Handbook For The Recently Deceased

by James Hunt

This is a blank paperback journal in the style of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased from Tim Burton's "Beetle Juice" (1988). You can fill it with your absurd thoughts, but no matter what you write, it'll probably read like stereo instructions.

Genres: Death

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 1988

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name
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Reviews

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came by this dry, humorless self-help manual at a used bookstore in New England, with the name "Lydia Deetz" scribbled on the inside cover in pencil, as well as copious notes and illustrations provided by the prior owner. I must say that I enjoyed Lydia's creative marginalia far more than the book she once owned.

If there is indeed life after death, we should all have fun on this plane while we can. Frankly, James Hunt's spirit guide reads like stereo instructions and provides little in the way of practical advice for the recently dead.

Among the bits of wisdom that Hunt dispenses for those transitioning through a difficult period in their existence:

"Live people ignore the strange and unusual."

"Parameters vary from manifestation to manifestation." I.E. the type of ghost you become and location of your haunting depend on who you were in your previous life.

"In case of an emergency, draw a door and knock three times." Lydia seems to indicate that the bureaucratic nightmare on the other side is hardly worth the effort of drawing a door.

Instructions include a seance that works on ghosts, but possible side effects include banishment of all ghosts to a special "lost souls" room in purgatory! Publishing incantations like this is totally irresponsible, in my mind. Where is Ralph Nader when you need him!

I'm giving this book five stars for the living, one star for the recently deceased. Enjoy your relatively complication-free life now, while you can! I won't even get into who Beetlejuice is and what a nuisance he can be.

Published by Handbook for the Recently Deceased Press.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book read like stereo instructions...

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm unable to properly utilize any of these instructions at this stage of my existence, so I had to deduct one star.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Functional perimeters vary from manifestation to manifestation. This book reads like stereo instructions.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast read!

[Khingaa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huge disappointment.. not what I expected. Sad!

[S. Policar · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice I figured it was time to drive into my Handbook for the Recently Deceased. You guys cannot imagine how difficult this book was to find considering 99% of the listings are either journals or activity books lol. This copy isn't even listed on Amazon anymore.
The book itself is written textbook style and goes over what the afterlife is like for the recently deceased. It delves deeply into the dangers of Bio-Exocists, every 80's and 90's kid knows the name of at least three of those. And even goes into detail about the differently realms of the afterlife including the desert realm where sandworms dwell and why that realm exists. There's sections on case workers and the infamous Waiting Room too. The back of the book has several Help Vouchers along with some that are pending to appear in 40 year intervals.
This is a great book for those of us who spent a few years wondering what exactly the book contained.
I give this book 5 of 5 Paws

[Thriller BingerGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟
𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙/𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩
«ᴡᴇʟʟ, ɪ’ᴠᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀɴᴅʙᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴀꜱᴇᴅ. ɪᴛ ꜱᴀʏꜱ, ’ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪɢɴᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜɴᴜꜱᴜᴀʟ. ɪ, ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ, ᴀᴍ ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜɴᴜꜱᴜᴀʟ»
𝗙𝘂𝗻

𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵.
𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

This book is a easy reading based upon the movie 𝕭𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖑𝖊𝖏𝖚𝖎𝖈𝖊. If you are a fan you will enjoy to have it around. It was an entertaining book and some parts are funny and ingenious. I only hated how repetitive it gets, saying almost every paragraph "as you remember from 𝕭𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖑𝖊𝖏𝖚𝖎𝖈𝖊" and we already know is based on. Is a nice addition to your halloween decor.

[Julie Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the content to be a little lacking, but it was a quick and entertaining read although I would’ve liked a little more detail. Based on this I will probably read more of Hunt’s work in the future.

[Jeremy Girton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book read like stereo instructions.

[Bela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This thing reads like stereo instructions.

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book was in Beetlejuice the film, I don't know if it was made specifically for the film. It was a great read, I'll say no more so as not to spoil it for any who wish to read it.

[Igy The Book Hermit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like stereo instructions.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book repeats itself alot. But is well worth the read. I especially liked the "Help Vouchers" at the end.

[James Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

IYKYK

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

it read like a manual and most of it didn't make much sense. I think its an awesome book to keep though because its a conversation piece and i love beetlejuice

[Hallie Huffman · Rating 1 out of 5]

BLANK