kbs1871's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Alcoholism, Death, Addiction, Murder, and Suicide
knit_and_purl's review against another edition
3.0
I would rate this a solid 3.5. The pacing was a bit slow for me, although it's non-fiction. However, I found some of the writing to be repetitive, which is what lent itself to the slow pacing. I did question some of the writer's narrative of each woman's life as it wasn't clear to me how she knew what some of them were doing just based on census records or other government documents. The conclusion, though, really took the book to where the rest of it should have been--it was passionate, well-written, and really made me feel for these women. I still find the "romanticism" of murderers is happening (e.g. the recent Netflix show "Don't F**k with Cats") and it's sad that we haven't come further in society's fascination with serial killers.
wero222's review
5.0
borrowed from a friend. really good, I read it so quickly because I was so into the stories. the book tries to do the victims of the killer justice and we can really understand the reality of their worlds through this book.
marie_zeinab's review
5.0
A powerful, sad, and deeply informative book about the five canonical victims' lives, but also about the extremely difficult and unfair (sometimes cruel) living conditions of women in the Victorian era.
Hallie Rubenhold's extensive research reminds us that Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Catherine, and Mary Jane were more than the Ripper's victims. They were loved, and brave and most importantly, they were worth remembering for who they were in life regardless of their social status.
Hallie Rubenhold's extensive research reminds us that Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Catherine, and Mary Jane were more than the Ripper's victims. They were loved, and brave and most importantly, they were worth remembering for who they were in life regardless of their social status.
findingthefantasticstory's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
5.0
I loved that this showed the women Jack killed were not just prostitutes. They were women on hard times.
ebancroft's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
anikaas's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
So much is told about Jack the Ripper and all that is said of his victims is they were prostitutes. This book brings the stories of his victims to light, making them matter, pointing out that most weren’t prostitutes at all but poor homeless women, who were viewed the same as prostitutes for their poverty and neither group had any value at all. This book examines their lives and all the ways society was cast against them - for being poor, for being women, providing no aid to women who are left by their husbands or who are beaten by them, lack of contraception - and put them in a vulnerable position to be murdered. I thought it was an exemplary and humanizing book.
So much is told about Jack the Ripper and all that is said of his victims is they were prostitutes. This book brings the stories of his victims to light, making them matter, pointing out that most weren’t prostitutes at all but poor homeless women, who were viewed the same as prostitutes for their poverty and neither group had any value at all. This book examines their lives and all the ways society was cast against them - for being poor, for being women, providing no aid to women who are left by their husbands or who are beaten by them, lack of contraception - and put them in a vulnerable position to be murdered. I thought it was an exemplary and humanizing book.
asadler815's review against another edition
2.0
Reads just like a documentary. Very factual. Not much of a story