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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
A great story. Particularly liked the information about Broadmoor asylum and how ahead of the time it appeared to be
4.5 stars. Excellent research. It got a little dry at times, but mostly captivating and fascinating. What an incredible story.
dark
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
This book had a lot of promise, but sadly missed the mark in some places. What should have been a fascinating account of a boy’s life felt, at times, a bit like a rambling essay. It did not do the story justice.
It is better to read this as a well-researched insight into the treatment of the insane in Victorian England and of the life of Australian soldiers during WW1, with a particular focus on one family’s story.
It is better to read this as a well-researched insight into the treatment of the insane in Victorian England and of the life of Australian soldiers during WW1, with a particular focus on one family’s story.
This is actually a pretty straight forward case. The guilty party is almost instantly found, almost instantly confesses, and all-in-all there's not a lot of mystery here. A lot of the novel deals with the sentencing and what comes after the murder is committed.
Well researched, but not a super "fun" read for the true crime fan. I'd definitely look into more works by Summerscale though.
Well researched, but not a super "fun" read for the true crime fan. I'd definitely look into more works by Summerscale though.
Overall, disappointing. I enjoyed Summerscale's book 'The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher' because it used the story of a Victorian murder to shine light on early police work and detection. 'The Wicked Boy' tells the story of a Victorian child murderer... and that's it. The whole book is one long account of the crime and trial, and his later incarceration at Broadmoor and life after being discharged. Summerscale occasionally draws comparisons between popular attitudes then and now (re: penny dreadfuls and comic books, for instance, in 'causing crime in youth') on issues surrounding the case, but never really has an overall theme. While Coombes' story is sad and disturbing, I'm not sure it deserved to be retold.
dark
informative
medium-paced
This book, this case of a boy (or boys) killing his mother, is more proof that playing violent video games shapes young minds in ways that lead to violen – Sorry? Oh, it's not 1995, but 1895? Oh. Right.
This book, this case of a boy killing his mother, is more proof that reading sensational literature shapes young minds in ways that lead to violence and depravity. As Louisa May Alcott said, "She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
The killing at the center of this book is extremely disturbing. The older of the two brothers in question is even moreso. Don't get me wrong, the younger brother is creepy – but the older one … "Robert was taken back to Holloway gaol. He was laughing as he got into the cab." It's the sort of thing that's always pointed out with salacious horror in coverage of trials – the defendant and his lawyer were seen laughing during a break in the harrowing testimony, that sort of thing. It's not how a kid should … be.
"Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter."
- Paxton Hood
I've often heard of Broadmoor prison; in fact, there is an apartment complex around the corner from me which I thought about applying to, but honestly couldn't seriously consider because of the name. Come to find out, the place that has lived in my mind as a rather horrific insane asylum ("'Broadmoor!' as R. J. Tucknor wrote in a short story for Reynolds Newspaper: 'What visions of horror, ruined lives, and blasted aspirations, of madness and despair, does that single word conjure up!'") was … kind of a nice place to live. I won't spoil it, but it basically amounted to a place where one didn't have to worry about keeping a roof over one's head or feeding oneself, with no mundane worries or responsibilities, where one was surrounded by wholesome recreation opportunities and could even find oneself contributing to dictionary creation. If you were a man you even got an ounce of tobacco each week. There are days (and not a few of them) when I'd love to be an inmate at Broadmoor. (The good part. There was> a bad part.) Oh, and there were interesting neighbors: "One elderly inmate, said to have killed his mother in 1849, would inform passersby that he had great mysteries, comets, suns and fires fastened to his shoulders." That's a hell of a lot more interesting than my current neighbors.
"In every other age and class man is held responsible for his reading, and not reading responsible for man. The books a man or woman reads are less the making of character than the expression of it."
- The Pall Mall Gazette
This was a fascinating examination of the specific case and its setting – and its aftermath. Well-researched, well-written – and well recommended.
(Aside: I was entertained to read about "the sour, urinous scent of the Bryant & May match works"… That's much the way I now feel about the Bryand and May mystery series after its author's recent remarks.)
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
This book, this case of a boy killing his mother, is more proof that reading sensational literature shapes young minds in ways that lead to violence and depravity. As Louisa May Alcott said, "She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
The killing at the center of this book is extremely disturbing. The older of the two brothers in question is even moreso. Don't get me wrong, the younger brother is creepy – but the older one … "Robert was taken back to Holloway gaol. He was laughing as he got into the cab." It's the sort of thing that's always pointed out with salacious horror in coverage of trials – the defendant and his lawyer were seen laughing during a break in the harrowing testimony, that sort of thing. It's not how a kid should … be.
"Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter."
- Paxton Hood
I've often heard of Broadmoor prison; in fact, there is an apartment complex around the corner from me which I thought about applying to, but honestly couldn't seriously consider because of the name. Come to find out, the place that has lived in my mind as a rather horrific insane asylum ("'Broadmoor!' as R. J. Tucknor wrote in a short story for Reynolds Newspaper: 'What visions of horror, ruined lives, and blasted aspirations, of madness and despair, does that single word conjure up!'") was … kind of a nice place to live. I won't spoil it, but it basically amounted to a place where one didn't have to worry about keeping a roof over one's head or feeding oneself, with no mundane worries or responsibilities, where one was surrounded by wholesome recreation opportunities and could even find oneself contributing to dictionary creation. If you were a man you even got an ounce of tobacco each week. There are days (and not a few of them) when I'd love to be an inmate at Broadmoor. (The good part. There was> a bad part.) Oh, and there were interesting neighbors: "One elderly inmate, said to have killed his mother in 1849, would inform passersby that he had great mysteries, comets, suns and fires fastened to his shoulders." That's a hell of a lot more interesting than my current neighbors.
"In every other age and class man is held responsible for his reading, and not reading responsible for man. The books a man or woman reads are less the making of character than the expression of it."
- The Pall Mall Gazette
This was a fascinating examination of the specific case and its setting – and its aftermath. Well-researched, well-written – and well recommended.
(Aside: I was entertained to read about "the sour, urinous scent of the Bryant & May match works"… That's much the way I now feel about the Bryand and May mystery series after its author's recent remarks.)
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.