Jack el Destripador

by Mark Whitehead, Miriam Rivett

Maniático sexual, asesino serial, reformador social, humorista macabro, hombre de mil caras... El problema con Jack, en última instancia, es que mientras más lee uno acerca de él, más se aleja de la realidad y se acerca a la leyenda. En algún momento se tienen que caer las máscaras; no para descubrir la identidad del destripador, sino para revelar su verdadera humanidad. Despojado de su condición de icono, Jack se convirtió en un asesino, alguien que se acercaba a esas mujeres que no tenían otra opción para vivir que vender su cuerpo, para estrangularlas y mutilarlas. Él no era un demonio, ni un fantasma, no era un mago negro con poderes sobrenaturales; era una persona ordinaria, uno de la multitud, como tú o como yo; alguien que podía caminar por las atestadas calles de los barrios bajos de londres sin ser notado. El problema con Jack es lograr que se le vea de esa manera.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime, Historical, Ebooks, Mystery

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Mark Whitehead is a Professor of Human Geography whose research interests span urban studies, sustainability, and the impacts of the psychological sciences on public policy.

Mark has authored and edited 10 books, has written for The Guardian and Western Mail newspapers, and has blogged for the Psychology Today magazine.

Mark is currently the Director of Recruitment and Admissions in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences. He is also on the Editorial Board of the journal Environmental Values.

Reviews

[(shan) Littlebookcove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack the ripper  This was a book I picked up at my local library that I've wanted to read it for some time. But never got around to it, so I put it down for reserve. There's a whole mystery to jack the Ripper. If your a cockney or from London it's likely you will know the case inside out. As it was one of those cases that made the history of every Londoner's heart. Of how Jack killed those poor ladies of the night and walked into the mists of London never to be seen again.Throughout History loads of detectives even the FBI did a character profile on him. But you ask any cockney and they will tell you even to this Day, Those murders wasn't all jack he didn't do them all! There was a copycat that wanted in on his fame.This book cuts to the chase full up fact's of how and when the crime happened. An enjoyable read with references at the back of the book, in case you want to do your own investigation, it also states on the back the suspects and their history and how they fell into the case. There's even talk it could of being the elephant Man but that's not in the book :0)

[DeshojandoLibros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Éste libro, por explicarlo de alguna manera, es como si fuera un documental, es decir, NO ES UNA NOVELA, es una recopilación de todos los datos que lograron juntar sobre las victimas (quiénes eran, acerca de su vida, y cómo las mataron); y sobre los sospechosos (quiénes eran, por qué encajaban con el perfil, y cómo quedaron libres de sospecha).

Calificación: 4/5 - Lo quiero en mi biblioteca.

Reseña completa y algunas otras sugerencias de lectura relacionadas con el tema aquí

- Lady bookie

[belle♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of Jack the Ripper has always intrigued me but I suppose I was going a bit far trying to read a WHOLE book about it, especially considering I hate non-fiction books.😃🤍

[stormhawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay little book about the Ripper murders, guess over the basic facts, the myths and mistakes (which are quite plentiful), the suspects, and gives a bit if a flavor of Victorian East End London. much of the last section is a catalog of fiction and non-fiction books, appearances in popular culture, and websites, although it's a bit strange to hear the audiobook reader chirping out ISBNs and full URLs.

[Courtenay Motley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first about the murders and police procedure was interesting, as was most of the information about those who had been suspected of being the Ripper after the fact. But I felt like a lot of the book just didn't flow and then was really bogged down by all the pop culture references at the end. Perhaps you need to be a true Ripper fanatic to truly enjoy this book.

[Carla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Faltaban muchísimos detalles.

[Eva Müller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper this book starts by giving the bare facts of the Ripper-crimes and then offers an overview of some more-or-less serious theories about the identity of Jack the Ripper and the little-and-less serious fictional accounts dealing with him. The difference between those two books is the The Pocket Essential is shorter (mainly because it's not an anthology where various authors offering their opinions but just one author summing up the main points and commenting on it), better written (so much better) and...funnier. Not the first part about the facts, which is quite dry (as it should be) but when it comes to the theories the author already clearly states when he thinks one is rubbish (You didn't have to be famous to be considered a Ripper-supect but it surely helps) and especially the way he rips apart Patricia Cornwells theorie is just delightful. However that is nothing compared to the way he comments on books and movies inspired by Jack the Ripper. I did laugh out loud a couple of times reading that part:

The Ripper became the crime and horror writer’s equivalent of the dread ‘dead pet/living pet’ story in sitcoms: something reliable that you could turn to in times of creative hardship. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the countless crime titles in which a serial killer either kills in the same style as the Ripper or is gifted a similar nickname

If you’ve ever wondered what a horror movie made by a bunch of goths would look like, then I Am the Ripper (2004) might give you an idea. An amateur French cast get killed, come back to life, and get killed again by a hooded figure who may be Death or possibly Skeletor. Exactly how Jack fits into the story may be just the result of an opportunistic retitling for this incomprehensible mess. At one point someone does appear wearing a top hat and a cape but by then our brains had shut down our retinas as a precautionary measure and we knew no more.

And if Holmes’ solutions aren’t satisfactory then there have always been others to have a go. Mycroft Holmes, Professor Moriarty, Inspector Lestrade, Irene Adler and even Holmes’ ‘sister’, Charlotte, have all had their own Ripper-hunting stories told. In fact, the only character who doesn’t seem to have tracked the Ripper is Mrs Hudson... Now why would that be? Surely not...

I could go on and on about this and basically quote the final third of the book because it's so hillarious (while always taking care only to make fun of crazy people having crazy ideas about Jack the Ripper but not him/his victims or the crimes itself). So overall it does give a good starting-point if you want to know more about Jack the Ripper. The only disadvantage it has to The Mammoth book...is that you have to take Whitehead's word on the ridduculousness of the theories, while in the other books the various Ripperologists are given the possibility to make a fool of themselves all on their own. I still think that I prefer this one as the writing-style does not make me want to scrap my brains out (yeah...and also because of the snark).

[no elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wasn't really into this until i got to the hilariously irascible end where jack's media presence was discussed. why did no one else like this??

If you’ve ever wondered what a horror movie made by a bunch of goths would look like, then I Am the Ripper (2004) might give you an idea. An amateur French cast get killed, come back to life, and get killed again by a hooded figure who may be Death or possibly Skeletor. Exactly how Jack fits into the story may be just the result of an opportunistic retitling for this incomprehensible mess. At one point someone does appear wearing a top hat and a cape but by then our brains had shut down our retinas as a precautionary measure and we knew no more.

The increasingly cadaverous Jurgen Prochnow appears as a red herring. Not literally, you understand.

His romance with Heather Graham’s Mary Kelly (apparently voiced by Dick Van Dyke) leads up to one of the most jaw-droppingly cynical deus ex machina ever foisted on the movie-going public.

who knew i could find comedy gold in a book about jack the ripper? i kept snickering to myself at the gym, tbqh

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest, I like many people have a bit of an obsession for crime books, true crime especially and of course Jack the Ripper. The reason for this of course is that we are all brought up with the story of jack from our pre-school years and beyond, this is because ultimately the ripper escaped and committed what could be defined as the perfect crime. I have read numerous books about the Ripper and I have to say that I am going to stop after this one. Not that it is badly written or not informative just basically because they are all the same. The truth is we are never going to know for certain the identity of the ripper and I soupose that is the beauty of the myth and why people continue to search yet fail to find any answers in the books they read.

[Zainab Syeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't decide if I want to rate the content or the writing. The content was very interesting to read. I was surprised to see myself get through a non-fiction book. Everything was to the point, I felt like I was missing out since I didn't know much about Jack the Ripper and this has been an interesting read.

[David Carniglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good description and analysis of Jack The Ripper, his victims, his milieu, and speculation on his identity. A surprisingly short book, that nonetheless covers a lot of ground. The authors' style is not only succinct and clear, it's very witty as well. That is, in their extensive line-up of suspects, "fingered," as they put it, by this or that author, criminologist, or witness, includes some choice individuals, dragging along the baggage of their bizarre back stories.

What's clear is that (ok, this is my first 'Ripper' book, so I'll have to go from here) the Ripper could've been any of the suspects, or just about anyone else in 1888 London. One thing that stands out, is the relatively short span of time--the Fall of 1888--in which the notorious murders were committed. I'm not informed enough to go on about exactly how many victims there were; let's just say enough. The other major parameter is the Whitechapel location for all of the crimes. As noted elsewhere, there were about 800,000 residents in the environs of the East End at the time. That makes for a lot of potential suspects.

I'm sure some 'Ripperologist' folks have pondered the identities of many people who died or disappeared from the area in late 1888 or early 1889. Not that there's any way to know, as I doubt that serial killers let the police know when they're leaving town. Assuming Jack were an East End down-on-his-luck resident, records of his death or emigration would hardly be society-page news. As Rumbelow notes in his Complete Jack The Ripper, The murderer could've been a completely unremarkable, basically invisible person.

That makes a lot of sense, as anonymity could explain his ability to come and go, and ultimately disappear without notice. Rumbelow also speculates that Jack had time on his hands to ruminate and fantasize about his victims (ones he'd already attacked, or future victims). That adds up, assuming that there was a sexual content or thrill (particularly with the mutilation aspect) involved. So, maybe he'd been in prison, was unemployed but not homeless, or worked at a mindless, but not necessarily menial job, in which he had ample time to daydream.

Whitehead and Rivett seem eager to figure out who to 'finger,' but they're not obsessed with a theory on one or the other suspect. That's realistic. Some folks simply have to 'know' who Jack The Ripper was; as though the subject is somehow inauthentic otherwise. The Ripper story is all the more mysterious because we don't know who he was. It's led to a lot of fictional and tangential treatments; there's a huge unknown at the heart of it, so it's natural to want to fill-in-the-blanks.

If nothing else, what does come to light in any version of the Ripper's crimes are the sordid conditions facing so many people in Victorian London's slums.

[Scott Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introduction into the Ripper case. I particularly liked that the focus wasn’t solely on the murderer but equally the victims. Whitehead and Rivett give a insight into the victims lives and who they were as people, rather than just their names and how they died. Additionally, the book goes through multiple different theories and although no rigid conclusion is formed, unlike other publications on the Ripper, they successfully show that ultimately despite having the police files, pictures and the rest of the joblot of information we cannot definitively state that any individual is the murderer. Would throughly recommend.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book doesn't pretend to have all the answers--thankfully--but it is a fine survey of the victims (including some that are not always considered to have been "canonical" Ripper kills), investigators, suspects, history in literature, popular culture and investigation. This is written with a bit of lightness in tone, to offset the heaviness of the subject. Recommended as an introduction to these crimes for anyone interested.

[Andrew Killion · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is essentially a summary of all that is known about the Jack the Ripper case as of the time of publishing. The language is concise, yet elegant, although I did not care for the snarky attitude towards the end, when the authors reviewed Jack’s appearances on page and screen through the last century or so.

[Luis González · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro muy sencillo acerca de mi personaje favorito de la historia. Tiene la información muy somera, pero aún así es buena para los pocos entendidos como yo. Ahora sé un poco más del asunto, y espero poder encontrar algo más sustancioso en el futuro.

[Daniels Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escrito a modo documental relata cronológicamente los acontecimientos más relevantes en torno al misterio de Jack el destripador.

Adicionalmente, el libro incluye algunas de las hipótesis más interesantes con respecto a los principales sospechosos y motivos de los asesinatos.

[Dorkmissile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels like a lot of the same information that is already out there but the author of this book takes personal hits on other authors that have written about Jack the Ripper. That turned me off from the book and the authors.

[Marcos Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es meramente una recopilación de los asesinatos ocurridos y todo la información falsa o verdadera detrás del mito de Jack el destripador; interesante si quieres empezar por todo ese fandom hacia Jack y su historia.

[Jack Ribble · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant read, a very basic and impartial overview of the Ripper and surrounding theories. I found the book strayed too when it began summarizing every movie that ever featured or mentioned Jack, although without that there may mot have been enough material to justify publication.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great easy read

[Mariela Carreon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Klara Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

Very informative and honestly I should not have chuckled as much as I did in the second half of the book. I think I'm just too stupid to fully comprehend this book.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

AN INTERESTING BUT BRIEF BOOK ON BRITAIN'S FIRST NOTORIOUS SERIAL KILLER BUT LACKING SOME OF THE DETAIL AND DEPTH OF OTHER JACK THE RIPPER BOOKS.

[Lynn Ruval · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pesar de su trama interesante y su peso histórico, tuve que abandonarlo porque me generó un bloqueo lector por su crudeza.

[K.A. Krisko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I "read" this as an audio-book, out of curiosity for the format - I should have read it the traditional way, as I seem to retain more information that way. This was my first "Ripper" book, and I was impressed with the apparent depth of the investigations; I'd previously thought the crimes were generally passed off due to the social status of the victims. This book is divided into sections: the murders themselves, the victims and possible victims, the suspects, and a reader's bibliography. It draws no conclusions, and pretty much mocks any conclusions that have been drawn by others over the years. I enjoyed some of the tongue-in-cheek wit, but at other times it was a bit condescending (though that may be the fault of the narrator). I appreciated the bibliography, as it's given me a direction to go if I decide I want to read more in this, er, vein. I'd recommend this as a starter guide for those interested in the Ripper murders.

[Nuska · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Jack was born just as the popular press was finding its feet and they helped each other inmeasurably. He gave them murders to boost their circulation and they, in turn, made him into a legend. No detail was too titillating or unpleasant to be left unreported or undistorted" (9).

"The only character who doesn't seem to have tracked the Ripper [in Sherlock Holmes] is Mrs. Hudson". (82).

"He [the Ripper] has met Doctor Who's Doctor on at least two occasions: 'The Pit' (1993) and 'Matrix' (1998)". (82).

This book is a good compilation of all important things related with Jack the Ripper's case. I'm not much into true crime stories but, as part of popular knowledge, I find the Ripper particulary interesting. There are a lot of things written about this case but this book is useful to have a quite complete overview.

[Amy H. Sturgis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is just what I was expecting and wishing: a quick-and-dirty primer not only of the historical Jack the Ripper murders, but also of the victims (both "canonical" and possibly related), the different suspects over the years, the various theories/arguments and the seminal works that originally introduced them, and the depictions of Jack the Ripper in fiction, film, and television. This is merely a starting point, a general introduction, but I was impressed by the organization and breadth of the information presented. I especially appreciated the mini-reviews offered in the final section on the fictional Ripper in popular media.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative compound of hypotesis and possible suspects about the Whitechapel murders and information about the victims' background. The book narrates how the case unfolded and which authorities got involved and what measures were taken to try to capture The Ripper. There's also a section about media references of Jack the Ripper, which I found interesting. It's a nice reference book and a good introduction for anyone interested in learning about Jack the Ripper's case.

[Bonnie Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a favorite of mine. A lot of the book was him discussing other authors' books and then proceeding to say why they are wrong. He never really has a theory of his own, just that there is a lot of wrong answers out there. I do agree with him that the answer will probably never be known but for a pretty short book it took me quite a while to get through.

[Lourdes Mireya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack el destripador de Miriam Rivett y Mark Whitehead.

Al parecer solo 4 víctimas por el hombre de 1000 caras…

Se trata de Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes y Mary Jane Kelly, todas ellas prostitutas, todas ellas abatidas por el alcohol y todas ellas, por desgracia, mucho menos recordadas que su asesino.