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scearceka's review against another edition
4.0
The graphic novel itself was only 3 stars for me, but all the research supporting it, laid out page for page at the end, was definitely worth 5 stars, in my opinion (and I enjoyed it far more than the actual novel itself), which brought my overall rating to the average of 4 stars.
carolinevs's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
amber_lea84's review against another edition
4.0
Man, this graphic novel is a commitment. I honestly thought for the longest time that I wasn’t going to finish it. But I cracked (literally cracked - this book is shattering to pieces under its own weight) it open and started it back up, and I’m glad I did because it’s definitely better than I thought it was going to be.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a bit of a struggle. I found it hard to keep the characters straight, because there are so many, and a lot of them look the same, and the art style is very scribbly. I don't think I really started to get it all straight in my head until I was about 300 pages in. And for the most part I found it to be a page-turner, but there were times where it was really slow going.
The thing that kept me going is that I like how you have the lower classes, including the police, baffled by what is going on. They’re all running around trying to figure out who the killer is, and meanwhile he’s a part of the upper class and the most powerful people know exactly who is and they’re trying to keep it hush hush. The social dynamics really make it for me. That and I really like the women. So the confusion and the occasional boredom didn't kill it for me.
The metaphysical stuff was a bit much though.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a bit of a struggle. I found it hard to keep the characters straight, because there are so many, and a lot of them look the same, and the art style is very scribbly. I don't think I really started to get it all straight in my head until I was about 300 pages in. And for the most part I found it to be a page-turner, but there were times where it was really slow going.
The thing that kept me going is that I like how you have the lower classes, including the police, baffled by what is going on. They’re all running around trying to figure out who the killer is, and meanwhile he’s a part of the upper class and the most powerful people know exactly who is and they’re trying to keep it hush hush. The social dynamics really make it for me. That and I really like the women. So the confusion and the occasional boredom didn't kill it for me.
The metaphysical stuff was a bit much though.
bryce_is_a_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably Alan Moore at his Alan Mooreist. Take that as a warning/rave.
jdwek's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A dark and gripping tale of the Jack the Ripper murders, exploring as much the society in which the Ripper murders occurred as the (fictionalised) murderer himself.
sarahdenn27's review against another edition
5.0
"Truth is, this has never been about the murders, not the killer nor his victims. It's about us. About our minds and how they dance."
I've always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper and all the mystery surrounding him and what happened. Who was he really? We'll never know. But it's always fascinating to see the many ways in which people try to explain this story. This graphic novel tells one of those potential stories, in thorough and compelling detail. I loved Alan Moore's take on Jack the Ripper and Eddie Campbell's art could not have been more perfect for the story. It was very dark and very gory and very much what one would expect to see in a close-up look at London in 1888 at the height of these murders. It is so interesting to me how much these murders have significantly impacted our culture since then and how far we've twisted these events to make them into so much more. Moore was right, it's nor about the murders, killer, or his victims. It's about how we see them and consume them and turn them into endless hysteria and obsession with events that happened over 100 years ago. As crazy as some of this book was; despite the entire chapter devoted to depicting the murder of Marie Kelly, I found it compelling and a fascinating look at how many different ways there are to tell this story that has become an integral part of our culture.
I've always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper and all the mystery surrounding him and what happened. Who was he really? We'll never know. But it's always fascinating to see the many ways in which people try to explain this story. This graphic novel tells one of those potential stories, in thorough and compelling detail. I loved Alan Moore's take on Jack the Ripper and Eddie Campbell's art could not have been more perfect for the story. It was very dark and very gory and very much what one would expect to see in a close-up look at London in 1888 at the height of these murders. It is so interesting to me how much these murders have significantly impacted our culture since then and how far we've twisted these events to make them into so much more. Moore was right, it's nor about the murders, killer, or his victims. It's about how we see them and consume them and turn them into endless hysteria and obsession with events that happened over 100 years ago. As crazy as some of this book was; despite the entire chapter devoted to depicting the murder of Marie Kelly, I found it compelling and a fascinating look at how many different ways there are to tell this story that has become an integral part of our culture.
bigfreakbaby's review against another edition
4.0
Solid 3.5 I think… intensely researched and the environment is pretty immaculate but the story itself didn’t grip me really. Some chapters were kind of slow to get through. Certainly an achievement and one of the more unique stories I’ve read
lintkaurea's review against another edition
4.0
Una obra maestra del cómic que he tardado años en empezar y luego meses en acabar. Densa, a ratos incomprensible, siempre inquietante.
thedistortionist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Homophobia, Incest, and Vomit
barschuft's review against another edition
5.0
Intricate and disturbing. The author has built an entire tower full of rooms, and I just visited the first floor...which I enjoyed a lot