Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

39 reviews

abbyfr's review against another edition

dark informative sad medium-paced

5.0

Hallie Rubenhold has single-handedly changed the narrative around one of the most famous historical figures, and we owe it to these women to hear their stories. Their lives were cut short by Jack the Ripper, but that is by far the least interesting thing about them. They were songwriters, business owners, victims of human trafficking, mothers, sisters, wives. The list goes on. Rubenhold has done the most wonderful job of weaving their lives together through fragments of documents and records, piecing together their fragile narratives that for so long have been cast aside. 

Is this book about history? Yes, but it’s also about feminism, classism, poverty, and how we as a society demonise certain groups to make their misery more palatable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Trafficking

rosalind's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

Hardgoing in places and I can’t lie, I’m glad I’ve finished it at last. But I have to give it 4 stars rather than 3 on the strength of the conclusion alone. It feels like a really significant piece of work, a powerful exercise in empathy and, as Rubenhold puts it in the interview included at the back, ‘alchemy or reimagination.’ I hope the Five spirits feel honoured; God rest them, and God forgive us.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death of parent, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, and Toxic relationship

thepassivebookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual violence

victoria29's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Rape, Murder, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Death

womanwill's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Trafficking and Miscarriage

scripturient's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Infidelity

sarah984's review against another edition

informative sad medium-paced

2.0

I think this is absolutely a valuable topic for scholarship, and I commend the fact that this book is written in a way that minimizes the women's murderer in favour of describing their lives instead, but I didn't like the book itself very much. The writing comes across as very silly and melodramatic in places, and in defending the majority of the women against the posthumous charge of prostitution the author sort of winds up doing what she condemns in the final chapter: diminishing sex workers as a subclass of women who are more deserving of ill-treatment.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, and Misogyny

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse

Minor: Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, and Religious bigotry

jackbifrost's review against another edition

dark informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Trafficking, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Infidelity, and Misogyny

Minor: Child death

erinjulia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Terminal illness, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Infidelity, Infertility, Gore, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, Child death, and Death