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Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
23 reviews
laurosaurs's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
vixenreader's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore, Racism, and Xenophobia
There is a lot of talk about the abuse within the workhouses and dissolving of familial dynamics.geraldinerowe's review against another edition
5.0
I've read two criticisms of this book. Firstly that it's all conjecture. It's not, it's just very well researched. I suspect much of the detail comes from newspaper reports of the character witnesses' statements at the victims' inquests (I'm afraid I'm not a great reader of footnotes, but the author does reference her sources in detail). Newspaper coverage of trials and the like were very detailed at that time and reported almost word for word (although the author must have had a job filtering out the more sensational reporting). The other criticism I've heard is that, by putting so much emphasis on the fact that most of the victims, contrary to popular belief, were not prostitutes, the author was part of that section of society which believes sex workers' lives are less valuable or not worthy of saving. I agree that most of the book does have this feel, but it's clearly not what the author believes, as her conclusion makes clear.
This is THE book to read about the Whitechapel Murders (unless, of course, you just want to get off on reading about violence against women, which most Ripper books seem to pander to). Looking at the victims not only gives them the much overdue respect they deserve, but also shows us that their murderer was far more likely to have been one of the frequenters of the doss houses in the Flower and Dean Street area than a royal, a surgeon or a mysterious American.
I don't believe in an afterlife, but if I'm wrong I hope the five unfortunate women we meet in this book are finally finding some comfort by having their stories told so sympathetically. Five stars.
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Death of parent, and Murder
vasha's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, and Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Grief
epeolatri's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
camz's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Mental illness and Miscarriage
Minor: Trafficking
katievh's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Murder
liviy0017's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Excrement, Trafficking, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
rhiannonxgrace's review
5.0
What an incredible book. I really enjoy Rubenhold’s writing style and find her to be an easy read, which can’t be said about all historians! This was a rough read, and more than once I had to pause and step away for a little while simply due to the content. But I am so glad I read this. It’s so important to move the focus back on to the womens’ lives and show them as fully fledged people, something that is often discarded when it comes to the Whitechapel murders.
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
atsundarsingh's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Forced institutionalization