Losing Our Heads: Beheadings in Literature and Culture Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:

What is the fascination that decollation holds for us, as individuals and as a culture? Why does the idea make us laugh and the act make us close our eyes? Losing Our Heads explores in both artistic and cultural contexts the role of the chopped-off head. It asks why the practice of decapitation was once so widespread, why it has diminished—but not, as scenes from contemporary Iraq show, completely disappeared—and why we find it so peculiarly repulsive that we use it as a principal marker to separate ourselves from a more “barbaric”or “primitive” past?

Although the topic is grim, Regina Janes’s treatment and conclusions are neither grisly nor gruesome, but continuously instructive about the ironies of humanity’s cultural nature. Bringing to bear an array of evidence, the book argues that the human ability to create meaning from the body motivates the practice of decapitation, its diminution, the impossibility of its extirpation, and its continuing fascination. Ranging from antiquity to the late nineteenth-century passion for Salomé and John the Baptist, and from the enlightenment to postcolonial Africa’s challenge to the severed head as sign of barbarism, Losing Our Heads opens new areas of investigation, enabling readers to understand the shock of decapitation and to see the value in moving past shock to analysis. Written with penetrating wit and featuring striking illustrations, it is sure to captivate anyone interested in his or her head.

Losing Our Heads: Beheadings in Literature and Culture by Regina Janes

From reader reviews:

Jane Nelsen:

What do you regarding book? It is not important along? Or just adding material when you want something to explain what you problem? How about your spare time? Or are you busy individual? If you don't have spare time to do others business, it is make one feel bored faster. And you have spare time? What did you do? Everybody has many questions above. They should answer that question simply because just their can do which. It said that about guide. Book is familiar on every person. Yes, it is proper. Because start from on pre-school until university need that Losing Our Heads: Beheadings in Literature and Culture to read.

Dorothy Payne:

A lot of people always spent their very own free time to vacation or even go to the outside with them loved ones or their friend. Do you know? Many a lot of people spent these people free time just watching TV, or perhaps playing video games all day long. If you wish to try to find a new activity that is look different you can read a new book. It is really fun in your case. If you enjoy the book you read you can spent the entire day to reading a reserve. The book Losing Our Heads: Beheadings in Literature and Culture it is rather good to read. There are a lot of those who recommended this book. These were enjoying reading this book. When you did not have enough space to bring this book you can buy the e-book. You can m0ore easily to read this book through your smart phone. The price is not to fund but this book possesses high quality.

Anita Winn:

The reason? Because this Losing Our Heads: Beheadings in Literature and Culture is an unordinary book that the inside of the book waiting for you to snap it but latter it will distress you with the secret it inside. Reading this book close to it was fantastic author who all write the book in such awesome way makes the content on the inside easier to understand, entertaining approach but still convey the meaning completely. So , it is good for you for not hesitating having this any longer or you going to regret it. This amazing book will give you a lot of positive aspects than the other book get such as help improving your ability and your critical thinking way. So , still want to hold up having that book? If I had been you I will go to the guide store hurriedly.

Mario Curtin:

In this era globalization it is important to someone to find information. The information will make anyone to understand the condition of the world. The healthiness of the world makes the information better to share. You can find a lot of personal references to get information example: internet, magazine, book, and soon. You will observe that now, a lot of publisher this print many kinds of book. Often the book that recommended to you personally is Losing Our Heads: Beheadings in Literature and Culture this book consist a lot of the information on the condition of this world now. That book was represented how does the world has grown up. The words styles that writer require to explain it is easy to understand. The writer made some study when he makes this book. That's why this book suitable all of you.