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sam_vimes_75's review
5.0
I read the book in barely more than a day. I couldn't put it down even though there were several moments when I wanted to stop and think about what was happening.
I found this book because I often teach Susan Glaspell's short story "A Jury of Her Peers." It is one of my favorite short stories for its heartbreaking analysis of a community that could have, and should have done more. Glaspell was a young reporter who covered the murder trial. She based her story on the emotional details of the crime. As a teacher, I was thrilled to see the authors not only included Glaspell's role in covering the trial, but also included quotes from several of her articles.
The book itself is a thrilling read that moves at a quick pace. The writers do a great job of establishing the domestic scene before covering the murder that happened. Despite the somewhat "click bait" nature of the of the book's title, the book goes into great depth and does not sensationalize the case. They show, as Glaspell saw, the social and emotional context of the tragedy. All of the Hossack family, as well as the residents in the complicit community, are shown with their virtues and faults equally. The writers do a fantastic job of presenting the facts and letting the audience draw our own conclusions.
I look forward to rereading the book and seeing, as the authors did, what new nuances I might find on another glance through the scenes.
I found this book because I often teach Susan Glaspell's short story "A Jury of Her Peers." It is one of my favorite short stories for its heartbreaking analysis of a community that could have, and should have done more. Glaspell was a young reporter who covered the murder trial. She based her story on the emotional details of the crime. As a teacher, I was thrilled to see the authors not only included Glaspell's role in covering the trial, but also included quotes from several of her articles.
The book itself is a thrilling read that moves at a quick pace. The writers do a great job of establishing the domestic scene before covering the murder that happened. Despite the somewhat "click bait" nature of the of the book's title, the book goes into great depth and does not sensationalize the case. They show, as Glaspell saw, the social and emotional context of the tragedy. All of the Hossack family, as well as the residents in the complicit community, are shown with their virtues and faults equally. The writers do a fantastic job of presenting the facts and letting the audience draw our own conclusions.
I look forward to rereading the book and seeing, as the authors did, what new nuances I might find on another glance through the scenes.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
4.0
Thoughtful exploration of a turn-of-the-century murder case in Iowa which was the basis for Susan Glaspell's classic "A Jury of Her Peers." It is both a true crime narrative and an exploration of the life available to Margaret Hossack, an Iowa farm wife accused of killing her husband, and so many other women like her: domestic violence, endless chores, and the judgment and mistrust of the community. As an exploration of these themes it's incredibly successful; if you're reading it purely as a true crime narrative, maybe not, since the authors make little effort to determine "whodunnit" although they cover all the bases fairly thoroughly. It's a journey rather than a narrative with a concrete ending.
hannah_em's review
4.0
Couldn't put it down. It wasn't as historically oriented as I had anticipated, but it read well and an interesting look into the lives of women during the turn of the century
catpurcell's review
5.0
Very well researched! True Crime isn't normally one of my interests, but this one kept me turning pages.
vindiagram's review
1.0
This book was just bad. The subject matter was interesting but it was so dryly written that I had to force myself to finish. If it wasn’t the most interesting sounding book I could find about Iowa while on a quest to read a book set in every state, I would have given up. But at least now I can check that state off the map.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
3.0
I first read Trifles when I was thinking about teaching it. It is a marvelous play, and to be honest, not everyone gets it right away. A shame really, but that seems to be the point. The devil is in the details as it were and where does guilt truly lie is a question that concerns everyone, everywhere. Society too, sometimes at least, does shoulder some of the blame.
This book is about the murder trial that inspired Trifles for Susan Glaspell covered the trial in her years as a reporter. One night, a wife wakes up and finds her husband dying beside her in bed. He has been stuck by an axe. She gets her children, the doctor, the law, and eventually after her husband is buried, she is arrested and charged for his murder.
While the authors cannot solve the murder after so many years remove, they do offer possible scenarios. At the very least, the wife’s guilt is in question simply because of how the evidence was handled. The book details not only the crime, but the trial as well as dealing with the life of a homestead wife. Believe me when I say, Little House on The Prairie (the TV series) got it all wrong.
The book offers not only a look at how women were treated at the turn of the century as well as how family was viewed. In some ways, we have changed, but in others, modern society still carries the echo. We all should do well to pay attention to this story.
This book is about the murder trial that inspired Trifles for Susan Glaspell covered the trial in her years as a reporter. One night, a wife wakes up and finds her husband dying beside her in bed. He has been stuck by an axe. She gets her children, the doctor, the law, and eventually after her husband is buried, she is arrested and charged for his murder.
While the authors cannot solve the murder after so many years remove, they do offer possible scenarios. At the very least, the wife’s guilt is in question simply because of how the evidence was handled. The book details not only the crime, but the trial as well as dealing with the life of a homestead wife. Believe me when I say, Little House on The Prairie (the TV series) got it all wrong.
The book offers not only a look at how women were treated at the turn of the century as well as how family was viewed. In some ways, we have changed, but in others, modern society still carries the echo. We all should do well to pay attention to this story.
mcdaniel89's review
5.0
This was the first historical mystery I have ever read and if others are anything like this I will be reading more. It was a really good read for what it is. I think the author did an excellent job of researching which I appreciate for a historical novel. She covers all of the other people that it seems she can. Some have criticised that she goes off topic too much but I liked it. It was a retelling of an unsolved murder and the events that followed there should be some other information besides just what happened. I really enjoyed all of the other stories about how this murder affected peoples lives. It was grueling not finding out who actually committed the crime but there is enough information there that I came to my own conclusion. It touches a lot on feminist issues during that time and shows how unfair things were for women. To me the story is mostly about the wife of the man who was murdered and how everything happened around her. I usually don't like murder mysteries but I loved this because thats not what it is at all. It had a touch of a documentary with all of the historical information in it. It didn't have too much, there was also plenty of characterization that made it novel like and relatable. I think that mix is what made it enjoyable for me.
mcmattiello's review
3.0
A historical true crime set in America's heartland. A man is killed in the middle of the night and the only person there is his wife. Did she do it? This case is the basis for the play "A Jury of Her Peers".
gmh711's review
2.0
2.5 stars. Think Ann Rule but not as exciting. The authors retell the story of a murder in a small Iowa town in 1900. It is based on extensive court, newspaper, and personal accounts. The ending did not give me the closure I would have liked. Most interesting to me was the story of Susan Glaspell, American playwright and winner of the Pulitzer, who covered the trial as a journalist.