The Witches: Salem, 1692

I'm not sure why I struggled so long to read this! Deciding to finish with the audiobook was a good idea and I was able to blow through it, and really enjoyed it. Some of the footnotes are a little out of place (I mean, bringing in the Wicked Witch of the West is cute, but not necessarily appropriate). Schiff has really good information and gives a broader view of Salem than other books do.

I like the fact that the author appears to be basing her book on what she's able to verify [she mentions in the intro that it's hard to determine exactly how many were on trial due to the vague descriptions of the accused].

What I wasn't interested in is the style of the presentation of the topic. I had a hard time understanding how what was being presented was organized. It seemed to be a casual wander thru various intermingled subjects, as if listening to someone reminisce almost. I'm more of a logical, linear person.

Fascinating to read, but I wish the author didn't inject present day popular culture into the story in an effort to make it more understandable to 21st century readers. Some of the best parts of the book were places where Schiff took the time to explain enough about Puritan theology and beliefs about community, for example, that you could understand why they felt it was important to keep an eye on each other and report each others' wrongdoings. Putting comparisons to Harry Potter into the story is at odds with that kind of understanding.

Schiff doesn't argue for any particular theory of why the witchcraft crisis occurred, but she does describe the context, from the precarious political position the Massachusetts Bay Colony was in in its relationship with England, to the ever present threat of attacks by Native Americans. I hadn't known that Salem village was already a contentious, litigious place long before 1692–property disputes, ministers who hadn't been paid for months and whose congregations broke into factions for and against them, livestock that disappeared and ended up in someone else's barn.

I learned a lot from reading this book, but I can't help but wonder if someone else has done a better job of writing the history of the Salem witchcraft trials.

Stacy Schiff's book, The Witches:Salem, 1692, is a complete accounting of the hysteria that enveloped not just Salem but much of New England at the time. Having a personal interest (don't we all?) I was excited that such a distinguished author had taken up the subject. If you are new to the Salem with phenomenon, this is the book for you, and it will certainly become the go-to one to read. However, Schiff is hampered by the fact that the most of the records that you would expect from the time were either destroyed or conveniently lost. She reconstructs an amazing amount of detail regardless; but, at times the detail can get both boring and a bit turgid. For some reason she and her editors eschewed maps and lists of people involved that might have helped in the navigation. Her commentaries are spot on, but lack punch. And while she nods in the final chapter to more current hysterias, she does not really explore the subject. A useful read–just not as good as I had hoped.

I was pumped for this one. I think I ended up being only slightly disappointed in it because of all the hype.

Essentially, this is a straight up history, with tons of facts thrown at the reader that make it tough to follow. There is a reason Ms Schiff has a cast list in the beginning. And had I known then what I know now, I'd have consulted much more frequently.

Honestly, her prose gets a bit muddled at times, confusing, and multiple times it seems the reader is expected to keep various characters straight. And the Mathers men straight. Which is difficult when she'll be talking about both Increase and Cotton in any given paragraph, and then refer to them by last name only. Sometimes context does not help.

So, as far as information goes, and because I know precious little about the Salem witch trials, I enjoyed the learning, even though the prose gets a bit tedious and obtuse. I wish it had been a bit less of a fact vomit, though. It's as though the story, so to speak, got away from her. That being said, it was worth the read, and I know more than I did before, and that always makes me happy. And I've read far worse written history books.

Also, I'm from New England. Everyone seemed horrible, but I can sort of see how America has been very much informed by how the Puritans behaved. That's not reassuring, but younger generations seem to mostly be doing better, and that is.