Morbid Curiosity: The Disturbing Demises of the Famous and Infamous

by Alan W. Petrucelli

Book Overview

"It's shocking and sinful, and I couldn't put it down!" -Joan Rivers

The strange, startling, and utterly fascinating stories behind the world's most notorious celebrity deaths.

Was Jayne Mansfield really decapitated? Which manly appendage of Napoleon's was cut off during his autopsy? (And where did it go?) What went to the grave (literally) with River Phoenix, Frank Sinatra, and Princess Diana?

Death is fascinating...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399535276
• ISBN13: 9780399535277
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.3" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Death Becomes This Book

There are many books devoted to the deaths of the famous, but few quite as accomplished or entertaining as this one. First of all, the range of celebrities covered here is quite impressive. Sure, you get the usual Hollywood suspects (Marilyn Monroe, Natasha Richardson, Jon-Erik Hexum), but also such off-the-beaten-path oddities as James H. Bedford (the first human to be cryonically preserved), Jack Daniel (of Jack Daniels fame) and Pope Pius XII. An impressive mix. Impressive, too, is the amount of research the author has given to this book. It's likely that even entries on people you know about will contain some little gem of startling information. Most impressive, though, is the tone maintained throughout. It's funny, but never cheap-shot snarky. A difficult balancing act to bring off, but it's been done here successfully. True, if you're Ted Bundy's third cousin twice removed, you might be offended by the humor. But the rest of us should lighten up. Death is part of life, so let's enjoy it while we're here. Richard Sanders Sex Death Dream Talk

Hey, I loved it!

I love gossip, rumor, and sleazy stories about the rich and famous! The truth beneath such sordid tales about our stars and heroes is the iconoclast's motto: "The Emperor has no clothes! (At least, not when his body was discovered!)" And a cautionary note to anyone who wants to quibble about details: stay away from books with titles like "Morbid Curiosity"! If you want nutrition, eat carrots and brussels sprouts-- this book's chocolate-covered marzipan, and quite delicious!

great book!

alan has written a fascinating, insightful, fun, entertaining, interesting and witty book about the demise of some of the most famous and infamous people in history. a delightful and delicious pleasure.

Yikes!

Love it, love it, love it. This is a practical book that is crammed with stories of the deathstyles of the famous as well as the infamous. It answers all those questions about celebrity death that you may have always wanted to ask such as 'was Jayne Mansfield decapitated', but somehow felt you might be perceived as 'strange' if you really did ask. Fear no longer and get rid of any trepidation you may have had about asking those questions. You can buy this book, read it from cover to cover, and your friends and relatives will be clueless that you are a death junkie and you will not be labeled WEIRDO. Written with remarkable style and humor, the author has managed to cover a lot of material that will leave you chuckling. There are other books out there that provide similar information, but none do it as well. This book manages to take a lot of the stigma out of death. It is accurate and loaded with tons of interesting information concerning the deaths of well-known dead folks. You can liken this book as a cemetery guide for an armchair cemeterian. My only criticism is that I wish this book was bigger. Mr. Petrucelli undoubtedly has a lot of unused material out there that I know he didn't even touch on. Seems like he better get started on MORBID CURIOUSITY Vol. 2.

SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY!!!!

Someone once said the only two interesting things to write about were sex and death. Sex is covered everywhere you look nowadays, but Mr. Petrucelli covers death with wit, style and insouciant good humor. From Atilla the Hun to Rin-tin-tin, politicians, patriots, performers and perverts may not live in these pages, but they certainly do die, each and all in fascinating, fabulous, or nefarious manner. While a font for trivia buffs or simply people looking for great conversation starters, Petrucelli does not side step the bigger darker picture of our universal fascination with death. Petrucelli is a well known celebrity journalist, and his often irreverant take on the lives of the great and not so great adds a lot to his meditations on an incredibly wide variaty of deaths. The wit can be zany or reflective, and the subjects can be incredibly familiar, such as Michael Jackson, or fairly obscure, such as the actress Susan Cabot. The variety and the diversity of the material, as well as the really clever arrangement of topics and descriptions, add greatly to one's enjoyment of Morbid Curiosity. This book is funny, moving, and really has something for everyone. It will make you smile, laugh out loud, and, most important, realize that it doesn't matter how great, rich or famous anyone is: everybody dies. You may devour the book in a single sitting, then go back to re-sample some of the tastier portions. Or maybe simply slowly savor it, a chapter or two at a time. The book is funny, fabulous, and fascinating, and everyone should buy a copy!