Hell: The People and Places

by Seymour Chwast, Steven Heller

A descent into discovering different versions of hell and its realms of torture around the world across literature, religions, culture, and folklore, gorgeously illustrated and accompanied by writing on the origins and details of each hell.

Whether it's a real place, a human construct, an idea, or a superstition, hell is a grotesque demimonde in literature, cultures, religions, and folklore throughout the ages. There are many different hells to be found, each one distressing in its own way. But they all share the same they are terrible places guarded by one or more evil spirits, where punishment is split into various levels of damnation.

Those who wish to venture on this dangerous journey beyond the gates of the underworld will find their guide in two extraordinary authors and graphic Steven Heller and Seymour Chwast. And like Dante in the footsteps of Virgil, they will be able to navigate their way through the burning (or icy!) dark realms that lurk in the heart of the human imagination—the Jewish Gehenna, the Sunni Jahannam, the Swahili hell, the Mayan myth of Xibalbá, and many others—as well as all the characters who have created hell, visited it, or been involved in more or less fortunate descents into it.

Equally appealing to fans of the literary hellscape of Dante's Inferno, the bright utopia of The Good Place, and the dark humor of Edward Gorey, Hell offers a feast of chillingly hilarious graphic art and illuminating content that comprehensively plumbs the multiple depths of the underworld.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Death, Philosophy, Graphic Novels

121 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weirdly cute little book focused on various concepts of hell from around the world. Broken down by continent, the author presents a variety of stories each accompanied by a grim cartoonish illustration. Interesting for the design and illustrations, as well as the shared common themes, notions and myths of hell across earth.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably a 3.5 the wonky illustrations are so silly (interesting colors chosen for the skin of certain cultures, lots of fair skinned deities and demons in middle eastern religions)

The descriptions of people, forms of hell, and literary references to hell were interesting. I was actually surprised at how many different hells there are according to different cultures and religions

[MKF · Rating 1 out of 5]

My guess is that they hired a five year old to do the illustrations well maybe not the word guess but hope. I can't believe someone would pay a lot of money to an adult who draws like a five year old.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. Had potential, but didn't do much with it.

[Jbussen · Rating 1 out of 5]

"A descent into discovering different versions of hell and its realms of torture around the world across literature, religions, culture, and folklore, gorgeously illustrated and accompanied by writing on the origins and details of each hell."
NOPE! Illustrations were basic and lame. Think crude like South Parks construction paper cut outs. Each hells brief description was equally bad. I thought this book had promise as the premise was and still is interesting, just not my bag for the execution. Not for me.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many different types of hell are there? While this book does not answer this question it does look at how different cultures have envisioned hell through the ages. This is a fascinating look at how are collective consciousness have come to a similar conclusion - that hell is a really bad place where really bad people go after they die.

[Diogenes Grief · Rating 5 out of 5]

A devilish little find at the Seattle Art Museum this past weekend. The authors take us—with very brief synopses—through the minds of the ancients and the hellish places their primitive psyches conjured up, which, sadly, far too many still believe in despite the overwhelming evidence that such mythologies are simply magical-thinking placebos.

Fun, informative, and clever \m/

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and interesting romp through the beliefs about hell/the underworld from faith traditions and mythologies around the world.

[Leslie Jonsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The descriptions of Hell in different religions and cultures was basic and informative. The illustrations were overly simplistic.

[no elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

bits n bobs of hell in religious mythology.. not so bad!!

[Sarah Shodrock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in 15 minutes. The illustrations are amusing and it does a decently job of summarizing hell across the continets in very tiny paragraphs

[Granit Hysiqi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A wise man once said: "Hell is other people."