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Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
33 reviews
gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition
4.5
I found myself lost in the past listening to each woman's life and how much hardship she had to go through, and at the same time getting a glimpse into the 19th century London.
Learning more about the everyday living of the working class, opposed to the high society that has been better documented and preserved over the years, was a new outlook on what the 19th century expected of society and what support was offered to them.
I found myself talking to anyone who would listen to me about this book, and would recommend it to anyone who likes learning about the 19th century history.
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content, Death, Pregnancy, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infertility, Physical abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, and Murder
camz's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Mental illness and Miscarriage
Minor: Trafficking
liviy0017's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Excrement, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Trafficking
pollyflorence's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Violence
rhiannonxgrace's review against another edition
5.0
What an incredible book. I really enjoy Rubenhold’s writing style and find her to be an easy read, which can’t be said about all historians! This was a rough read, and more than once I had to pause and step away for a little while simply due to the content. But I am so glad I read this. It’s so important to move the focus back on to the womens’ lives and show them as fully fledged people, something that is often discarded when it comes to the Whitechapel murders.
Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Violence
rosienotjen's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Violence
distilledreads's review against another edition
5.0
“The truth of these women’s lives is not simple … Ultimately, no one really cared about who they were or how they ended up in Whitechapel.”
“In order to gawp at and examine the miracle of malevolence we have figuratively stepped over the bodies of those [Jack the Ripper] murdered, and in some cases, stopped to kick them as we walked past. The larger his profile grows, the more those of his victims seems to fade.”
“In order to keep him alive, we have had to forget his victims. We have become complicit in their diminishment.”
“The fibres that have clung to and defined the shape of Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate, and Mary Jane’s stories are the values of the Victorian world. They are male, authoritarian, and middle class.”
“Just as it did in the nineteenth century, the notion that the victims were ‘only prostitutes’ perpetuates the belief that there are good women and bad women, madonnas and whores.
…
“Labelling the victims as ‘just prostitutes’ permits those writing about Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate, and Mary Jane even today to continue to disparage them; to continue to reinforce the values of Madonna/whore.”
“By permitting [the women] to speak, by attempting to understand their experiences and see their humanity, we can restore to them the respect and compassion to which they are entitled. 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.”
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
nakutski's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Trafficking
scripturient's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Infidelity
scarlettreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was such an interesting read. I didn't know much about the Victorians until I read this book. Most people only learn about Queen Victoria, and the upper classes. I loved the fact that this book mainly focuses on the untold lives of the lower classes in London. Throughout history, it was believed that The Ripper only targeted prostitutes. Hallie Rubenhold seeks to dispel this myth, and to tell their true stories.
I deducted a star from this as I did feel that some of the history was repeated a bit, but I think this was due to the fact that many of the women lived quite similar lives. Other than that, I absolutely loved it!
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Sexism