Reviews

Voodoo in New Orleans by Robert Tallant

theesotericcamel's review against another edition

3.0

My friend got a copy of this book for me as a souvenir as he was in New Orleans himself for a wedding. He saw the book and thought of my interests in local folklore and magick. This was actually a very interesting read, although definitely a product of its time. Still, it was one of the first serious books to be written on the subject of New Orleans Voodoo, being published in the 1940s. A lot of research went into the book involving looking at historical city archives and interviewing locals of the area. The book is divided into three parts. The first part "This is the way it was," looks at how Voodoo first arrived to New Orleans and tries to trace the roots. It doesn't go as deep as I would have liked and mainly looks at the first incidences of practice in New Orleans, but still contained some unexpected insight. The second part is the longest and it is devoted to Marie Leveau. She is the central figure in New Orleans Voodoo folklore, so this is very appropriate. This section postulates that there were mainly two people who went by this name, very likely related, who purposely tried to merge their identities together to give the illusion of immortality. Tallant tries to sketch out a character using the scraps of historical and local anecdotes. The final third part "This is the way it is" looks at Voodoo as it was then at the time the book was first released. He interviews locals, and practitioners, and even writes of some of his own experiences in Voodoo ceremonies. Robert Tallant's own interest in Voodoo is apparent, but ultimately so is his status as an outsider taking a peek at something exclusive to him. Although he treats his subjects with respect, there is still a sense of exotification from the fact that they are "coloured," which he often clumsily tries to render in their speaking style in accordance to their level of education. Still there are solid facts and history contained in the book, along with a modern (for its time anyway) contextualisation of Voodoo in the city. The book even contains the seeds of genuine spells and tips for spellcrafting for those of a more practical pursuit and those who are able to read between the lines. The fact that the book is still in print and on sale in New Orleans shows to me that the city still recognises itself within its pages. But given the time between it's first publication and now, I wonder how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same? Perhaps a trip to New Orleans is in order?

mindsplinters's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

2.0

A relic of its time, really, and interesting in a time capsule way.  It definitely shows the stereotypes and racism of the 1940s while the author, in a strange way, manages to avoid seeming to cast full judgement or condemnation.  You almost get a feeling that some of his word choices are just because that is what everyone else uses.  It's kinda weird like that.  I'm still pleased to have found a copy for my historic NOLA collection.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs

sincerelysarahreads's review against another edition

4.0

Really good historical resource. If not for accuracy on the reality of voodoo it is good to read from a primary source of a residents observations in 1940s New Orleans.

booksandabackpack's review

dark informative medium-paced

2.75

This is an odd little book. I’ve always been interested in the history of New Orleans, voodoo, and how it all came together due to an influence of cultures from Europe and Africa. I purchased this book from the Voodoo Museum in New Orleans on my last visit there hoping to learn a little history.

I did learn some history and hear some supposed first hand accounts of ceremonies or fixing done and so that was fulfilled.

However, this book was squeamish to read in 2020. It was originally published in 1946 so pre-Civil Rights movement South....you can imagine from there the kind of language used describing a culture and religion predominantly practiced by Black people or African people enslaved in America. While I wouldn’t say the tone felt particularly violently racist it was still overtly racist in how it would refer to “colored folk of a lower strata.” Yikes.

sonatak34's review

4.0

Fair warning: 1946 is when this book was first published, so the words "Negro" and "Negress" can be found and heavily used throughout this book. (There are no negative connotations; it's just the language of the time period.) Nevertheless, it was such an interesting read, delving into the stories and tales that surround superstition of an age old religion and how it came to New Orleans/America. Colorful retelling of Voodoo/Hoodoo practices and experiences make each anecdote come alive despite the lack of citations or backgrounds of any of the people mentioned.