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whatsnonfiction 's review for:
They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper
by Bruce Robinson
This book is a hot mess in a million ways, it hardly sets off down one gaslit Victorian alleyway before it charges off down another to chase something else entirely and I have to admit, there were more than a few moments when I wasn’t entirely sure what we were talking about. But I was willing to follow Bruce Robinson (arguably the hottest one from the ‘60s Romeo and Juliet movie) on his big crazy journey and I’m glad I did. I kind of couldn’t tear myself away from this even in its most wtf moments.
I’m back and forth on his suspect, and it requires a lot of acceptance of the proverbial all-the-way-to-the-top coverups and conspiracies, but stranger things have happened. Like how Ted Cruz can be the Zodiac AND a senator. Robinson makes a good point, that there’s less of a mystery to who Jack the Ripper was, “Ripperologists” just choose that mystery, and the real mystery that’s been there for the solving is why the investigation was handled so strangely, as if they didn’t want him to be caught. (He puts it better than that but I read this thing in a week and I’m tired.)
It also makes sense that he ties other murders to him, because it always a seemed a bit suspicious that the killing stopped right when he was escalating. Although at times this felt a liiiittle like finding reasons to make your evidence match your suspect, and maybe there could be other explanations behind some of it. Then he’d make another good point and I’d be back on board. What a tumultuous week it’s been.
Also, I should say I have very little knowledge about J the R beyond what I guess everyone knows, I’ve never actually read another book about it, so I’m somewhat malleable and willing to be convinced here. It’s a good, weird read, let’s put it that way. Karen Kilgariff always finds the best ones!
I’m back and forth on his suspect, and it requires a lot of acceptance of the proverbial all-the-way-to-the-top coverups and conspiracies, but stranger things have happened. Like how Ted Cruz can be the Zodiac AND a senator. Robinson makes a good point, that there’s less of a mystery to who Jack the Ripper was, “Ripperologists” just choose that mystery, and the real mystery that’s been there for the solving is why the investigation was handled so strangely, as if they didn’t want him to be caught. (He puts it better than that but I read this thing in a week and I’m tired.)
It also makes sense that he ties other murders to him, because it always a seemed a bit suspicious that the killing stopped right when he was escalating. Although at times this felt a liiiittle like finding reasons to make your evidence match your suspect, and maybe there could be other explanations behind some of it. Then he’d make another good point and I’d be back on board. What a tumultuous week it’s been.
Also, I should say I have very little knowledge about J the R beyond what I guess everyone knows, I’ve never actually read another book about it, so I’m somewhat malleable and willing to be convinced here. It’s a good, weird read, let’s put it that way. Karen Kilgariff always finds the best ones!