly entertaining compendium of cursed crap. Seriously though – how does a chair become cursed? Inquiring minds want to know.
Rating:
I enjoyed Cursed Objects quite a bit. I want to go forth and curse an object that one of Ocker’s descendant (physical or spiritual descendant, I’m not picky) will have to include in a future volume.
Cursed Objects By J.W. Ocker Quirk Books ISBN: 9781683692362 Published: December 1, 2020 Hardcover, Paperback, Audio, E-book 288 Pages
