Sarah Clegg's "The Dead of Winter: Demons, Witches and Ghosts of Christmas" serves as a chilling counterpoint to the sanitized notion of modern Christmas. This haunting audiobook is an exploration of midwinter traditions and stories that were once part of the festive season but fell out of favor in the Victorian era.
Clegg's narrative weaves together unsettling tales from Sweden, Austria, and Iceland, among other places, all centered around the theme of winter solstice rituals and the supernatural. She recounts a tradition called årsgång, or "year walk," where individuals would venture into graves on Christmas Eve to predict their future and witness shadowy enactments of impending deaths.
The narrator, Antonia Beamish, brings these dark stories to life with relish, imbuing them with an air of mischief and menace. Clegg's research is meticulous, revealing a history that is both fascinating and disturbing. It appears that the more innocent notion of Christmas has been overshadowed by its darker and more sinister counterparts.
One cannot help but feel that this audiobook serves as a reminder that even in the most festive of seasons, there lies a world of darkness and superstition waiting to be uncovered. Clegg's work is not just an exploration of history, but also a commentary on how our perceptions of Christmas have evolved over time. The result is a captivating and unnerving listen that will leave listeners questioning their understanding of this once-peaceful holiday.
With its 4 hour and 21 minute runtime, "The Dead of Winter" is a gripping addition to the world of audiobooks, one that promises to unsettle even the most hardened of winter-weary souls.
Clegg's narrative weaves together unsettling tales from Sweden, Austria, and Iceland, among other places, all centered around the theme of winter solstice rituals and the supernatural. She recounts a tradition called årsgång, or "year walk," where individuals would venture into graves on Christmas Eve to predict their future and witness shadowy enactments of impending deaths.
The narrator, Antonia Beamish, brings these dark stories to life with relish, imbuing them with an air of mischief and menace. Clegg's research is meticulous, revealing a history that is both fascinating and disturbing. It appears that the more innocent notion of Christmas has been overshadowed by its darker and more sinister counterparts.
One cannot help but feel that this audiobook serves as a reminder that even in the most festive of seasons, there lies a world of darkness and superstition waiting to be uncovered. Clegg's work is not just an exploration of history, but also a commentary on how our perceptions of Christmas have evolved over time. The result is a captivating and unnerving listen that will leave listeners questioning their understanding of this once-peaceful holiday.
With its 4 hour and 21 minute runtime, "The Dead of Winter" is a gripping addition to the world of audiobooks, one that promises to unsettle even the most hardened of winter-weary souls.
I'm not surprised they're releasing this audiobook now... it's like they're trying to remind us that Christmas isn't all rainbows and unicorns 
. I mean, who needs a sanitized version of holiday cheer when you can listen to tales of ghostly apparitions and impending doom? It's like the perfect excuse to stay indoors and binge-watch Netflix while the rest of us are out "celebrating" 
. And don't even get me started on the narrator, sounds like she's trying too hard to make it sound spooky 
. Still, I guess if you're into that sorta thing, it might be a fun (and unsettling) listen... just don't say I didn't warn you 
. and antonia beamish's narration is like butter for your ears, all smooth and spooky 
. i love how it delves into all the weird midwinter traditions that were once part of the festive season but got left behind 
. anyway, if you're looking for a listen that'll make you feel like winter has come to haunt you, then 'the dead of winter' is def the one for you 
and turns it into something really creepy! The idea of people going on a "year walk" and predicting their own deaths is just wild 
. And I think it's so cool that Sarah Clegg dug up these dark stories from different cultures around the world to create this audiobook. It's like she's showing us that even though we might not celebrate them anymore, these old traditions are still out there lurking in the shadows 
!
I love how Sarah Clegg digs up all this dark history on Christmas traditions! It's crazy how some of these old stories are still kinda creepy and unsettling today 
. I feel like this audiobook is like a breath of fresh air, reminding us that even something as cheerful as Christmas has its dark side 
!
. I mean, who needs to feel festive and cheerful when you can vibe with some creepy old European ghost stories? This book sounds like a blast from the past - I love how it's all about the dark side of winter traditions. Who knew predicting death by visiting graves was actually a thing?! It's kinda wild that our modern Christmas has lost so much of its original, spooky charm... and I'm here for it 
