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scott204's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
i_have_no_process's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
The greatest graphic novel ever written.
estelessa's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bentrevett's review against another edition
4.0
it lives up to the hype, though the very slow start is a bit off-putting; especially the chapter that is just exposition on all the slightly occult areas of london and how they apparently make a big pentagram on a map. that chapter almost made me give up, but it's worth powering through. art was great, all the hashes and scratches and scribbles fit the plot well. i also like that it has actual distinct lettering, whereas every other graphic novel has the same slightly rounded small capitals that just bold words seemingly at random.
chloekg's review against another edition
5.0
"Fiction becomes evidence.
Evidence becomes fiction."
-From Hell, Appendix II
I would call it a groundbreaking masterwork in graphic novels, but I'm 25 years late to the scene and so will instead call it a groundbreaking masterwork in Magickal practice. A central tenet of Alan Moore's philosophy is that the boundary between the "real" and the imagined is much more permeable than is traditionally given credit. There is secular theory found in dialectical materialism, that ideas and the material world inform each other, and this interplay is the "progress" of history. What distinguishes Alan Moore's philosophy from a secular one is that the Neoplatonic world of "ideas" has its own autonomy and energetic rules. Rather than a static construction where humans expand Ideaspace 'brick-by-brick,' a sort of positivist foundation of knowledge, it's more of exploration and discovery through chaotic mindscapes with subtle and responsive sentiences.
What makes From Hell a Magickal practice is a kind of funny inverse between science-fiction and historical fiction. Science fiction sees today and constructs an imagined world of the future. Historical fiction constructs an imagined world of the past and tries to see each day. Although the man is dead, the character of William Gull has an existence that is formed by historical knowledge and animated by imagination. By pouring his efforts into recreating Victorian London and "summoning" the character of Dr. Gull, Moore bridges that permeable space between the real and the imagined. The past has lost its "corporeal realness," but very "real" discoveries may still be made by exploring the reconstructed Ideaspace.
To quote from Appendix I on Chapter Seven, "A torn envelope":
Jack of the Ripper lives in our imagination because of a frenzied extrapolation of mundane and tragic facts. As depicted in the novel, the initial birth of this "creature" was itself a Magick act (as is any act of creation). The subsequent fictions and mass hysteria added to the mythos, ultimately yielding a monstrosity far more lurid and romantic than any historical human could hope to achieve. This Magickal "coagulation" yields a form of immortality for however long people are willing to invest energy in remembering and retelling the tale.
In order to create From Hell, Alan Moore imposed a kind of reverse process. By a combination of thorough research and skeptical/imaginative probing, he resolves the mass of frenzied hysteria back to a mundane and tragic humanity (albeit expressed lovingly and compelling in partnership with Eddie Campbell's creative practice).
As a student of American misdeeds in the late 20th century, I found myself delighted by this process. The non-fiction Appendix I documents Moore's sources and decision-making, itself a literary achievement and innovation on the form. The "truth" of Jack the Ripper is likely lost amid the "murky Victorian fog" and one-hundred years of sensational retelling. It is a comfort and an inspiration that one may still gather what fictional and corporeal facts remain and discern what one can of what "really" happened.
In parallel to the gruesome crimes of Jack the Ripper, the "truth" of American history has been both obscured and sensationalized, occasionally reborn by subsequently-murdered journalists or half-fictions like, The Irishman and FX's new series on the CIA and cocaine, Snowfall. While it is unlikely that future researchers will reconstruct the devastating "reality" of American history, Moore's work gives me hope that emotionally compelling narratives with a spark of truth can promote more thoughtful reflection on history and morality. Sounds like a fun and anxiety-inducing project and would make a nice comic book [see Alan Moore's Brought to Light].
As a work of fiction, From Hell refrains from emotionalizing the characters much more than history gives evidence for. There are very few records of how the historical figures felt or what motivated them. In that sense, it's not my favorite Alan Moore story akin to the charismatic relationships and emotionally compelling fiction of Watchmen or Swamp Thing. What it offers is an historical and intellectual richness unmatched by any literary work I am familiar with, never mind what's found in most graphic novels. It's magical experience and has changed my life forever.
Evidence becomes fiction."
-From Hell, Appendix II
I would call it a groundbreaking masterwork in graphic novels, but I'm 25 years late to the scene and so will instead call it a groundbreaking masterwork in Magickal practice. A central tenet of Alan Moore's philosophy is that the boundary between the "real" and the imagined is much more permeable than is traditionally given credit. There is secular theory found in dialectical materialism, that ideas and the material world inform each other, and this interplay is the "progress" of history. What distinguishes Alan Moore's philosophy from a secular one is that the Neoplatonic world of "ideas" has its own autonomy and energetic rules. Rather than a static construction where humans expand Ideaspace 'brick-by-brick,' a sort of positivist foundation of knowledge, it's more of exploration and discovery through chaotic mindscapes with subtle and responsive sentiences.
What makes From Hell a Magickal practice is a kind of funny inverse between science-fiction and historical fiction. Science fiction sees today and constructs an imagined world of the future. Historical fiction constructs an imagined world of the past and tries to see each day. Although the man is dead, the character of William Gull has an existence that is formed by historical knowledge and animated by imagination. By pouring his efforts into recreating Victorian London and "summoning" the character of Dr. Gull, Moore bridges that permeable space between the real and the imagined. The past has lost its "corporeal realness," but very "real" discoveries may still be made by exploring the reconstructed Ideaspace.
To quote from Appendix I on Chapter Seven, "A torn envelope":
"I chose to construct this title's chapter around this piece of trivia because it struck me that the entire literature of the Whitechapel murders has been based upon similar scraps and fragments; a new black bonnet; a chalk scrawl; a ginny kidney. In a real sense, these insignificant pieces of debris make up the corporeal mass of the largely mythic being that we call Jack the Ripper, and are deserving of comment."
Jack of the Ripper lives in our imagination because of a frenzied extrapolation of mundane and tragic facts. As depicted in the novel, the initial birth of this "creature" was itself a Magick act (as is any act of creation). The subsequent fictions and mass hysteria added to the mythos, ultimately yielding a monstrosity far more lurid and romantic than any historical human could hope to achieve. This Magickal "coagulation" yields a form of immortality for however long people are willing to invest energy in remembering and retelling the tale.
In order to create From Hell, Alan Moore imposed a kind of reverse process. By a combination of thorough research and skeptical/imaginative probing, he resolves the mass of frenzied hysteria back to a mundane and tragic humanity (albeit expressed lovingly and compelling in partnership with Eddie Campbell's creative practice).
As a student of American misdeeds in the late 20th century, I found myself delighted by this process. The non-fiction Appendix I documents Moore's sources and decision-making, itself a literary achievement and innovation on the form. The "truth" of Jack the Ripper is likely lost amid the "murky Victorian fog" and one-hundred years of sensational retelling. It is a comfort and an inspiration that one may still gather what fictional and corporeal facts remain and discern what one can of what "really" happened.
In parallel to the gruesome crimes of Jack the Ripper, the "truth" of American history has been both obscured and sensationalized, occasionally reborn by subsequently-murdered journalists or half-fictions like, The Irishman and FX's new series on the CIA and cocaine, Snowfall. While it is unlikely that future researchers will reconstruct the devastating "reality" of American history, Moore's work gives me hope that emotionally compelling narratives with a spark of truth can promote more thoughtful reflection on history and morality. Sounds like a fun and anxiety-inducing project and would make a nice comic book [see Alan Moore's Brought to Light].
As a work of fiction, From Hell refrains from emotionalizing the characters much more than history gives evidence for. There are very few records of how the historical figures felt or what motivated them. In that sense, it's not my favorite Alan Moore story akin to the charismatic relationships and emotionally compelling fiction of Watchmen or Swamp Thing. What it offers is an historical and intellectual richness unmatched by any literary work I am familiar with, never mind what's found in most graphic novels. It's magical experience and has changed my life forever.
gatun's review against another edition
5.0
From Hell was incredible. It had appendices of notes at the end, not only about the actual facts but also the choices the author and illustrator made. This is the first comic book I've read since I was a kid pouring over copies of Tales from the Crypt. I am so glad technology has made it possible for me to read comics again.
vaudevillianveteran's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
stopnodont's review against another edition
4.0
The word I've settled on to describe this book is: Arduous.
The beginning is brutal. Characters are introduced quickly and the art style does the reader no favors. It's hard to keep track of who's who and what's what. The phonetically-written period dialect requires active translation while reading, despite being very well-executed. This burden continues for quite some time, probably 100 pages or more.
Then, slowly, you realize that you know exactly what's going on and there haven't been any new characters introduced for a while. You start to settle in and get comfortable, and soon the pages are turning quickly. It's never truly thrilling, but by the midpoint of the book it's anything but the chore it began as.
All of that said, this is an impressive piece of historical fiction. The eventual appendices and citations make it clear that a massive amount of effort was put into this book, and although it's all just a very detailed conspiracy theory, this version of the Jack The Ripper tale is as canonical as any other.
This is one of those books that you greatly revere but you're not sure who to recommend it to. You might be inclined to recommend this to an enemy before a friend. This book is brilliant, and I am so glad it's over.
The beginning is brutal. Characters are introduced quickly and the art style does the reader no favors. It's hard to keep track of who's who and what's what. The phonetically-written period dialect requires active translation while reading, despite being very well-executed. This burden continues for quite some time, probably 100 pages or more.
Then, slowly, you realize that you know exactly what's going on and there haven't been any new characters introduced for a while. You start to settle in and get comfortable, and soon the pages are turning quickly. It's never truly thrilling, but by the midpoint of the book it's anything but the chore it began as.
All of that said, this is an impressive piece of historical fiction. The eventual appendices and citations make it clear that a massive amount of effort was put into this book, and although it's all just a very detailed conspiracy theory, this version of the Jack The Ripper tale is as canonical as any other.
This is one of those books that you greatly revere but you're not sure who to recommend it to. You might be inclined to recommend this to an enemy before a friend. This book is brilliant, and I am so glad it's over.
ina_hkh's review against another edition
3.0
Det er artig å lese Jack the Ripper-teorier, og fra et historisk perspektiv er det fascinerende å lese om forholdene og de stusselige kårene som folk levde under på slutten av 1800-tallet i Whitechapel, London. Tegningene kler den grimme fortellingen godt, men er til tider vanskelig å tolke. Fonten har heller ikke veldig god lesbarhet bestandig, men er usikker på om det gjelder originalen også, da min utgave er en begredelig oversettelse fra dansk av Faraos Cigarer. Blir nødt til å relese den på engelsk en gang.