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A review by cherithe
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder
2.0
I feel like this book should come with a massive trigger warning. No matter how historical or historically accurate the book might be (aside from what's been changed in the manner of steampunk and the fantastical) the premise boils down to the fact that our novel's protagonist, Sir Richard Francis Burton is tracking down the perpetrator of a series of violent attacks on young women.
In first half of the novel, as Burton is recruited and the Victorian/Albertan London stage is set for us in Hodder's steampunk alternate universe, is decent. The story could've/should've gone through another round of editing, much of it drags on too long. However as the story switches to the second part and we learn the origin of Hodder's version of Spring Heeled Jack, the suggestions put forth by his accomplice as part of SHJ's search for his ancestry are disturbing and extreme: to accost any of the girls who might be the one. The way in which the idea is delivered feels so off-the-cuff as though it's a perfectly normal course of action. And though he struggles with the idea initially, no thought is given to other possible options.
The events as described are not dwelled on or overly graphic, but it could be triggering for many people, especially given that there's not just one attack, but several. And they come so far into the novel it would be a disappointment and a waste to spend time on reading so far only to need to abandon it later since the end is full of triggering incidents.
Putting aside for a moment the central premise of the novel and the problems it presents, I didn't really enjoy the novel on the whole. The steampunk and fantastical technology were interesting, but really it seemed like a strong case of 'trying to hard'.
In first half of the novel, as Burton is recruited and the Victorian/Albertan London stage is set for us in Hodder's steampunk alternate universe, is decent. The story could've/should've gone through another round of editing, much of it drags on too long. However as the story switches to the second part and we learn the origin of Hodder's version of Spring Heeled Jack, the suggestions put forth by his accomplice as part of SHJ's search for his ancestry are disturbing and extreme: to accost any of the girls who might be the one. The way in which the idea is delivered feels so off-the-cuff as though it's a perfectly normal course of action. And though he struggles with the idea initially, no thought is given to other possible options.
The events as described are not dwelled on or overly graphic, but it could be triggering for many people, especially given that there's not just one attack, but several. And they come so far into the novel it would be a disappointment and a waste to spend time on reading so far only to need to abandon it later since the end is full of triggering incidents.
Putting aside for a moment the central premise of the novel and the problems it presents, I didn't really enjoy the novel on the whole. The steampunk and fantastical technology were interesting, but really it seemed like a strong case of 'trying to hard'.