BOOK REVIEW - Witch A Celtic Memoir
Mike
ISBN: 978-0-9552908-6-2 223 pages Paperback $18.95 (U.S.)
I dislike starting a review negatively, but by the time I reached page
13 in this book, I was already getting a metaphorical headache. On
page 13 the author refers to “THE HAMMER OF WITCHES (Malleus
Maleficarum) This was written in Latin and is the best known book
written in 1487.” No problem there. On page 13 we encounter “A book
written in 731 A.D. by The Venerable Bede called ‘An Ec[c]lesiastical
History of [“the” dropped from the title] English People’ which later
became know as The Malleus Maleficarum.” Excuse me??!! How did a
book written by The Venerable Bede in 731 become known as a book
written by Dominican inquisitors 756 years later? The one is not the
other.
I can be fairly tolerant of others’ opinions (look at my reviews at
http://www20.brinkster.com/gleasonreview) but factual inaccuracies
drive me crazy. When reading her discussion of the Salem Witch Trials
(pages 19 through 21) my headache blew totally out of proportion.
Sloppy writing? Okay, maybe I can tolerate it (“…various other
provinces throughout the provinces of Massachusetts…”). But “During
the winter of 1691-1692 the girls read as a pastime.”? Not blood
likely. Girls might learn to read Scripture, but not very often, and
nothing else among the common classes. “With the upsurge in
popularity of books on prophecy…” – in a Puritan minister’s
household??!! “Nineteen of the accused witches were hung and fourteen
women five men and one man who would not plea were ordered to be
crushed to death under heavy stones.”? Nineteen people were executed
by hanging (fourteen women and five men), and one individual (Giles
Corey) was ordered to be “pressed” with heavy stones to force a plea
(he never did make a plea, thus preserving his property for his
descendants), not as a method of execution. There were not nineteen
hanged and a further twenty crushed under stone, as Mr. Moore’s
writing seems to indicate. And finally “Parris and his family moved
to Massachusetts in 1697.” So they moved to Massachusetts from Salem
(Massachusetts)?
On the one hand Ms. Moore says she speaks only for herself and then
goes on to make sweeping generalized statements which are, at best,
unproveable and, at worst, controversial within the Craft community.
It would be nice if she would choose one side of the fence and stay
there instead of bouncing back and forth.
Even though this probably means the end of my reviewing books for this
publisher, I have to say that this is one of the worst books I have
read in years. The author’s ability to convey information in a clear
manner is negligible. Her references are non-existent. And her
research is seriously flawed. She may be a really nice person, but5 I
would not trust her to train students without supervision. In short,
this is one book I most heartily DO NOT recommend.
Evergreen
> Witch A Celtic Memoir by Rochelle Moore =A9 2009 Green Magic
> ISBN: 978-0-9552908-6-2 223 pages Paperback $18.95 (U.S.)
>
> I dislike starting a review negatively, but by the time
> I reached page 13 in this book, I was already getting a
> metaphorical headache. On page 13 the author refers to =93THE
> HAMMER OF WITCHES (Malleus Maleficarum) This was written in
> Latin and is the best known book written in 1487.=94 No problem
> there. On page 13 we encounter =93A book written in 731 A.D.
> by The Venerable Bede called =91An Ec[c]lesiastical History
> of [=93the=94 dropped from the title] English People=92 which
> later became know as The Malleus Maleficarum.=94 Excuse me??!!
> How did a book written by The Venerable Bede in 731 become
> known as a book written by Dominican inquisitors 756 years
> later? The one is not the other.
>
> I can be fairly tolerant of others=92 opinions (look at
> my reviews at http://www20.brinkster.com/gleasonreview)
> but factual inaccuracies drive me crazy. When reading her
> discussion of the Salem Witch Trials (pages 19 through 21)
> my headache blew totally out of proportion. Sloppy writing?
> Okay, maybe I can tolerate it (=93=85various other provinces
> throughout the provinces of Massachusetts=85=94). But =93During
> the winter of 1691-1692 the girls read as a pastime.=94? Not
> blood likely. Girls might learn to read Scripture, but not
> very often, and nothing else among the common classes. =93With
> the upsurge in popularity of books on prophecy=85=94 =96 in a
> Puritan minister=92s household??!! =93Nineteen of the accused
> witches were hung and fourteen women five men and one man who
> would not plea were ordered to be crushed to death under heavy
> stones.=94? Nineteen people were executed by hanging (fourteen
> women and five men), and one individual (Giles Corey) was
> ordered to be =93pressed=94 with heavy stones to force a plea
> (he never did make a plea, thus preserving his property for
> his descendants), not as a method of execution. There were not
> nineteen hanged and a further twenty crushed under stone, as
> Mr. Moore=92s writing seems to indicate. And finally =93Parris
> and his family moved to Massachusetts in 1697.=94 So they moved
> to Massachusetts from Salem (Massachusetts)?
>
> On the one hand Ms. Moore says she speaks only for herself and
> then goes on to make sweeping generalized statements which are,
> at best, unproveable and, at worst, controversial within the
> Craft community. It would be nice if she would choose one side
> of the fence and stay there instead of bouncing back and forth.
>
> Even though this probably means the end of my reviewing books
> for this publisher, I have to say that this is one of the worst
> books I have read in years. The author=92s ability to convey
> information in a clear manner is negligible. Her references are
> non-existent. And her research is seriously flawed. She may
> be a really nice person, but5 I would not trust her to train
> students without supervision. In short, this is one book I most
> heartily DO NOT recommend.
Mike. I salute you for the having the courage and journalistic
integrity to publish the above article and will be
emailing the publisher.
I will be telling them that if they quit sending you books
to review that I will boycott them.
Er, that is, I would if I could find their email address.
Would you post it please.
Sid
--
Sidney Lambe
Wiccan Priest and Apprentice Magician
http://tinyurl.com/7vs9zb
usenet4444 (at) gmail (dot) com
Evergreen
wrote:
Got it, finally: in...@greenmagicpublishing.com
My email was polite and respectful.