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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
He's just such a genius. And the best bit might be appendix two..."Truth is, this has never been about the murders, nor the killer nor his victims. It's about us. About our minds and how they dance. Jack mirrors our hysterias. Faceless, he is the receptacle for each new social panic."
I wish I had liked this as much as everyone else does. I 100% understand why people love this story. It just didn't do it for me.
I felt particular pieces were extra fluff that wasn't needed for the storyline, particularly the chapter where they are going around London and giving a little history tour. While I understand what he was doing, I also know that none of that information stuck with me at all, and I could still follow along easily.
It also felt like there were scenes there that were raunchy for the sake of being controversial, while the areas that I thought would be more grotesque were too dark to really see what was happening at the moment.
Again, all this can be seen as an artistic approach, which is why I 100% get why it is loved. I did appreciate the philosophical discussions given and the unique spins that he took on at the beginning and end of the story.
Overall it was okay. I might try to reread it sometime in the future to see if my feelings change at all!
I felt particular pieces were extra fluff that wasn't needed for the storyline, particularly the chapter where they are going around London and giving a little history tour. While I understand what he was doing, I also know that none of that information stuck with me at all, and I could still follow along easily.
It also felt like there were scenes there that were raunchy for the sake of being controversial, while the areas that I thought would be more grotesque were too dark to really see what was happening at the moment.
Again, all this can be seen as an artistic approach, which is why I 100% get why it is loved. I did appreciate the philosophical discussions given and the unique spins that he took on at the beginning and end of the story.
Overall it was okay. I might try to reread it sometime in the future to see if my feelings change at all!
A bit of a slog for the first few books, I'm glad I stuck with it. I've done a decent amount of research on JTR so this was an interesting bit of fiction, the first appendix does provide the bits of truth that squeak through, but this is hardly one of the greatest graphic novels ever. Solid Alan Moore, no more, no less.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The best graphic novel by the best graphic novel writer of all time. Welcome to the fourth dimension.
If you're even considering reading it, read it.
If you're even considering reading it, read it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism
Minor: Incest, Racism
The first few chapters of this comic was a SLOG to get through. I know the whole point of this graphic novel even existing is the fantastical element, using the Freemasons as a cult-y backdrop, but god was it tedious and boring to read.
All of the time spent with the upper class dragged - luckily we got to see the women of Whitechapel in chapter 3, because it felt like I had already been reading it for years at that point.
The main arc of the story was interesting enough, of course we all know the origins of Jack the Ripper, 1888 will forever be an iconic and insidious year of English history. But every time we had to spend time with William Gull prattling on about nothing, I was almost bored to tears.
The whole chapter spent traversing the different streets and monologing about all the architecture and monoliths and how they all weave together in a demonic occult-y way just floated out of my brain the instant the words were read. I didn't care for any of it, and to be perfectly honest, I ended up skimming the next 10 to 20 pages of waffle.
The artwork was definitely not my favourite, I had a hard time distinguishing all the various characters that flowed into the story, because it just looked like generic Victorian man #3 on page. Usually in graphic novels the artwork is half of the story, but in here I probably spent 60-70% of the time just reading the words and not really paying attention to the art because it didn't add or help in any way a lot of the time.
Of course there were other times where the visuals were very integrated, the murders for example, and I do think it worked there. The black and white palette on scene depicting copious amounts of mutilation managed to add to the horror of it all, where a big red bloody mess would have been more of a distraction.
All of the time spent with the upper class dragged - luckily we got to see the women of Whitechapel in chapter 3, because it felt like I had already been reading it for years at that point.
The main arc of the story was interesting enough, of course we all know the origins of Jack the Ripper, 1888 will forever be an iconic and insidious year of English history. But every time we had to spend time with William Gull prattling on about nothing, I was almost bored to tears.
The whole chapter spent traversing the different streets and monologing about all the architecture and monoliths and how they all weave together in a demonic occult-y way just floated out of my brain the instant the words were read. I didn't care for any of it, and to be perfectly honest, I ended up skimming the next 10 to 20 pages of waffle.
The artwork was definitely not my favourite, I had a hard time distinguishing all the various characters that flowed into the story, because it just looked like generic Victorian man #3 on page. Usually in graphic novels the artwork is half of the story, but in here I probably spent 60-70% of the time just reading the words and not really paying attention to the art because it didn't add or help in any way a lot of the time.
Of course there were other times where the visuals were very integrated, the murders for example, and I do think it worked there. The black and white palette on scene depicting copious amounts of mutilation managed to add to the horror of it all, where a big red bloody mess would have been more of a distraction.
“If I were a tailor I’d make it my pride, the best of all tailors to be. And if I were a tinker, no tinker beside should mend an old kettle like me”. Gotta respect someone who plays for the love of the game
Good Sons Book Club: May 2022 (Kyle)
Good Sons Book Club: May 2022 (Kyle)