Rest in Pieces: The curious fates of famous corpses

By Bess Lovejoy

In the long run, we're all dead. But for some of the most influential figures in history, death marked the start of a new adventure. The famous deceased have been stolen, burned, sold, pickled, frozen, stuffed, impersonated and even filed away in a lawyer's office. Their fingers, teeth, toes, arms, legs, skulls, hearts, lungs and nether regions have embarked on voyages that criss-cross the globe and stretch the imagination. Counterfeiters tried to steal Lincoln's corpse. Einstein's brain went on a cross-country road trip. And after Lord Horatio Nelson perished at Trafalgar, his sailors submerged him in brandy - which they drank. From Mozart to Hitler, Rest in Pieces connects the lives of the famous dead to the hilarious and horrifying adventures of their corpses, and traces the evolution of cultural attitudes towards death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gerald Duckworth & Co
• Release date: Oct 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9780715649770

Bess Lovejoy

Bess Lovejoy is a writer, researcher, and editor based in Brooklyn. She worked on the Schott’s Almanac series for five years, and her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Believer, The Boston Globe, and elsewhere.

Reviews for Rest in Pieces

[aliceap-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes, I'm somewhat fascinated by death culture. No, I don't think it's unhealthy. Yes, I do recognize it makes many people uncomfortable especially when walking around with a book somewhat shaped like a coffin with the title Rest in Pieces emblazoned across the front. (It might have been unwise to read this on an airplane but I'm a risk taker.) The subtitle of Bess Lovejoy's book is a dead (ha!) giveaway as to the substance of what lies within (on a roll here!). This book is full of fascinating histories of what became of famous people's corpses. She covers everyone from Presidents and political leaders to outlaws, radicals, and artists. No matter their designation, the dead were rarely left to rest peacefully and with all of their pieces together. There was a lot of ground to cover and I honestly felt like I learned quite a bit (I'm going to be a hit at my next dinner party if I ever get invited to another one). If you have a strong stomach, an interest in the unconventional, and some time on your hands then this is one you definitely shouldn't pass up. 10/10

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An entertaining collection of true stories about what became of corpses of the famous and infamous. Some humorous, some gruesome, and all interesting.

[vgaharris · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining for those who enjoy corpse snatching, mutilations, and other dimensions of the grotesque.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book briefly, but on several occasions, insults Catholics & the Orthodox but I will address that at the end. As I browsed though the table of contents I was quite surprised at how well read I've become on this rather macabre topic as I noticed expected names. I then proceeded to look for some specific names to see if they were included and found everyone so I was quite pleased with the read ahead of me. At first I was a little disappointed that the book was not written as a cohesive unit but rather simply as a collection of mini-biographies of what happened to famous corpses (or parts of) over the years though it is divided into common themed sections. The stories are irreverent, with the author's voice thrown in for humour, but quite detailed and extremely interesting. They are short and basic, however, so more details would be found in books dedicated to a singular person or a more academic volume such as Dickey's "Cranioklepty". The book itself has a unique shape, not very wide like a paperback but tall. It reminds me of one of those "Uncle John Bathroom Readers" in appearance and once you've read this book, it would make a great addition to your guest bathroom reading basket as it would be sure to bring some stimulating reading. The only thing I took issue with in this book, and I'll try to keep it brief, is that I was offended by the author's treatment of Catholic personalities. She goes on to say several times that Catholics "worship" Saints and relics; she also accuses the Orthodox of "worshipping" the remains of Saints. This is not only untrue but offensive to two of the world's largest religions. The first commandment states that Christians shall worship none other than God and to blatantly state they do otherwise is nothing short of ignorance. I don't want to get on a soapbox about this but that the author, editor, publisher did not catch this in time is unforgivable. CatholicsOrthodox venerate, honor, respect, hold in high reverence both the Saints and their relics but in no shape or form do they "worship" them. This glaring untruth should be edited if the book is reprinted and fixed immediately in electronic versions, imho.

[lauriebrown54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Most people know about the resurrectionists, the grave robbers who provided bodies for medical students in the 19th century, but a lot of other things have happened to corpses. They have been stolen to use as religious relics, held for ransom, used as exhibits, moved from place to place- not always in complete form, shot into space (at least that one was the wish of the deceased), destroyed to prevent it being used as a political symbol, and preserved and displayed them as political symbols. Most of these things were done without the permission of the deceased, and most often without the permission of the family. Lovejoy recounts 51 short tales of the adventures of the deceased, from Alexander the Great to Hunter S. Thompson. All manner of people appear in the book: scientists, dictators, saints, poets, athletes, outlaws, philosophers, composers, presidents, singers, Native American chiefs, authors, assassins and more all take a turn. While a grim subject, the book is amusing and interesting. But I read the book straight through, and that was a mistake. I started to weary of the subject and started getting the various chapters mixed up in my mind. I think this book would be better read in bits, picking it up to read a chapter or two at a time.

[annmarie_banks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely fascinating and fun to read. I actually burned dinner because I didn't want to stop reading when the kitchen timer went off. I read until I smelled the smoke. The author is witty and lighthearted, which is necessary in a book about corpses. The incredible and sometimes obsessive behavior of human beings concerning death always keeps me turning pages. Excellent excellent book.