Reviews

The Big Book of Jack the Ripper by Otto Penzler

ellelainey's review against another edition

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5.0

I loved this book. I loved that it used historical fact, memorabilia and Historians opinions throughout the years, to provide a full, detailed story of the Jack the Ripper murders, and suspects, without using the book as an agenda to incriminate anyone, or point the finger at one theory over another.

I loved the inclusion of the female suspect, and the victims who are not officially recognised as Jack the Ripper's work, but who show similarities and may possibly be the first attacks before he escalated. A very well rounded presentation of the case.

I liked the memorabilia a lot, but even though they're copies, reading some of Jack's letters was a bit disturbing, especially the large Mr Lusk letter.

vsbedford's review against another edition

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3.0

An extensive collection of Jack the Ripper stories that, perhaps, is a bit too long; after a while the short stories feel repetitious (especially as the "You fools! 'Twas I that rampaged through London!" twist is heavily relied upon) and the violence, perpetuated almost exclusively upon women, becomes oppressive (if your Jack the Ripper story is set like 100 years in the future, give me more innovative thinking than just using a space knife to rip women open). The nonfiction portion is very interesting as I love a conspiracy theory and these really get in there and root around in the mire. A particular standout is the Fandorin novella smack in the middle of the collection - pick up this brick for that entry alone.

I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

kalikin's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.0

hawkette's review against another edition

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3.0

I borrowed this book from the library and my suggestion? Don't do that - if you're going to tackle this compendium, go all out and buy the book so you can enjoy it at your leisure. It took me three months of renewals to finally get through the whole thing. I had to take breaks because there are only so many stories you can read on the same subject matter for hours on end. There were some fantastic reads in this collection, and some not-so-fantastic reads. I found myself enjoying the final two sections the most, so am happy I finished it out.
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