Aaval Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 I found this book at Barnes and Noble today. It looks well thought out upon a quick skim and am excited to read it. I searched around the forums and didn't see anything specifically dedicated to it. So, I decided to start a thread and hope for reviews and discussion of others that have read it. I will post a full review when I am done reading it. It's big-un.... For now, the book is well organized, published by the Oxford University Press, and is well sourced; complete with a full index and citations list in the back. It also has several pages of black and white pictures of "magical texts" and the like. Call me childish, but I like pictures. Happy Reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyShalott Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 If you do a search for Owen Davies you will find several threads mentioning this book and other works with members opinions and comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaval Posted September 11, 2012 Author Share Posted September 11, 2012 oh. i had just searched for the name of the book and found little mention.... should i delete this thread? If you do a search for Owen Davies you will find several threads mentioning this book and other works with members opinions and comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyShalott Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Oh not at all, just trying to be helpful.. :) oh. i had just searched for the name of the book and found little mention.... should i delete this thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloe Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I found this book at Barnes and Noble today. It looks well thought out upon a quick skim and am excited to read it. I searched around the forums and didn't see anything specifically dedicated to it. So, I decided to start a thread and hope for reviews and discussion of others that have read it. I will post a full review when I am done reading it. It's big-un.... For now, the book is well organized, published by the Oxford University Press, and is well sourced; complete with a full index and citations list in the back. It also has several pages of black and white pictures of "magical texts" and the like. Call me childish, but I like pictures. Happy Reading. I've been considering getting this book off and on, hope you'll post a full review when you're done. :) As Ldy said, there are several threads where it's mentioned that may give you some other's opinions but none dedicated to a review of this one so I'm curious to see what you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I thought it was a good read and very interesting. I hope you like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaval Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 (edited) I have finished this book and ready to give a review. I will say first it is a detailed read. Did I thoroughly and intently read each and every single paragraph? No. The book is written from a social, not practical perspective. That is, the book is written not from the viewpoint of a witch, but from a historian revealing the social impacts of these grimoires on society. He believes the two most influential are the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses and the Book of Solomon. I beg to differ in this regard; because it is simply too broad of a statement. The book discusses the general history surrounding many grimoires/books of magic, but does not discuss whether or not they work, or provide much detail related to the content. The quotes he provides from the texts are interesting. He does denounce all Necromonicons as "false[sic]," which as many witches can attest; that is matter of huge debate regardless of personal beliefs regarding whether they work, or not; as well the legitimate existence in popular availability. ORGANIZATION: The book is divided into several sections (when I state Books of, it may be reference multiple separate texts attributed under the same topic): 1. Ancient and Medieval Grimoires2. The War against Magic3. Enlightenment and Treasure4. Across the Ocean5. Rediscovering Ancient Magic6. Grimoires USA7. Pulp Magic8. Lovecraft, Satan, and Shadows The section are followed by an Epilogue, Picture Acknowledgements, Further Reading (A great resource which I added several items to my reading list), Notes (very detailed, well documented), and a sufficient Index. I would have liked to see a separate Grimoire Index with a listing of each Grimoire described in the book. I won't describe each of the sections and their contents, because it would essentially take me hours, but the book is written well enough that you can gain a significant list of further reading. There is a wide range of topics and information covered, but never in extreme detail. The book also provides standard historical reference, with detailed notes and sources, without inserting dogma. That said, there are assumptions, such as the actual authorship of certain texts. For example, related to Solomon, he does state that certain texts date to after his death, but it can chalked up to translation periods by the reader, as Davies doesn't spend much time discussing . I would have liked to see the book set up more encyclopedic and orderly. It would have established a useful reference guide and make the book much more useful in the future. I believe this intent of the book is just what is said. It is not pointed at the bibliophile witch. It is pointed at the person who wants to understand how magical texts have affected society over time. While no specific incidents of the use of these books and those effects is mentioned, the effects on restrictions of information, current Jewish and Christian text formats/content, and overall affects on societies throughout history is covered, and covered responsibly. PICTURES: The books has many illustrations and a center insert with about 15 glossy images of various texts and time periods. This was an excellent added bonus in the book and made the fact that I paid full retail price for the paperback less painful. RECOMMENDATION: I recommend this book. It is a different kind of read from the other witchy books hanging out on top of my dresser, on my nightstand, and throughout my bookshelves. You will learn something, but nothing new about magic. I wouldn't call all of the magic books mentioned grimoires, but I gained some good historical context among my own notes, and also am looking forward to future readings suggested. Keep in mind that the book has a significant Christian thread; why? Because there were a ton of books on magic with Christian influences. I wish the connection between the creation of the books and the censorship that existed(s) and denouncement and punishment of magic practitioners was described in detail. I guess that could be a book on its own. For the bookworm, buy it, keep it on the shelf, and read with page markers in hand. Otherwise, the index will be your friend for any desire to find anything in this book after you have finished reading. Happy Reading. Edited October 2, 2012 by Aaval Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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