1 - caircair
- Godlike
Offline - From: Seattle
- Registered: June 23, 2012
- Posts: 628
Interesting book
I just finished reading "Crying: The Natural and Cultural History of Tears" by Tom Lutz. A lot of it was about the physical stuff that happens, but the cultural was very interesting to me, especially the history. Evidently, back in the medieval age and somewhat up through the Victorian age it was not only ok for men to cry, but they were expected to do so. Tears were especially frequent in the Victorian era literature - both men and women seemed to cry at the drop of a hat, and often about things we wouldn't think worth crying over.
I recommend it, it's an interesting book. Now to look for other literature about the history and culture of Tears.
"We have our stalking memories, and they will demand their rightful tears."
Anonymous
- meantangerine
- Great One
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- From: New York
- Registered: July 29, 2011
- Posts: 418
Re: Interesting book
I love that book.
It is such a secret place, the land of tears.
-- Antoine de Saint Exupery, "The Little Prince"
- Fallingtears
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Re: Interesting book
Wow, I never knew that such a book existed. I am totally going to give that a read 
Crying does not indicate you are weak, since birth it has been a sign that you are alive.
- tearhunter
- Godlike
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- Posts: 503
Re: Interesting book
I've read this book, but quite a while ago so can't really give a good review at the moment. I read a couple of other book, again a long time ago but I seam to remember the first of the three below being the best, don't know about there availablity now but details if anyone want to try and source them.
the language of tears - jeffrey a. kottler (ISBN: 0-7879-0265-9)
adult crying, a biopsychosocial approach - ad j.j.m. vingerhoets and randoluph r. cornelius (ISBN: 1-58391-225-8)
crying, the natural & cultural history or tears - tom lutz (ISBN: 0-393-04756-3) * book noted by caircair above.
- carrotcake
- Godlike
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- Posts: 538
Re: Interesting book
Ooh, I've never heard of any of these books. I'll be off to find them now...
- psychic_girl
- Godlike
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Re: Interesting book
That Tom Lutz was a damn crymaniac who was brilliant as to do such a thourough reasearch on crying. I hope i'll get my hands on that book someday
''I like crying. And now I not only wanna cry and show my crying to other people, I wanna just split myself down the middle and open my guts and just throw everything out!''
Woody Harrelson
- caircair
- Godlike
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- Registered: June 23, 2012
- Posts: 628
Re: Interesting book
Just read another interesting book: "Pictures and Tears' by James Elkins. Not so much about crying in general, but about how paintings can move people to cry. Some interesting stuff there, especially the fact that many Medieval and Renaissance paintings were specifically designed to make people cry.
"We have our stalking memories, and they will demand their rightful tears."
Anonymous
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Thread Starter- woundedpuppy
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Re: Interesting book
caircair wrote:
Some interesting stuff there, especially the fact that many Medieval and Renaissance paintings were specifically designed to make people cry.
Sounds really interesting... specifically designing something to make people cry!
Reminds me of something I read in Rabbi Shmuley's book, "The Michael Jackson Tapes". I can actually provide the MJ quote directly from the book:
MJ: "I have had moments when I have said to another person, "Look at that beautiful sky," and they have said, "Yeah? It's nice." I go, "There must be something wrong with me. Why do I see it and they don't?" Why do I appreciate it and they don't appreciate it? I went to a museum in Paris and I swear to you, my bodyguards are a witness to what happened to me, they had to carry me. I broke down crying and the lady who was showing us round said, "What's wrong with him?" And they said, "He is so moved by what he has seen.""
The carrying him thing, if taken literally, sounds a bit exaggerated to me, but then again, MJ did cry a lot and spoke about his own crying a lot, so I can certainly imagine him breaking down in front of a painting (and maybe the guards were very protective of him and wanted to make sure he wasn't going to faint or something).
Last edited by woundedpuppy (September 21, 2012 9:02 pm)
- caircair
- Godlike
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- Registered: June 23, 2012
- Posts: 628
Re: Interesting book
I'd be interested to know which painting inspired his reaction. As for the carrying, it may have been to clear him out of the way so other museum patrons could go on with their visit, and to give him time to compose himself in private.
"We have our stalking memories, and they will demand their rightful tears."
Anonymous
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Thread Starter