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melissabee 's review for:
An interesting book- gives historical context and detailed portraits of the three main characters: a failed poet, a pimp, and a "harlot" (yes, I came here because of the Hulu series). Nevertheless it was a little repetitive and slow sometimes- largely, I think, due to the narrow focus on the three main characters. A broader history might have been more interesting, even if that meant the List itself (and Sam Derrick, whom I found tedious) were less central in the book.
I didn't love the tone. Unlike some other reviewers, I don't think Rubenhold has actual contempt for her subjects. But she does seem to veer back and forth between a desire to imitate the tone of the List and a desire to use a more serious one. I found the former off-putting. Referring to the women as diseased, filthy, immoral, etc, even in a joking way, doesn't go over well when we are told elsewhere that most of them were basically raped as children. And so on. There are also a number of grammatical mistakes and strange sentence constructions.
Nevertheless, I learned a lot, and that's the main reason I picked up the book.
I didn't love the tone. Unlike some other reviewers, I don't think Rubenhold has actual contempt for her subjects. But she does seem to veer back and forth between a desire to imitate the tone of the List and a desire to use a more serious one. I found the former off-putting. Referring to the women as diseased, filthy, immoral, etc, even in a joking way, doesn't go over well when we are told elsewhere that most of them were basically raped as children. And so on. There are also a number of grammatical mistakes and strange sentence constructions.
Nevertheless, I learned a lot, and that's the main reason I picked up the book.