The Cemetery Book: Graveyards, Catacombs...

by Tom Weil | Nonfiction |
ISBN: 0870529161 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 9/11/2002
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7 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, September 11, 2002
This one's rather odd - in parts, a scholarly treatise on cemeteries through history, and in other places a morbidly jolly list of cool things to see in graveyards. Random quote from the chapter "Dear Dumb Beasts": "In Pine Forest Cemetery, Wilmington, North Carolina, a statue of a small pooch named Jip (d. 1904) bears a description of him as 'the only dog we ever knew that attended church every Sunday'. Hopefully, the sermons Jip heard were not too dogmatic." {groan!}

Maybe some BC'er in Wilmington can leave a book near Jip someday...

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, May 5, 2003
Found a second copy of this one, so I'm sending it out in a book ray. Mailing order is:

ateehee (Cary, NC)
hulamonkey (Newark, OH)
eireannaigh (Valley Center, KS)
ladyofunicorns (Santa Fe, NM)
bkwrm23 (Haskell, NJ)
** added **
Mom-of-one (Butler, PA)
Jasmine98 (Spencer, IN)
Maurean (Atlantic Beach, FL)
Jackie700 (NY)
PalmersPal (Ramona, CA)
octoberskye [MA]

When you receive the book, please journal it, and PM the next person in line for their address so you'll have it ready when you've finished the book.
Note: even if you've sent books to that person before, please PM them before mailing this one, to confirm that the address is correct and that they're able to take on a bookring book at this time.
Try and read the book promptly; I don't have a hard and fast time limit here, but if you don't think you'll be able to get to the book within, say, a month, I'd appreciate it if you'd post an update either as a journal entry or in your profile, by way of indicating you haven't forgotten about the book completely {grin}. When you're ready to pass the book along, please make another journal entry stating where you've sent it, and set the status code to "traveling".

[If you find that you're having problems contacting the next person in line, or don't think you can manage to mail the book as originally agreed, please let me know so I can work something out!]

Journal Entry 3 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, June 2, 2003
Controlled release:

I'm sending this to BCer ateehee in North Carolina, to start the bookray.

Journal Entry 4 by ateehee from Siler City, North Carolina USA on Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Gorydetails, I love your taste in books! I'm going to England in August so I will pay close attention to the chapter about Highgate Cemetery in London. Thanks!

Journal Entry 5 by ateehee from Siler City, North Carolina USA on Monday, June 23, 2003
I'd rather travel with Tom Weil than read about his travels. I was very interested in the history of the cemeteries he visited - how they evolved from small churchyard plots to the expansive cemetaries like Pere Lachaise in Paris. The lists of epitaphs were a bit tedious for me, perhaps because I am not as informed about historical figures as Weil assumes I am. A tour of the cemeteries with Weil would be more informative. I found myself wanting to ask the author questions. I'll add a groan to GoryDetails comment about his puns - for example when he spoke of a cemetery where famous musicians were no longer composing, but decomposing (groan!).

Journal Entry 6 by hulamonkey from Newark, Ohio USA on Thursday, June 26, 2003
Mail call: Book for me!

I love the books. cats. life is good. stamp on the inside cover of the book. I've got to remember to order one from GoryDetails.

This will be another book that my husband rolls his eyes at. --Wow! He just walked in the room and I showed it to him. He not only rolled his eyes but also sighed heavily. Ha! How funny is that?!

Anyway, cemeteries fascinate me so I'm really looking forward to reading this book.

When I'm at my cemetery checking on family members flowers, I always find myself driving around and reading the older stones and am amazed at how they've changed over the years.

**I have released so many goldfish in the fountain pond on the HOME page of my cemetery over the years. Just thought I'd share that here. :-)

ateehee, Warren is ready for bowling anytime his kitty cousin wants to!

Journal Entry 7 by hulamonkey from Newark, Ohio USA on Thursday, July 10, 2003
This is a pretty good book with lots of history and interesting information. In books such as this one I really wish some photographs were included.

I enjoyed the chapter on the animals the most. I have never been in a pet cemetery before, although I do drive by a small one everyday on my way to work. We have always buried our beloved babies under a favorite tree in the backyard or someplace "meaningful". Now I think I'm going to have to check out the pet cemetery and see what the inscriptions say, if anything.

July 13, 2003
Will send out to eireannaigh tomorrow morning.

Journal Entry 8 by eireannaigh from Valley Center, Kansas USA on Friday, July 18, 2003
Just received this today. Interesting about B. Shelly and Keats.

Journal Entry 9 by eireannaigh from Valley Center, Kansas USA on Thursday, July 24, 2003
I only got ½ way thru. A lot of it I already knew due to the travel channel and Discovery. I had a hard time with it. I think it is one of those moods type books. Will be sending to the next BXer Sat.

Journal Entry 10 by ladyofunicorns from Santa Fe, New Mexico USA on Saturday, September 6, 2003
Received this book in the mail and am adding it to my tbr pile of rays/rings and when I have read it, another journal entry will be made...

Journal Entry 11 by ladyofunicorns from Santa Fe, New Mexico USA on Tuesday, December 30, 2003
I loved the book! A little slow going at parts but otherwise pretty good. I had to skip over some stuff towards the end, pet owners beware....Thanks so much gorydetails! Any other books like this?

Journal Entry 12 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Sunday, January 4, 2004
Glad you enjoyed the book! Re other books like this: there are lots of books about regional cemeteries - I tried a keyword search on Amazon with "guidebook" and "cemeteries" and found quite a few intriguing-looking titles - but I haven't seen another book that skips around the world quite like this one does. Other books do have photos, though, and more specific information on hours and directions and notable graves to see.

Some titles that might be of interest: "Churchyards of England and Wales," by Brian Bailey, which includes photos, historical details, and colorful anecdotes, and "The Hour of Our Death" by Philippe Aries, which is more of a history of how humankind copes with death, but which includes chapters on the development of tombs and cemeteries.

Journal Entry 13 by ladyofunicorns at on Sunday, February 8, 2004
Released on Saturday, February 07, 2004 at n/a in n/a, Sent to another BookCrosser Controlled Releases.

Sent on to bkwrm23! Sorry it took so long!

Journal Entry 14 by bkwrm23 from Haskell, New Jersey USA on Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Received mid-week last week. Didn't get time to journal then....I havce started it, and have gotten into the second chapter, but it was not what I expected. I can't really put my finger on it, but it seems a little boring. I did learn a couple of interesting facts so far on historical cemeteries, such as Pere Lachaize in Paris, and how it came to be.
This may take me a little while as I have a bit on my plate at the moment, but I'll get it along as soon as I can!!

Journal Entry 15 by bkwrm23 from Haskell, New Jersey USA on Saturday, April 3, 2004
Just can;t get into this book. I set it aside and it got covered over...many apologies... Since I can't get into it, I'll send it along to the next person on the list. Many apologies for the delay!!

Journal Entry 16 by Mom-of-one from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, May 3, 2004
Arrived in the mail today! I can't wait to start in on it! Thanks!

Journal Entry 17 by Mom-of-one from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, May 21, 2004
I thought this book was quite interesting and, like ateehee, I would have loved to actually travel with Tom Weil to these various locations instead of just reading about them. I've always been fascinated with the Paris catacombs and the mummy museum in Mexico and really enjoyed some of the descriptions of these places. I skipped the pet cemetery part because, for some reason, I can deal with people dying, but when it comes to pet, I get all verklemp.
Thanks SPIDERCHIC..., I applaud your taste in books!

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