A review by ezekielbyu
Blood & Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard by Paul Collins
3.0
Collins deftly guides his reader through the goings-on of Dr. Parkman's murder - his disappearance, the grisly circumstances of his body's discovery in a Harvard chemistry lab, and the ensuing (and highly impactful) trial. The world of the Boston Brahmins is well-sketched, so the reader has a good enough immersion into what might initially seem like a far-removed American past.
Was Professor Webster a psychopath? Maybe, maybe not. His murder of Parkman was a horrific act in a moment of pure anger, not (at least from the details of Webster's confession) a premeditated calculation. He loved his family and was known as a kindly man. But his many debts, shrouded in secrecy, and the deceits carried out unbeknownst to his creditors point to some great inner lack that likely played a part not only in the gross attempts to rid the world of Parkman's corpse, but also his subsequent accusations against the innocent campus janitor, Littlefield. He was a high-society man who - perhaps because of his status - earnestly rationalized that he could escape the consequences of his actions purely on the basis of his standing. And is it so different, now? How many nice, decent Americans are one moment's provoked fury away from bloodshed? How many would be willing to terminate a soul in a desperate attempt to hide their own lack?
Was Professor Webster a psychopath? Maybe, maybe not. His murder of Parkman was a horrific act in a moment of pure anger, not (at least from the details of Webster's confession) a premeditated calculation. He loved his family and was known as a kindly man. But his many debts, shrouded in secrecy, and the deceits carried out unbeknownst to his creditors point to some great inner lack that likely played a part not only in the gross attempts to rid the world of Parkman's corpse, but also his subsequent accusations against the innocent campus janitor, Littlefield. He was a high-society man who - perhaps because of his status - earnestly rationalized that he could escape the consequences of his actions purely on the basis of his standing. And is it so different, now? How many nice, decent Americans are one moment's provoked fury away from bloodshed? How many would be willing to terminate a soul in a desperate attempt to hide their own lack?