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Magnificent Corpses: Searching Through Europe for St. Peter's Head, St. Claire's Heart, St. Stephen's Hand, and Other Saintly Relic
by
Anneli Rufus
Holy relics -- the bodily remains of saints and other sacred figures -- were for centuries the most revered objects in the Western world, at center-stage in Europe's great churches and cathedrals. Today some relics have been shunted to side chapels and dark crypts, yet many continue to draw prayerful pilgrims, as they have for centuries, seeking solace, inspiration, and si...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
June 25th 1999
by Da Capo Press
(first published June 24th 1999)
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I picked up this odd book because I'd recently been in Western Europe and once again witnessed firsthand the strange (to me) custom of keeping corpses in churches and decking them out in fancy clothes, jewels and elaborate glass-fronted caskets. I was hoping that this book would help me understand why people revere such otherwise grisly objects that would normally be buried in a graveyard and hidden from view.
Before we get to that, you ought to know how Ms. Rufus presents her material. In a long...more
Before we get to that, you ought to know how Ms. Rufus presents her material. In a long...more
This is a good bathroom book. I know, some people may find that gross or even disrespectful, given that the book is about the author's peregrinations through Europe, visiting different Catholic shrines to view the sometimes gristly relics of saints. But the book is a collection of a couple dozen short little essays, each one providing information about the Saint's life juxtaposed against the author's modern experience. Ms. Rufus is a poet, so her writing is very lyrical. But for all that, someth...more
Expect cynicysm as always from Anneli S. Rufus, as is her writing nature :) I have heard a lot of offended folks complain that this book is tinged with cynicysm toward the holy saints. If you're expecting praise, don't bother and hunt down other books on saints. With that said, I found this book quite fascinating. I always wondered myself, even when wandering around in various musuems and such if so called relics were just replicas or fakes, and really with some of these so called holy possessio...more
Having read Rufus's Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On recently, I decided to try this one ... which turned out to be a good choice.
It's part travel narrative - in the sense that the author gives an overview of the town (or immediate neighborhood) where each saint is located, as well as a description of the church/shrine/chapel itself, to give a complete picture of her experience. Entries also contain a brief biography of the saint's life. They are sometimes humorous, in the sense that Rufus...more
It's part travel narrative - in the sense that the author gives an overview of the town (or immediate neighborhood) where each saint is located, as well as a description of the church/shrine/chapel itself, to give a complete picture of her experience. Entries also contain a brief biography of the saint's life. They are sometimes humorous, in the sense that Rufus...more
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We all know about them: the incredible relics of saints that are stashed away in some Church, usually Italian, and have been venerated by The Faithful for centuries, if not millenia. Rufus offers us a travelogue of some of these, making 20th century observations that suggest that more pathology than piety is involved in the veneration of these various sacred skulls and preserved, pulpy tongues. tightly written, irreverent and excellent.
A bizarre trip through Europe with author Rufus, who, as a young Jewish girl, became enthralled with the saints and relics within the Catholic tradition. Part travelogue, part story of selected saints, it reads quickly and is informative, thought-provoking, and raised, in my mind, some question as to whether the Western Church ever truly left paganism behind.
Like Kamy Wicoff in I Do But I Don't, Anneli Rufus seemed to sense my growing interest in a narrow and obscure field, and before I could begin collecting material for a book she pounced...and published. Magnificent Corpses is a poetic, curious and graphic tour through the strange history of religious relics in Europe.
Rufus, like myself, was raised a Jew but grew up fascinated by the sad faces of the saints and madonnas she saw in religious art. Her travels across the Great White Continent a...more
Rufus, like myself, was raised a Jew but grew up fascinated by the sad faces of the saints and madonnas she saw in religious art. Her travels across the Great White Continent a...more
I, too, was a child/young person fascinated by Catholic saints - many of whom were martyrs, and the wholesale display of their relics (supposedly in pristine condition), made me want to go on a similar journey to the author's and see if all the stories were true, if divine intervention would occur.
I loved this book. It was a quick read, very interesting. I recommend it to anyone who is fascinated with the idea/concept of holy relics, the mysterious or curious. It was great fun.
My oldest friend recommended this book to me, knowing my interest in things old, historical, and bizarre. My wife loved this, too.
Rufus, a lapsed, non-practicing Jew by her own admission, travels in search of the second-tier relics of the Catholic Church, body parts and other such pieces of weirdness associated with various saints and deemed-holy folk. She explores and discusses these odd, more than slightly disturbing items of history and faith with both wry humor and delicacy, being both respe...more
Rufus, a lapsed, non-practicing Jew by her own admission, travels in search of the second-tier relics of the Catholic Church, body parts and other such pieces of weirdness associated with various saints and deemed-holy folk. She explores and discusses these odd, more than slightly disturbing items of history and faith with both wry humor and delicacy, being both respe...more
This crazy fun woman (non-Catholic) was quite serious with her quest for relics. She uncovered some in some very odd places. Her descriptions of the shrines were a delight and her research was thoughtful and filled with wit. I really enjoyed the read. I only gave it 3 stars because it would appeal to a small group of readers because of the subject. Her writing, however, would grab many.
This book intrigued me personally and professionally. I am Catholic, and I work for the Catholic church.
I didn't care for the book. Both my husband and myself found the book cynical and, at times, snide. The stories of these holy people who have led others to faith could have been handled better.
I didn't care for the book. Both my husband and myself found the book cynical and, at times, snide. The stories of these holy people who have led others to faith could have been handled better.
Very interesting tour through Europe of saint relics. As I recall, the author is Jewish so it makes for an interesting perspective.
Interesting content and language, but a somewhat repetitive format. Decent light reading.
This book was disappointing enough that I've just had to stop reading it. Bummer.
May 10, 2013
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Anneli Rufus is an award-winning American journalist and author.
Born in Los Angeles, California, she first went to college in Santa Barbara, then to the University of California, Berkeley. Rufus earned an English degree and became a journalist. She's written for many publications, including Salon.com, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Boston Globe. Currently she is the literary editor for the Ea...more
More about Anneli Rufus...
Born in Los Angeles, California, she first went to college in Santa Barbara, then to the University of California, Berkeley. Rufus earned an English degree and became a journalist. She's written for many publications, including Salon.com, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Boston Globe. Currently she is the literary editor for the Ea...more
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