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Mad Madame LaLaurie: New Orleans' Most Famous Murderess Revealed
Historians Victoria Cosner Love and author Lorelei Shannon uncover the truth behind one of New Orleans' most famous stories and one of America's most haunted houses.
On April 10, 1834 Firefighters smashed through a padlocked attic door in the burning home of Creole society couple Delphine and Louis Lalaurie. The horrible discovery of chained and mutilated slaves spawned a legend that has endured for over 150 years. But what really happened in the Lalaurie home? Who was "Mad Madame Lalaurie," and what motivated her to commit such ghastly atrocities, if in fact she really did?
On April 10, 1834 Firefighters smashed through a padlocked attic door in the burning home of Creole society couple Delphine and Louis Lalaurie. The horrible discovery of chained and mutilated slaves spawned a legend that has endured for over 150 years. But what really happened in the Lalaurie home? Who was "Mad Madame Lalaurie," and what motivated her to commit such ghastly atrocities, if in fact she really did?
144 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
November 29, 2011
Really disappointed. Choppy, shoddy writing, almost like they Frankensteined it together. Good facts, but presented in that run-of-the-mill history textbook way. I wish it wasn't so bland. I also hate that they introduce a topic, then add a parenthetical "For more information on this topic, read chapter 7" after a sentence or two. It disrupted the flow and made me feel like I was reading a boring "Choose Your Own Adventure" book.
I also found that the "what if it really happened this way?" chapter was entirely redundant. I skimmed it after a couple of paragraphs. I'd just read it all in the book. Did they have a page/word count quota to reach?
I also found that the "what if it really happened this way?" chapter was entirely redundant. I skimmed it after a couple of paragraphs. I'd just read it all in the book. Did they have a page/word count quota to reach?
May 4, 2016
While I did not find the writing dry, the book could have easily been more than what it was. The authors do a somewhat good job at putting forward a possible real story of the famed murderess. The problem is that some of their proof is just as fleeting as the proof for the more sordid stories.
Still, if you are interested in the story, it might be worth reading.
Still, if you are interested in the story, it might be worth reading.
December 23, 2011
What I sincerely appreciated about Love’s and Shannon’s expose was the concerted effort to enlighten the reader on both the facts and fiction of the Lalaurie legend. What I was – at times – disappointed in was the execution.
Although I live only a few hours from New Olreans and have traveled there on numerous occassions, I must claim ignorance of the Lalaurie legend. I suppose that is simply another example to prove the adage that people are sometimes most ignorant of their own culture.
Mad Madame Lalaurie is a short book, only 11 chapters in a mere 142 pages, and perhaps in some cases even that is too long. The general impression after reading the book is that there isn’t much to know- the fiction is short, but the facts even shorter. The book opens exactly as it should – with the legend; Chapter 2 begins the history of Delphine Lalaurie, who bears the brunt of the allegations. It was here, early in the second chapter that I began to find the book somewhat lacking. Reference is made to Delphine being a “happy, sociable girl” as described by neighbors who “told of her gracious visits to their plantations.” However, no primary sources were quoted to support this. I would have been interested in reading exerpts of period diaries or letters. The lack of support from primary sources is also observed in the 4th chapter where Delphine and her third husband Dr. Lalaurie are described as throwing “lavish parties, which were often written up in the society pages.” Again, this is where I’d like to have seen an exceprt or two from those referenced society pages.
More than the lack of primary support, at some points the organization is just frustrating. In the fourth chapter, the legend of Dr. Lalaurie’s use of “Haitian-style ‘zombie drugs’” is mentioned but then rather than discussing these, the authors say, “This bizarre theory is discussed in more detail in the tenth chapter.” Why not group all information about a particular topic together? Why introduce the reader to the idea and then say, “This is a teaser. Wait 6 more chapters and I’ll tell you more.”? Chapters 5- 6 complete the story of the Lalauries discussing the exile in France and the last years of Delphine. Chapter 7 is an interesting chapter where the authors detail the popular cultural references to the Lalauries, but then the authors revert back to legend in Chapter 8 entitled “What If It’s All True?” – which you think they have exhausted. Essentially, this is a repeat of the legend detailed in Chapter 1 and seems both repetitive and out-of-place this late in the book. All of this has been addressed, why do so again? Chapters 9 and 10 reiterate their conclusions and again separate fact from fiction, and again many of these conclusion have been expressed earlier; still they each, at some point, do something that hasn’t been done before. Chapter 9 places the Lalaurie’s treatment of their slaves in a larger context; however, this chapter would have better followed Chapter 6. Chapter 10 addresses the facts and myths in a question and answer format. If someone wanted a concise and thorough summary of the authors’ findings, they could spend 10 minutes on this chapter and still hold an intelligent discussion on the tragedy; this would have been more effectively placed in the appendix. Chapter 11 discusses the hauntings of the mansion following the exile of the Lalauries; interesting stories, but again the flow between chapters is poor.
This small volume addresses a tragic part of New Orleans history, and it is evident that the research was both tedious and thorough; however, a short story should not be stretched into a long one, and simple organization of chapters would have made all the difference in the perception of the book. If you choose to read this still-valuable volume, I propose a new reading order.
Proposed Reading Order of Mad Madame Lalaurie:
Chapter 1: The Legend
Chapter 2: Delphine’s Early Life and First Marriage
Chapter 3: Delphine’s Second Marriage
Chapter 4: Louis Lalaurie and the “Catastrophe of 1834″
Chapter 5: Exiled in Paris
Chapter 6: Delphine Lalaurie’s Last Years
Chapter 9: Our Conclusions
Chapter 7: Mad Madame Lalaurie in Popular History and Culture
Chapter 11: And What About the Haunted House?
Although I live only a few hours from New Olreans and have traveled there on numerous occassions, I must claim ignorance of the Lalaurie legend. I suppose that is simply another example to prove the adage that people are sometimes most ignorant of their own culture.
Mad Madame Lalaurie is a short book, only 11 chapters in a mere 142 pages, and perhaps in some cases even that is too long. The general impression after reading the book is that there isn’t much to know- the fiction is short, but the facts even shorter. The book opens exactly as it should – with the legend; Chapter 2 begins the history of Delphine Lalaurie, who bears the brunt of the allegations. It was here, early in the second chapter that I began to find the book somewhat lacking. Reference is made to Delphine being a “happy, sociable girl” as described by neighbors who “told of her gracious visits to their plantations.” However, no primary sources were quoted to support this. I would have been interested in reading exerpts of period diaries or letters. The lack of support from primary sources is also observed in the 4th chapter where Delphine and her third husband Dr. Lalaurie are described as throwing “lavish parties, which were often written up in the society pages.” Again, this is where I’d like to have seen an exceprt or two from those referenced society pages.
More than the lack of primary support, at some points the organization is just frustrating. In the fourth chapter, the legend of Dr. Lalaurie’s use of “Haitian-style ‘zombie drugs’” is mentioned but then rather than discussing these, the authors say, “This bizarre theory is discussed in more detail in the tenth chapter.” Why not group all information about a particular topic together? Why introduce the reader to the idea and then say, “This is a teaser. Wait 6 more chapters and I’ll tell you more.”? Chapters 5- 6 complete the story of the Lalauries discussing the exile in France and the last years of Delphine. Chapter 7 is an interesting chapter where the authors detail the popular cultural references to the Lalauries, but then the authors revert back to legend in Chapter 8 entitled “What If It’s All True?” – which you think they have exhausted. Essentially, this is a repeat of the legend detailed in Chapter 1 and seems both repetitive and out-of-place this late in the book. All of this has been addressed, why do so again? Chapters 9 and 10 reiterate their conclusions and again separate fact from fiction, and again many of these conclusion have been expressed earlier; still they each, at some point, do something that hasn’t been done before. Chapter 9 places the Lalaurie’s treatment of their slaves in a larger context; however, this chapter would have better followed Chapter 6. Chapter 10 addresses the facts and myths in a question and answer format. If someone wanted a concise and thorough summary of the authors’ findings, they could spend 10 minutes on this chapter and still hold an intelligent discussion on the tragedy; this would have been more effectively placed in the appendix. Chapter 11 discusses the hauntings of the mansion following the exile of the Lalauries; interesting stories, but again the flow between chapters is poor.
This small volume addresses a tragic part of New Orleans history, and it is evident that the research was both tedious and thorough; however, a short story should not be stretched into a long one, and simple organization of chapters would have made all the difference in the perception of the book. If you choose to read this still-valuable volume, I propose a new reading order.
Proposed Reading Order of Mad Madame Lalaurie:
Chapter 1: The Legend
Chapter 2: Delphine’s Early Life and First Marriage
Chapter 3: Delphine’s Second Marriage
Chapter 4: Louis Lalaurie and the “Catastrophe of 1834″
Chapter 5: Exiled in Paris
Chapter 6: Delphine Lalaurie’s Last Years
Chapter 9: Our Conclusions
Chapter 7: Mad Madame Lalaurie in Popular History and Culture
Chapter 11: And What About the Haunted House?
August 18, 2011
I'm impressed. I didn't think it was possible to make a book about a famed Creole murderess horribly dry. These authors succeeded.
Not a bad book overall, but they spend 4% of the book discussing the folk lore, 95% of the book explaining why it's wrong, and how Lalaurie wasn't really the bad guy, and 1% of the time congratulating themselves for their amazing research.
Enh. Good if you want an extremely brief explanation for who she was.
Not a bad book overall, but they spend 4% of the book discussing the folk lore, 95% of the book explaining why it's wrong, and how Lalaurie wasn't really the bad guy, and 1% of the time congratulating themselves for their amazing research.
Enh. Good if you want an extremely brief explanation for who she was.
April 12, 2016
This book was not ready to be published. The authors have taken an interesting subject and left it mired in poor grammar, half formed ideas and sentences that read like notes. Madame Lalaurie should be fascinating and instead she is boring. Dull. Dull. Dull. There seems to be little known about the woman or anything really to do with her so the book is all conjecture and hearsay. Far too much of the opening chapters is spent detailing the business of her first two husbands, a hasty timeline of which children came from which marriage and where she died. The book also starts with the climax, popular in this style of writing but in this case, the authors had no where else to go. They used their best asset in the first dozen pages and from there on it was a slow plod to the end.
Mad Madame Lalaurie is worth a read if you're interested in Creole women, New Orleans, slavery in the south, ghosts etc but don't get your hopes up that you're going to come away feeling satisfied or that you've learnt something.
Mad Madame Lalaurie is worth a read if you're interested in Creole women, New Orleans, slavery in the south, ghosts etc but don't get your hopes up that you're going to come away feeling satisfied or that you've learnt something.
August 26, 2022
Read this because it was free on kindle unlimited and I was always interested in the story. It was eh. Lots of repetition. “This is probably how she was, this is probably what happened”. I guess I was expecting more facts and info that couldn’t be easily found on a quick google search.
July 18, 2016
This slim volume (144 pages) claims to reveal the complete truth about Delphine McCarty Lalaurie, one of the most infamous women in New Orleans' colorful history. Never mind that this seems unlikely in such a slim volume ... the fact is that the authors reach a number of conclusions that may or may not be accurate, and never bother to tell us how they got there.
Delphine Lalaurie was notorious in New Orleans for how badly her slaves were treated -- such that when seven of them are rescued from the Lalaurie house during a fire, their condition is so poor that even slave-holders are appalled.
Anyway, the information in this book is somewhat scanty, although there are translations of extant correspondence the authors saw in the Williams Research Center in New Orleans. The problem, as I see it, is that the authors set out with a conclusion in mind and only looked at evidence to support it. They cite works of fiction among their references, which is a little shocking ... and numerous secondary sources to boot. Much of what they write is contradicted by Madame Lalaurie, Mistress of the Haunted House -- a book that is *not* included in their bibliography, and which contains far more primary source research than the authors employed (e.g., photographic reproductions of documents like slave inventories, etc., that demonstrate that many of the Lalaurie slaves simply disappeared from the record).
No one will ever really know what happened to the majority of the disappearing slaves, but we do know that seven of them were in horrid condition, and that at least one of them (Benjamin) survived starvation and was subsequently sold again. Delphine Lalaurie lived in exile in Paris (she essentially escaped New Orleans ahead of a mob), and her remains are interred in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
The authors of this slim volume have not really done much but add their own twist to a legend and not shown how they got there at all. The writing was entertaining, and the photographs and illustrations they chose were well-curated But "complete truth" or "revelation"? Not so much.
Delphine Lalaurie was notorious in New Orleans for how badly her slaves were treated -- such that when seven of them are rescued from the Lalaurie house during a fire, their condition is so poor that even slave-holders are appalled.
Anyway, the information in this book is somewhat scanty, although there are translations of extant correspondence the authors saw in the Williams Research Center in New Orleans. The problem, as I see it, is that the authors set out with a conclusion in mind and only looked at evidence to support it. They cite works of fiction among their references, which is a little shocking ... and numerous secondary sources to boot. Much of what they write is contradicted by Madame Lalaurie, Mistress of the Haunted House -- a book that is *not* included in their bibliography, and which contains far more primary source research than the authors employed (e.g., photographic reproductions of documents like slave inventories, etc., that demonstrate that many of the Lalaurie slaves simply disappeared from the record).
No one will ever really know what happened to the majority of the disappearing slaves, but we do know that seven of them were in horrid condition, and that at least one of them (Benjamin) survived starvation and was subsequently sold again. Delphine Lalaurie lived in exile in Paris (she essentially escaped New Orleans ahead of a mob), and her remains are interred in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
The authors of this slim volume have not really done much but add their own twist to a legend and not shown how they got there at all. The writing was entertaining, and the photographs and illustrations they chose were well-curated But "complete truth" or "revelation"? Not so much.
January 26, 2016
This was quite a short read, and frustratingly incomplete in some ways -- the authors are wont to say "we have proved" when they haven't proved the point at all, just made an educated guess. But with that said, this is a fascinating character from a period of history I know almost nothing about. Did she or didn't she? Just how bad were the crimes committed? And how can we know anything much about a era that allowed the rich to treat their slaves almost any way they wanted without consequences? The best thing about this book is the way it invites you to go find out more.
May 31, 2012
I bought this book along with MADAME LALAURIE, MISTRESS OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE and of the two, this book was by far the most disappointing. It didn't seem as though the authors did much, if any, in-depth research; just regurgitating the few facts already known. For REAL research, try MADAME LALAURIE by Carolyn Morrow Long (available at Amazon). MAD MADAME LALAURIE makes for interesting secondary reading about this fascinating woman.
December 29, 2023
Very repeatative.
March 18, 2023
While interesting the book wasn't that fun of a read. I did like finding out how factual history debunked the folklore that had been wrapped around the story of Marame LaLaurie. Other then that, it was a quick and informative read.
February 8, 2021
This book has the driest writing. It was VERY hard to get through.
September 8, 2021
Tedious at times and pretty boring.
March 29, 2025
More historical than sensational. Here for it.
September 1, 2021
Content Warnings: Death, Violence, Slavery, Fire, Mobs, Demons, Voodoo, Domestic Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Hate Speech
While I truly appreciated the attempt to put the "facts" of Madame Lalaurie next to her sensational legend, warped with time, this book could've done with a bit more information (or possibly a bit less).
For example, I enjoyed learning about her first two marriages, although the information seemed sparse - likely because most information was gained through letters and the rare newspaper article. I just wish there was more of it. And I wish more information could be gathered from her children. What did they think of this? Besides the one son, who else had something to say? Perhaps we'll never know.
On the other hand, several parts of this book felt incredibly redundant. I was reading reading same information over and over again, and it wasn't even hidden well. The same exact excerpt from a newspaper is used in two different parts of the book! And the same myths are regurgitated at least three different times: from the mouth of the tour guide in chapter one, in the "What if it's all true" chapter 8, and in "Myths vs Facts" Chapter 10. Yes, I liked knowing what we DID know happened from the point of police and what was published in papers, and I did like knowing that people writing ghost story books and articles warped the story the way it did, but did I need to know it so many times?
There was also a lot of conjecture thrown around about "why" Madame Lalaurie would've allowed all this to happen - the opinion of the authors that is somehow put in as both opinion and as if it were fact - with no proof to back it up.
Overall, I enjoyed my read, but there was plenty of room to make this book rich with more information or make it far, far shorter. This was all the more obvious since I read it all in one sitting.
While I truly appreciated the attempt to put the "facts" of Madame Lalaurie next to her sensational legend, warped with time, this book could've done with a bit more information (or possibly a bit less).
For example, I enjoyed learning about her first two marriages, although the information seemed sparse - likely because most information was gained through letters and the rare newspaper article. I just wish there was more of it. And I wish more information could be gathered from her children. What did they think of this? Besides the one son, who else had something to say? Perhaps we'll never know.
On the other hand, several parts of this book felt incredibly redundant. I was reading reading same information over and over again, and it wasn't even hidden well. The same exact excerpt from a newspaper is used in two different parts of the book! And the same myths are regurgitated at least three different times: from the mouth of the tour guide in chapter one, in the "What if it's all true" chapter 8, and in "Myths vs Facts" Chapter 10. Yes, I liked knowing what we DID know happened from the point of police and what was published in papers, and I did like knowing that people writing ghost story books and articles warped the story the way it did, but did I need to know it so many times?
There was also a lot of conjecture thrown around about "why" Madame Lalaurie would've allowed all this to happen - the opinion of the authors that is somehow put in as both opinion and as if it were fact - with no proof to back it up.
Overall, I enjoyed my read, but there was plenty of room to make this book rich with more information or make it far, far shorter. This was all the more obvious since I read it all in one sitting.
July 11, 2022
This book is basically a look at the facts and legends of the LaLauie house at 1140 Royal St in what is now the French Quarter in New Orleans. Many of the odd stories were fueled by political disagreements, suspicion of women in general, the shock that this was happening in the cradle of Creole culture etc.
Many of those writing were actually writing ghost stories meant to cause the reader to shiver and express dismay. Some were part of the war between the old world of French Creole culture and the new "invading" American culture. This later suggestion rings true for me, even today because in many ways New Orleans is NOT "an American city" even today. In some ways, this city is more Caribbean than American even in 2022.
The authors did their research but of course, there is still much about the LaLaurie house that will never be knowable. There is enough "sadness" still about the house (even the new house that replaced the old Creole cottage) that instills discomfort about the house for some even today. After all, Nicholas Cage lost it to bankruptcy or at least a "lack of ready cash" as late as 10 years ago or less.
It stands to reason also that exaggeration would be tantamount for a city whose economy is based principally on the tourists, and what better than a good ghost/horror story to excite the imagination and fuel the desire to check it out.
It was a decent look, but so full of detail, much of which was added on lists of family names and their association with Madame that I wasn't likely to remember any longer than the time it took me to read, and frankly bored me. I guess in some ways, I actually prefer the legends, including the exaggerations over a too close examination of "the facts" in detail.
Many of those writing were actually writing ghost stories meant to cause the reader to shiver and express dismay. Some were part of the war between the old world of French Creole culture and the new "invading" American culture. This later suggestion rings true for me, even today because in many ways New Orleans is NOT "an American city" even today. In some ways, this city is more Caribbean than American even in 2022.
The authors did their research but of course, there is still much about the LaLaurie house that will never be knowable. There is enough "sadness" still about the house (even the new house that replaced the old Creole cottage) that instills discomfort about the house for some even today. After all, Nicholas Cage lost it to bankruptcy or at least a "lack of ready cash" as late as 10 years ago or less.
It stands to reason also that exaggeration would be tantamount for a city whose economy is based principally on the tourists, and what better than a good ghost/horror story to excite the imagination and fuel the desire to check it out.
It was a decent look, but so full of detail, much of which was added on lists of family names and their association with Madame that I wasn't likely to remember any longer than the time it took me to read, and frankly bored me. I guess in some ways, I actually prefer the legends, including the exaggerations over a too close examination of "the facts" in detail.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2015
I am extremely intrigued by the story of the LaLaurie Family and Mansion in the French Quarter, New Orleans. So when this book came out I was extremely excited. Unfortunately it didn't quite hit the mark for me.
While it is a great historical account of the known facts, the storytelling and structure isn't very strong and I found it a struggle to get through.
That said, if you are interested in the history it is a treasure trove of historical accounts and the background of the story, which I haven't found anywhere else.
While it is a great historical account of the known facts, the storytelling and structure isn't very strong and I found it a struggle to get through.
That said, if you are interested in the history it is a treasure trove of historical accounts and the background of the story, which I haven't found anywhere else.
April 25, 2020
I love New Orleans and its history so I really enjoyed this book.
The authors have done a lot of research and debunk many of the most horrible myths surrounding the LaLaurie story.
I appreciate the photos and drawings added. The book is very informative but doesn't read like a textbook, its informal and light.
There is a timeline of the 200 year old mansion and the backgrounds of notable LaLaurie family members and how they tie into the NOLA founding familes which were very interesting.
I had no idea Jean Lafitte, LaLaurie and Marie Laveau were all in NOLA around the same time period.
The authors have done a lot of research and debunk many of the most horrible myths surrounding the LaLaurie story.
I appreciate the photos and drawings added. The book is very informative but doesn't read like a textbook, its informal and light.
There is a timeline of the 200 year old mansion and the backgrounds of notable LaLaurie family members and how they tie into the NOLA founding familes which were very interesting.
I had no idea Jean Lafitte, LaLaurie and Marie Laveau were all in NOLA around the same time period.
March 4, 2012
Good to read if you are going to visit New Orleans. Gives a little history about the Madame LaLaurie's life as well as history of the city. It tells what stories about the Madame and NOLA are true and what stories are embellished.
January 21, 2019
When I got this book, I didn’t see how it could possibly go wrong- New Orleans haunting sand horrible people make for great stories. But, geez, was I wrong! This read like a textbook. I never thought I’d be so bored by this kind of book!!
October 30, 2015
Very much a straight history book that hews to the facts and strays from the myth. Hence the low ratings on Goodreads. Would have liked some footnotes.
December 27, 2017
Interesting and balanced accounting
Good read for anyone interested in the history of New Orleans or ghosts. Thoroughly researched and well written. God job :)
Good read for anyone interested in the history of New Orleans or ghosts. Thoroughly researched and well written. God job :)
March 29, 2018
Very concise writing. The authors put a lot of work into weeding out the facts from the myth. As a reader, I wish there were more facts but I think they authors gave us every fact available.
May 14, 2018
It's too highly repetitive, repeating the same information over and over again. At least it serves as a good debunking of the lurid tale of the psycho slave owner who killed them by the dozens.
January 4, 2019
A disappointment
I was excited to discover this book not long after watching "American Horror Story: Coven" for the second time as I wanted to learn more about old New Orleans and Madame LaLaurie but I found this book to be very disappointing. It reads like the draft before the official first draft of a book where the authors have put forth their research in rough form and need to settle down to organize, expand and polish the writing, and edit more thoroughly. I assume this is meant to be a "popular" history rather than an academic study, but even assuming that, I found it to be confusing (chronology seemed to switch back and forth too much), repetitive (the same information repeated multiple times throughout), frivolous (their personal or flippant remarks), and some of their assumptions about myth versus fact seemed weak. They did point out that much of the horror around Madame LaLaurie's reputation as a sadistic torturer of slaves is not backed by facts (newspaper, police, or court reports) and that treatment of slaves in the pre-Civil War era was often inhuman so she might not be worst than anyone else. But in the end, they did not win me over with their assumptions. I think there is much more research that could be done and I frequently found myself wishing that Erik Larson had written this story instead.
I was excited to discover this book not long after watching "American Horror Story: Coven" for the second time as I wanted to learn more about old New Orleans and Madame LaLaurie but I found this book to be very disappointing. It reads like the draft before the official first draft of a book where the authors have put forth their research in rough form and need to settle down to organize, expand and polish the writing, and edit more thoroughly. I assume this is meant to be a "popular" history rather than an academic study, but even assuming that, I found it to be confusing (chronology seemed to switch back and forth too much), repetitive (the same information repeated multiple times throughout), frivolous (their personal or flippant remarks), and some of their assumptions about myth versus fact seemed weak. They did point out that much of the horror around Madame LaLaurie's reputation as a sadistic torturer of slaves is not backed by facts (newspaper, police, or court reports) and that treatment of slaves in the pre-Civil War era was often inhuman so she might not be worst than anyone else. But in the end, they did not win me over with their assumptions. I think there is much more research that could be done and I frequently found myself wishing that Erik Larson had written this story instead.
August 22, 2023
Always intrigued by the legend and stories surrounding Madame LaLaurie, and the mansion's supposed hauntings, I wanted to dive more into the truth regarding what actually happened that fateful night in 1834.
The authors do a solid job of scouring through documentation to verify events, however also admit that record keeping was inconsistent in those times, so the preciseness of facts is somewhat assumed, although for what they could find what is presented is more likely to have happened than the overly elaborated horror stories that are generally told.
First chapters of the book are like a biography of Delphine’s life, which isn’t all that exciting to trudge through, and reads like the history lesson that it is, but is essential to know the timeline of events in her life. In the latter chapters, the meatier comparisons of fact to fiction is much more enjoyable to mentally consume.
I didn't have a problem with the choppiness of the writing. I was reading the book for facts, not a ever flowing smooth narrative of events, and it delivered in that sense. Overall I enjoyed this short book, it was exactly what I was looking for.
The authors do a solid job of scouring through documentation to verify events, however also admit that record keeping was inconsistent in those times, so the preciseness of facts is somewhat assumed, although for what they could find what is presented is more likely to have happened than the overly elaborated horror stories that are generally told.
First chapters of the book are like a biography of Delphine’s life, which isn’t all that exciting to trudge through, and reads like the history lesson that it is, but is essential to know the timeline of events in her life. In the latter chapters, the meatier comparisons of fact to fiction is much more enjoyable to mentally consume.
I didn't have a problem with the choppiness of the writing. I was reading the book for facts, not a ever flowing smooth narrative of events, and it delivered in that sense. Overall I enjoyed this short book, it was exactly what I was looking for.
November 10, 2021
My love for New Orleans knows no bounds. From all the times I've been down there, Delphine LaLaurie's name is always mentioned because of the atrocities that were found in her home from a fire in 1834. I've done the ghost tours, visited St. Louis Cemetery #1, walked slowly by 1140 Royal Street to see if I see or pick up any certain feelings or energies (during the day AND at night). I was excited to read this book as I know the authors wanted to highlight the facts vs. fiction. I wish there were more accounts of the stories that were told about her - possibly in people's diaries or journals that would be so much fun to find and know more about her, her mental state, her 3 (gasp!) husbands and her attitude towards slaves. Maybe one day there will be an exciting find! Until then, this book will have to do.
June 29, 2025
While I appreciate that this book attempted to set the record straight, the overall structure of the book felt disordered and imbalanced(top-heavy?). The majority of interesting/revealing information was kept to the beginning of the book which felt jumpy and scattered with repeated forward references to other chapters leaving me hoping for more. Unfortunately, the rest of the book doesn't live up to the hype created by all those forward references and made me feel there must have been a struggle to fill the pages. This included a mediocre, shallow dive into some of the previous LaLaurie "historians" and the ways their lack of care for the truth contributed to the myth (a noble subject but treated with little respect) and then a section built on "But what if it WAS all true?" which I just found bizarre.
Overall, while there is some valuable info, this book is a bit of a mess.
Overall, while there is some valuable info, this book is a bit of a mess.
April 15, 2020
Recently a fan of the LaLaurie legend, I thought that this would shed some light on exactly what happened in the infamous murder house; however I just came away with the tiniest bit of new information and some theories.
If you're new to the LaLaurie story, this isn't a place to start as it basically debunks the whole legend. I did appreciate learning about Delphine's background and her life before New Orleans. What I was looking for was an explanation of what really happened and didn't really come away with any information on the actual atrocities that occurred.
This is a short easy read, and worth the minimal amount of time it takes to get a background on the murderess, but other than that I'm not sure much was 'revealed.'
If you're new to the LaLaurie story, this isn't a place to start as it basically debunks the whole legend. I did appreciate learning about Delphine's background and her life before New Orleans. What I was looking for was an explanation of what really happened and didn't really come away with any information on the actual atrocities that occurred.
This is a short easy read, and worth the minimal amount of time it takes to get a background on the murderess, but other than that I'm not sure much was 'revealed.'
November 3, 2020
Si le personnage de Madame Lalaurie est connu aux Etats-Unis, il l'est peu en France mais comme on est allé à la Nouvelle-Orléans, j'en avais donc entendu parler il y a longtemps. Quand j'ai vu ce petit document analysant les faits vs la légende, j'ai trouvé intéressant de le lire. Effectivement, les recherches sont bien menées mais la façon de présenter les choses m'a paru un peu ennuyeuse et parfois un peu brouillon (surtout à la fin, quand on découvre tous les liens entre la famille de Delphine et les familles influentes de la région). Je ne crois pas aux fantômes mais je n'ai pas non plus été convaincue par les certaines déductions faites par les deux auteures. Cela reste quand même à lire pour découvrir cette période et ces évènements ... majeurs pour les guides de cette ville !
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