Witchcraft in Illinois: A Cultural History by Michael KleenMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
As I read this book, I was surprised at the tact the author took. Quite a lot of the book is more of a “national witchcraft” background history. In the second half of the book, the author delves down into some more specific ways that witchcraft is supposed to work. At times, I thought I was reading a generic treatise on witchcraft created to plug in anecdotes about different states, in order to create quick localized books. I believe that was, in part, the author’s intent. The author did include state specific anecdotes, also throwing in some stories from neighboring states. The author used a handful of sources for much of this localized content. I would have appreciated some additional localized content. The author also makes a point of saying that Illinois law was based on British law, and British law did say something about witches, so Illinois had law dealing with witches. Not that it was ever used. Seems like quite a length to go to to get witchcraft into the state. (And also something that is likely similar in other states - not just Illinois.) This wasn’t a topic I’ve ever read about, so I did learn a few things, and found the book entertaining at times. Good for a speed read if you are curious.
Many of my ancestors were Illinois residents, back in early statehood. None were mentioned here. At least, not by name. I had to check.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment