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cherircohen's review against another edition
1.0
So disappointing - it was like torture to get through and I finally gave up halfway. Just awful writing and boring, surprisingly.
nancydrew's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
A little repetitive, short clipped sentences that don’t keep your interest.
thatsoneforthebooks's review against another edition
✨ Review ✨ Who Killed Jane Stanford?: A Gilded Age Tale of Murder, Deceit, Spirits and the Birth of a University by Richard White; Narrated by Christopher P. Brown
I don't listen to / read a lot of true crime, but I was excited to find this one written by Richard White, a historian that always produces interesting explorations of the past. I was also hooked by my interest in the Bay Area, even if the Gilded Age isn't really my favorite time period.
I really enjoyed listening to this book. White framed the story with the murder of Jane Stanford, and along the way provided deep contextualization of Stanford - the woman, the family, and the university. As he explored the history of her life, her death, and the investigations after her death, he revealed layers of scandal, Gilded Age corruption, racial and socioeconomic inequities, and so much more.
I really appreciated how he "broke the fourth wall," and provided glimpses into the challenges of doing this research with sources that had gone missing (maliciously or likely some due to the 1906 earthquake), as well as the ways the sources frequently contradict each other. I enjoyed these reflections into the practice of this writing, and the differences between historians and detectives in the way they approach cases like these.
It's a book that true crime lovers who also enjoy history would like reading, though it's not as flashy as some more modern true crime where all of the answers come together neatly. I learned a lot about Stanford, but also about the Bay Area in the Gilded Age.
Thanks to W. W. Norton & Company, Tantor Audio, and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!
I don't listen to / read a lot of true crime, but I was excited to find this one written by Richard White, a historian that always produces interesting explorations of the past. I was also hooked by my interest in the Bay Area, even if the Gilded Age isn't really my favorite time period.
I really enjoyed listening to this book. White framed the story with the murder of Jane Stanford, and along the way provided deep contextualization of Stanford - the woman, the family, and the university. As he explored the history of her life, her death, and the investigations after her death, he revealed layers of scandal, Gilded Age corruption, racial and socioeconomic inequities, and so much more.
I really appreciated how he "broke the fourth wall," and provided glimpses into the challenges of doing this research with sources that had gone missing (maliciously or likely some due to the 1906 earthquake), as well as the ways the sources frequently contradict each other. I enjoyed these reflections into the practice of this writing, and the differences between historians and detectives in the way they approach cases like these.
It's a book that true crime lovers who also enjoy history would like reading, though it's not as flashy as some more modern true crime where all of the answers come together neatly. I learned a lot about Stanford, but also about the Bay Area in the Gilded Age.
Thanks to W. W. Norton & Company, Tantor Audio, and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!
allisonmeyette's review against another edition
Didn't finish it in time for the Book Club meeting and wasn't particularly gripped by it, so even though it was somewhat interesting it was too "rich people doing silly things" for me to want to finish it.
wintermote's review
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
3.0
It was fine. Certainly not what I expected.
nanikeeva's review against another edition
1.0
this book is a fine piece of historical research/investigative writing, and it's honestly quite interesting how thoroughly and deeply minute details can be uncovered, but the topic is so niche and specific, the content so repetitive, (and in the grand scheme of things, pointless) that i can't give this more than 1 star in good conscience
ellaspring's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
In order to discuss who might have killed Jane Stanford, the inner workings of Stanford university are written about in great detail. At times, it was a bit confusing for me. The author seems to dislike the people he writes about, but at least he acknowledged that? I didn't like the way he presented who the killer was: while there is some proof, it's still conjecture, so the person is still technically innocent.
iamshadow's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0