Scan barcode
A review by caprivoyant
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
Did not finish book.
I give this book 3 heartbreaks: 💔💔💔
I really wanted to like this book, but the writing was a little too fact-heavy for me. I guess I thought "the untold lives" would be more narrative about their lives, and less about how much their job paid or a house-by-house breakdown of everywhere they ever lived? Alas, it was mostly the latter.
Now, don't get me wrong: I'm glad this book exists because these women deserve to be seen as women—whole, complete women—not just murder victims. That's why I was so excited about reading it! But, I think, in order to get the full picture of who these women were, I needed emotion. I needed heart. I needed to see what they cared about (don't just tell me, show me). I wanted this book to paint a picture of each person's life, show me all the messy bits as well as the facts.
People are so much more than the events that happen to them—more than the addresses they live in more than the money they make. I wanted to see whole people, and I wasn't getting that, so with a broken heart, I DNF'd it. 😢
I really wanted to like this book, but the writing was a little too fact-heavy for me. I guess I thought "the untold lives" would be more narrative about their lives, and less about how much their job paid or a house-by-house breakdown of everywhere they ever lived? Alas, it was mostly the latter.
Now, don't get me wrong: I'm glad this book exists because these women deserve to be seen as women—whole, complete women—not just murder victims. That's why I was so excited about reading it! But, I think, in order to get the full picture of who these women were, I needed emotion. I needed heart. I needed to see what they cared about (don't just tell me, show me). I wanted this book to paint a picture of each person's life, show me all the messy bits as well as the facts.
People are so much more than the events that happen to them—more than the addresses they live in more than the money they make. I wanted to see whole people, and I wasn't getting that, so with a broken heart, I DNF'd it. 😢
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide