Atlas of Cursed Places

While there are plenty of books that describe wondrous bucket list vacation destinations, there are far fewer that take the tack of describing the most frightful and dangerous places on earth. Le Carrer's book does just that, covering 40 locations that display a wide variety of weird characteristics--from bizarre natural phenomena to purported paranormal activity. Narrator James Langton employs an intrigued tone to heighten the descriptions of the strange and creepy places described. Though his narration is appropriately spooky, this book may not be the best candidate for an audio edition, given its short descriptions and the lack of maps and photographs, which hampers the listener's ability to grasp the full graphic effects. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

November 1, 2015

This is the English translation of a 2013 French publication (Le reve d'une ile) by Le Carrer, a dedicated maritime adventurer and storyteller (the French version also credits his wife, Sybille Le Carrer). The book outlines 40 sites across the planet that are "cursed" in one of three ways--places "bound up with admonitions of a mystical order" (e.g., the Bermuda Triangle); those that "for a variety of natural reasons...enduringly blight the lives of the local populations or present a real danger to local people and visitors alike" (e.g. Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands whose possible collapse could cause a tsunami that would inundate the Americas); and places "rendered uninhabitable by human activity" (e.g., Nauru, where the exhaustion of the phosphate deposits has completely collapsed the island's economy and viability). Each entry includes one or more vintage maps with descriptive narrative. VERDICT This tour of the world's more unusual, frightening, and mysterious locations offers serious social commentary on human failings but is also whimsical in its approach. Highly recommended for reading by the fireside on a stormy night.--Edward K. Werner, formerly with St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL

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