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iissysmith's review against another edition
4.0
‘The victims of Jack the Ripper were never ‘just prostitutes’; they were daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and lovers. They were women. They were human beings, and surely that, in itself, is enough’
dilchh's review against another edition
4.0
It strikes me odd that Jack the Ripper became so famous for killing what I presume as a small number of victims, compared to other serial killers. Is it because he's never caught and so the mystery and his fame thickened and increased? That may be so, but it also strikes me as odd that we rarely talked about his victims; reducing them merely as prostitutes. This book has opened my interest and eyes to the canonical five victims of the ever famous Jack the Ripper and it did not disappoint.
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To put it simply, the stories of the five canonical victims of Jack the Ripper are obviously tragic if not heartbreaking. I would say it's both actually. Through this book, the author brought me to the personal lives of the five canonical victims; from their early lives to the day that they are no more. And one other thread that times all five together, apart from being Jack the Ripper's victim, is society's constraints towards women in the Victorian era.
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It's frustrating and also eye opening to read their stories and it made me felt that we're going to be talking about Jack the Ripper, might as well we talk about the victims to. And if you can spend time trying to know and understand Jack the Ripper, you should make the same effort for the victims.
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To put it simply, the stories of the five canonical victims of Jack the Ripper are obviously tragic if not heartbreaking. I would say it's both actually. Through this book, the author brought me to the personal lives of the five canonical victims; from their early lives to the day that they are no more. And one other thread that times all five together, apart from being Jack the Ripper's victim, is society's constraints towards women in the Victorian era.
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It's frustrating and also eye opening to read their stories and it made me felt that we're going to be talking about Jack the Ripper, might as well we talk about the victims to. And if you can spend time trying to know and understand Jack the Ripper, you should make the same effort for the victims.
booktravler101's review against another edition
4.0
Biography about the victims of Jack the Ripper. A great view in to the lives of the women who’s crime of being a women in the 1880, made for easy victims.
rellimreads's review against another edition
5.0
This was an engaging listen that gripped me from the first minutes to the last. I admit to knowing very little about Ripper lore or anything about the time period & location beyond what this book asserts that most people think they know - all of his victims were prostitutes. What I particularly enjoyed that is that Hallie Rubenhold proves through public records (much was readily available to the sensationalist media of the time) that not all of these women were prostitutes - while simultaneously honoring that no matter their background or circumstance they did not deserve to be dismissed, maligned, or in another way held responsible for being in a location to be murdered.
What this book does not include is any belabored descriptions of the murders or positing of who Jack the Ripper actually was. Rubenhold gives complete yet enthralling biographies of Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Mary-Jane. While I superficially knew of some of the hardships of being a woman in the late 1800's, at the end I no choice but to acknowledge what a miracle it was that any woman born to their stations managed to survive with a fulfilling life.
I am haunted and saddened by these lives taken and so grateful their stories and history were told.
Louise Brealey's narration was impeccable. She gave an added level of compassion and emphasis where appropriate.
What this book does not include is any belabored descriptions of the murders or positing of who Jack the Ripper actually was. Rubenhold gives complete yet enthralling biographies of Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Mary-Jane. While I superficially knew of some of the hardships of being a woman in the late 1800's, at the end I no choice but to acknowledge what a miracle it was that any woman born to their stations managed to survive with a fulfilling life.
I am haunted and saddened by these lives taken and so grateful their stories and history were told.
Louise Brealey's narration was impeccable. She gave an added level of compassion and emphasis where appropriate.
victoriafrost1991's review against another edition
3.0
It was generally good book, in which I learned a whole lot of Jack the Rippers victims. Like many of the general public, I heard that the victims were prostitutes and don't remember even hearing any of their names. This brought a more holistic perspective on these women, the era, their communities, their families and horrid situations that eventually let to each one's down fall and eventual death.
What was odd is showing of how people emotionally felt during certain events or how each victim was acting because unless this was stated or placed in evidence somehow why write it?
What was odd is showing of how people emotionally felt during certain events or how each victim was acting because unless this was stated or placed in evidence somehow why write it?
lisas_library_factory's review against another edition
5.0
I looked forward to reading this book for quite some time and was very happy that I was able to read it in the context of a book club. Hallie Rubenhold does a great job with the intention she pursued with this book. As far as I am informed, the attention is always drawn on the killer - be it in tourist attractions in London or in the media in general. Furthermore, the Victorian period is highly romanticised these days and Hallie Rubenhold managed to draw a more accurate picture of this period that was also characterised by severe sufferings, especially for the working classes. The only thing that bothered me a little, was that Rubenhold as a historian based a lot of her arguments on suggestions rather than source material - which I guess, is rather sparse for this particular topic. Nevertheless, it was great read that I can highly recommend to anyone, who is interested in the topic.
Update February 2022: After re-reading this book, I give it 5/5 stars. The Pushkin-Podcast "Bad Women" hosted by Hallie Rubenhold got me back to the topic and I felt that I wanted to read this book again from a different angle. Even though I still have my issues with the argumentation sometimes based on suggestions rather than on source-proven, I think this is a groundbreaking work and gives us a deep understanding of social life in Victorian London and how social norms, poverty, alcoholism and deseases played a significant role for the faith of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper: Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Kate & Mary Jane
Update February 2022: After re-reading this book, I give it 5/5 stars. The Pushkin-Podcast "Bad Women" hosted by Hallie Rubenhold got me back to the topic and I felt that I wanted to read this book again from a different angle. Even though I still have my issues with the argumentation sometimes based on suggestions rather than on source-proven, I think this is a groundbreaking work and gives us a deep understanding of social life in Victorian London and how social norms, poverty, alcoholism and deseases played a significant role for the faith of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper: Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Kate & Mary Jane