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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
fantastic read. it felt like I was reading a tale similar to David Fincher's Zodiac. I never saw the movie that this book is based from, and I hear it's nothing close, so I shall remit myself to only this wonderfully crafted tale
This book was horrifying and utterly intriguing. It has the typical Alan Moore technique of causing the reader literary whiplash in the best way possible. I struggled initially with the pen art but grew to appreciate it. The amount of historical research that went into this book appears astronomical. Definitely a book I'd love to revisit.
I'm pretty sure I suck for not loving this. The art was underwhelming, the pacing beleagured, and the whole thing was just a bit much.
Having seen the movie, I had certain plot expectations of this graphic novel. Should have known, however, that Alan Moore would not be fully adaptable to the big screen.
This massive, 500+ page graphic novel is nothing like one unfamiliar with Moore could fathom. I would not recommend this as a "first read" of Moore's graphic novels. From Hell is darker, bloodier, and more demented than his critically acclaimed, Watchmen, which would probably be better for getting one's feet wet with Moore.
Because it is a graphic novel, pictures are used in conjunction with words, which for a book about the brutal turn of the century killings of Jack the Ripper, well, it can be a bit shocking.
I think one of hte more interesting aspects of this well-researched drama is in the Appendix at the back, which describes the fame, if you will, of Jack the Ripper. It includes a chronology of different theories and writers on the subject with a chilling conclusion: it doesn't matter who the killer is because, afterall, it won't change the murders.
This massive, 500+ page graphic novel is nothing like one unfamiliar with Moore could fathom. I would not recommend this as a "first read" of Moore's graphic novels. From Hell is darker, bloodier, and more demented than his critically acclaimed, Watchmen, which would probably be better for getting one's feet wet with Moore.
Because it is a graphic novel, pictures are used in conjunction with words, which for a book about the brutal turn of the century killings of Jack the Ripper, well, it can be a bit shocking.
I think one of hte more interesting aspects of this well-researched drama is in the Appendix at the back, which describes the fame, if you will, of Jack the Ripper. It includes a chronology of different theories and writers on the subject with a chilling conclusion: it doesn't matter who the killer is because, afterall, it won't change the murders.
Gruesome and wonderful. Not for the faint of heart.
I really wanted to love this...but, it was just so dry that I couldn't get far enough into it. Disappointed! :(
I remember being more enamored the first time I read this.
One of the most quintessential cold cases that everyone knows by name is the legend of Jack the Ripper. Focussing on one particular theory that has since been discredited, Alan Moore’s graphic novel From Hell provides a complex, politically intense, gory mystery perfect for any late Halloween night. But lacklustre art significantly lowers the enjoyment of this particular read.
The story is based on the Whitechapel murders of 1888, better known as the Jack the Ripper case. If you’re unfamiliar, a serial killer murdered five impoverished prostitutes, luring them in with grapes (a delicacy at the time) before slashing their throats and mutilating them after death. Theories and suspects were numerous, but none were ever confirmed and the killer was never caught.
If all that sounds familiar, then you might have watched the 2001 movie From Hell starring Johnny Depp, which was based on this comic series. But believe me: the graphic novel is quite a bit different and far better. The main difference is that the story focusses more on the Ripper himself, rather than the romance or investigation.
The art by Eddie Campbell was the only problem I had with this book. I wanted more than anything to see the grit and darkness that is so synonymous with this legend. Instead I got pen scribbles in the vague shape of a face, and panels where the foreground and background are oftentimes impossible to distinguish from one another.
I rarely ever say this, but this is one graphic novel where I hope to find a literary adaptation. I’d recommend this to any horror fan who can look past the art.
cross posted from the Other Press
The story is based on the Whitechapel murders of 1888, better known as the Jack the Ripper case. If you’re unfamiliar, a serial killer murdered five impoverished prostitutes, luring them in with grapes (a delicacy at the time) before slashing their throats and mutilating them after death. Theories and suspects were numerous, but none were ever confirmed and the killer was never caught.
If all that sounds familiar, then you might have watched the 2001 movie From Hell starring Johnny Depp, which was based on this comic series. But believe me: the graphic novel is quite a bit different and far better. The main difference is that the story focusses more on the Ripper himself, rather than the romance or investigation.
The art by Eddie Campbell was the only problem I had with this book. I wanted more than anything to see the grit and darkness that is so synonymous with this legend. Instead I got pen scribbles in the vague shape of a face, and panels where the foreground and background are oftentimes impossible to distinguish from one another.
I rarely ever say this, but this is one graphic novel where I hope to find a literary adaptation. I’d recommend this to any horror fan who can look past the art.
cross posted from the Other Press
My favorite of the Alan Moore authored books that I've read. The exploration and commentary on human nature is dense and intriguing but, unlike every other of his books I've read, no character is ever giving a long speech on behalf of Moore.
I had never anything on Jack the Ripper, and this provided a fascinating perspective on it. I really appreciate Appendix II that explores and acknowledges how dense the web of mystery, fiction and lies are around the case. The depictions of the murders are gripping and horrific. The portrayal of a highly corrupt society, catering to the powerful, is all too plausible.
I had never anything on Jack the Ripper, and this provided a fascinating perspective on it. I really appreciate Appendix II that explores and acknowledges how dense the web of mystery, fiction and lies are around the case. The depictions of the murders are gripping and horrific. The portrayal of a highly corrupt society, catering to the powerful, is all too plausible.
"It is beginning, Netley. Only just beginning. For better or worse, the twentieth century. I have delivered it." - Sir William Whether Gull.
From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell is a comic book series speculating about the identity of Jack the Ripper. The series was published in 10 volumes between 1991 and 1996, and an appendix, "From Hell: The Dance of the Gull-Catchers," was published in 1998. The entire series was collected in trade paperback, published by Eddie Campbell Comics in 1999. It's a bit less fantastic than some of Moore's other works. It's a creepy kind of reverse whodunit. From Hell, which takes as its central premise Stephen Knight's theory that the Ripper murders were part of a conspiracy to conceal the birth of an illegitimate royal baby fathered by Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. Moore himself has stated that he found Knight's theory to be rather far-fetched but felt it served the purpose of his story. It's about how the 19th century turned into the 20th century. There's a lot of history and philosophy, and the art resembles an illustrated crime broadside from the time: gloomy and a bit unhinged.
Eddie Campbell's scratchy monochrome artwork manages to sell the decrepit, unsettling atmosphere while being magnificently ornate and detailed when it needs to be. The portrayal of London's cathedrals and Gull's mystical visions are awe-inspiring. This miniseries delves into the Jack the Ripper murders in graphic detail, and you'll be glad it's in black and white. (Then you read the appendix, which contains actual crime scene photos, obviously also in black-and-white. There, the lack of colour is no help.) The violence eventually takes a back seat as the story delves into the mind of a misogynist madman, which is no less unsettling. Even an entire chapter is devoted to a graphically detailed dissection of a corpse.
In keeping with Alan Moore's (and Dr Gull's) view of history as a complex, multi-faceted structure that can be viewed and understood from multiple angles and perspectives, the story sometimes shifts genres depending on whose viewpoint we're seeing. To wit:
* From Abberline's perspective, it's a procedural starring the heroic police detective pursuing a killer.
* From the victims' perspective, it's about their daily struggle to survive in London's underworld.
* From Walter Sickert's perspective, it's a personal drama about middle-class Victorian life.
* From Gull's perspective, it's experimental, speculative fiction incorporating concepts like mysticism, predestination and time travel.
From Hell is quite a divisive book. It inevitably appears in recommendation lists, so people love it. Still, you also get responses from people who hated it: they didn't like the walls of text, had issues with character recognition, and the art resembles old tintype photography. Something about the inky black pen scratches and geometry of the line work; fuzzy genetic memories from a less-developed stage in the public consciousness. It isn't there to provide a clear picture of what's going on. The comic may be the Alan Moore comic most liable to cause the reader an existential crisis. "What is the fourth dimension?" isn't a rhetorical question in this story. Through the various clairvoyant states that Gull and a few other characters are witnesses to, it gradually becomes clear that you can't fight fate in any meaningful way here. Everything in the universe, down to the slightest thought passing through your head, is preordained by the simple immovable nature of time itself. Past, present, and future all coexist and are all the same. Everything that will happen has already happened.
From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell is a comic book series speculating about the identity of Jack the Ripper. The series was published in 10 volumes between 1991 and 1996, and an appendix, "From Hell: The Dance of the Gull-Catchers," was published in 1998. The entire series was collected in trade paperback, published by Eddie Campbell Comics in 1999. It's a bit less fantastic than some of Moore's other works. It's a creepy kind of reverse whodunit. From Hell, which takes as its central premise Stephen Knight's theory that the Ripper murders were part of a conspiracy to conceal the birth of an illegitimate royal baby fathered by Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. Moore himself has stated that he found Knight's theory to be rather far-fetched but felt it served the purpose of his story. It's about how the 19th century turned into the 20th century. There's a lot of history and philosophy, and the art resembles an illustrated crime broadside from the time: gloomy and a bit unhinged.
Eddie Campbell's scratchy monochrome artwork manages to sell the decrepit, unsettling atmosphere while being magnificently ornate and detailed when it needs to be. The portrayal of London's cathedrals and Gull's mystical visions are awe-inspiring. This miniseries delves into the Jack the Ripper murders in graphic detail, and you'll be glad it's in black and white. (Then you read the appendix, which contains actual crime scene photos, obviously also in black-and-white. There, the lack of colour is no help.) The violence eventually takes a back seat as the story delves into the mind of a misogynist madman, which is no less unsettling. Even an entire chapter is devoted to a graphically detailed dissection of a corpse.
In keeping with Alan Moore's (and Dr Gull's) view of history as a complex, multi-faceted structure that can be viewed and understood from multiple angles and perspectives, the story sometimes shifts genres depending on whose viewpoint we're seeing. To wit:
* From Abberline's perspective, it's a procedural starring the heroic police detective pursuing a killer.
* From the victims' perspective, it's about their daily struggle to survive in London's underworld.
* From Walter Sickert's perspective, it's a personal drama about middle-class Victorian life.
* From Gull's perspective, it's experimental, speculative fiction incorporating concepts like mysticism, predestination and time travel.
From Hell is quite a divisive book. It inevitably appears in recommendation lists, so people love it. Still, you also get responses from people who hated it: they didn't like the walls of text, had issues with character recognition, and the art resembles old tintype photography. Something about the inky black pen scratches and geometry of the line work; fuzzy genetic memories from a less-developed stage in the public consciousness. It isn't there to provide a clear picture of what's going on. The comic may be the Alan Moore comic most liable to cause the reader an existential crisis. "What is the fourth dimension?" isn't a rhetorical question in this story. Through the various clairvoyant states that Gull and a few other characters are witnesses to, it gradually becomes clear that you can't fight fate in any meaningful way here. Everything in the universe, down to the slightest thought passing through your head, is preordained by the simple immovable nature of time itself. Past, present, and future all coexist and are all the same. Everything that will happen has already happened.