Maggie Fergusson

If buttons, balloons or premature burial terrify you, rest assured you’re not alone

Kate Summerscale’s A-Z of obsessions will strike a chord with most of us. Just count yourself lucky if you stop short of pantophobia

Antoine Wiertz’s ‘L’inhumation précipitée’, depicting a cholera victim’s premature burial. [Alamy]
  • Comments

  • The Book of Phobias and Manias: A History of the World in 99 Obsessions

    Kate Summerscale

    Profile Books, pp. 239, £16

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Get a free bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label when you subscribe to The Spectator for just £12 in our Black Friday sale

  • Free bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, worth £30
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Limor Simhony Philpott

The ICC’s vendetta against Israel has gone too far

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant. An ICC warrant was also issued for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, who was killed by Israel in July. The judges decided that there are ‘reasonable grounds’ that the trio are responsible for

More on clowns

Also by Maggie Fergusson

Latest

Comments

Black Friday sale: Get 10 weeks for just $1

Unlimited access to the The Spectator, online and via the app

Already a subscriber? Log in