I, Ripper: A Novel (utgåvan 2015)

Okay so I'm all pumped up, I'm ready to read this book, I've got my popcorn and I'm ready to dive in! I got about halfway through this book and it just falls flat on its face. I'm serious folks. I am a huge fan of the times and of Jack the Ripper stories. This one just didn't do it for me.
The book was extremely gory which was a pleasant surprise for me but I felt like the author tried to make up for the flat parts by being overly detailed in the gore.
The characters were, dare I say, drab to say the least. Even Jack the Ripper wasn't very interesting in this book and that is sad ☹️
This book may be for some people but it definitely is not for me. ( )

I, Ripper was great fun to read. Hunter does a masterly job of alternating the narrator's story with that of Jack's diary, bringing you inside the heads of the serial killer and the man determined to catch him. Although Jack was known for gruesome murders, Hunter doesn't subject the reader to gratuitous gore and violence. It was entertaining, fast-paced, and steeped in Dickens' London. Jack's identity is revealed at the end and, although it was initially surprising, Hunter tied up the loose threads very nicely. But we know that Jack was never found, so the ending wasn't as satisfying as one would expect. No fault of Hunter's for trying, though. ( )

The electrifying new thriller from New York Times bestseller Stephen Hunter takes you deep inside the mind of the most notorious serial killer of all time: Jack the Ripper.

I've always been a big reader of true crime, in particular Jack the Ripper, so when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I, Ripper didn't quite live up to my hopes and expectations, but it was still a good read.

So what did I like about I, Ripper? It was very clear that Hunter had done extensive research, and really thought about what he was writing. The creative technique of alternating chapters of a (fictional) reporter's memoir with passage from Jack the Ripper's (fictional) diary was a really unique one, and one that served the narrative well, building a lot of tension.

However, even with a creative format and that built up tension, this book still seemed to move pretty slowly. It took me a lot longer to read than I had anticipated it would. It's hard to put my finger on exactly why, but maybe Hunter stretched the book out longer than he should have. Had the book been a bit more condescended, it might not have dragged at all.

I did suspect the big final twist from rather early on in the book. It was a bit disappointing that it was telegraphed so much, at least in my opinion.

Hunter definitely has something here, a unique and well-researched fictional take on a topic that has been covered many different times, in many different ways. This may not have been the best version of the story I've ever read, but it was still a good read. ( )

Set in Victorian London, Hunter’s tale is an enthusiastic retelling of the events of August through November 1888, when an anonymous serial killer dubbed “Jack the Ripper” stalked the streets of Whitechapel.

The book is told in alternate viewpoints with each chapter. One point of view is told by a journalist, named Jeb, who investigated the murders and is recording it in his memoirs, twenty-four years later. The second account is the diary of Jack the Ripper, himself. I liked how this was done as it gives the reader an insight into Jacks madness and allows us to have both an insider’s and outsider’s perspective at once. The book does a magnificent job of drawing its audience into the time period, largely through its use of language.

The crimes make up almost half the book and they are not for the squeamish or those who become queasy easily. Each crime is related in minute detail, the descriptions are drawn from the case history, but the author also adds his own flourish, as well. One can't help but feel sorry for the women who had these despicable acts done to them.

The revealing of the serial killers identity stretches believe, but these are unsolved crimes so the author had to have someone to pin it on. Overall, I, Ripper is an enjoyable, if graphic, plunge into the minds of a murderer and a tabloid journalist. It is well researched and full of historical insights. ( )