4.72k reviews for:

The Five: The Lives of Jack the Ripper's Women

Hallie Rubenhold

4.18 AVERAGE

smbrisco337's review against another edition

3.0

challenging informative sad slow-paced

michael_mcmahon's review against another edition

3.0

dark informative sad slow-paced

hannah_stebbings's review against another edition

4.25

informative medium-paced

turnke32's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

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I don’t typically read historical nonfiction so this was new to me. I enjoyed the insights into the 1880s time period of London, it really illuminated what it was like for women and how they were treated. The sections did feel quite long at times and while I appreciate the investigation into all the connections to various neighbors and people, it was overwhelming at times wondering who I needed to remember. Overall recommend if you’re interested in learning more about the victims and society at the time. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Abortion, Murder, Classism

valereads's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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 The Five aims to give a previously unexplored perspective on a well-known period in history. This book tells the stories of the lives of the canonical five women murdered by “Jack the Ripper”. Through collecting of records of births, deaths, marriages, workhouse stays and the records of the inquests into these women’s deaths, Rubenhold puts together compelling narratives where she tells the stories of these women’s lives and the tragedies and neglect that left them vulnerable to dying the way they did. This book is an important exploration of this piece of history. I’ve never felt particularly compelled by the story of “Jack the Ripper”, but reading these women’s stories and the human struggles they dealt with was a powerful experience.

bluneptunes's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

medusasavenger's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

fibresandpages's review against another edition

4.0

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4.5* This was such a interesting read, like most others I took for granted what was taught in high-school about the women and then promptly forgot their names but never their killer. This book puts the focus back on the women and their humanity and lives.

li_gao's review against another edition

4.5

informative relaxing medium-paced

theregoesrose's review against another edition

4.5

challenging informative reflective medium-paced