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A review by outsmartyourshelf
Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic by Tabitha Stanmore
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
A look at the use of magic in England from the fourteenth century onwards. So-called 'cunning folk' were used throughout these centuries to provide services such as finding missing items or people, providing love or fertility charms, curing illness, & even the odd get-rich-quick scheme. They were viewed as different to witches (who could also be either male or female), as witches were viewed as practising magic to do harm, whilst cunning folk were mainly thought to be trying to help.
This is an interesting & informative read with a lot of information packed into its pages. Personally, I felt that it became a little dry to read in places - the curse (pun intended) of academic work - but it always keeps the reader engaged enough to continue. The crossover with Catholicism & calling on the saints for aid was particularly interesting to me as was the evolution of the laws & societal viewpoints on magic which gradually shifted into something more malevolent & culminated in the witch trials. One slight let-down (which is not the author's fault) is that the records so often don't tell us what happened afterwards to the people involved in the cases discussed. Overall it was a very enjoyable read.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Vintage/Bodley Head, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
This is an interesting & informative read with a lot of information packed into its pages. Personally, I felt that it became a little dry to read in places - the curse (pun intended) of academic work - but it always keeps the reader engaged enough to continue. The crossover with Catholicism & calling on the saints for aid was particularly interesting to me as was the evolution of the laws & societal viewpoints on magic which gradually shifted into something more malevolent & culminated in the witch trials. One slight let-down (which is not the author's fault) is that the records so often don't tell us what happened afterwards to the people involved in the cases discussed. Overall it was a very enjoyable read.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Vintage/Bodley Head, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.