I'm Jack

by Mark Blacklock

An “intelligent, disturbing slice of noir” that portrays the man who derailed the police investigation into the Yorkshire Ripper (The Guardian).   In this provocative novel, Mark Blacklock portrays the true and complex history of John Humble, aka Wearside Jack, the Ripper Hoaxer, a timewaster and criminal, sympathetic and revolting, the man hidden by a wall of words, a fiction-spinner worthy of textual analysis. In this remarkable work, John Humble leads the reader into an allusive, elusive labyrinth of interpretations, simultaneously hoodwinking and revealing. I’m Jack is a riveting novel about truth, lies, prison and shame. It is also a profound and furious love letter to Sunderland. It is a puzzle, a hoax, a multi-voice portrait and a virtuoso assemblage of textual elements. I’m Jack announces the arrival of a radically talented and innovative novelist.   “A gripping study in self-invention—and, ultimately, self-erasure.”—Tom McCarthy, author of the Man Booker Prize finalists, Satin Island and C “Here are dark telegrams from an expertly realized otherness that is Sunderland. Spare. Swift. Smart. And dangerous. Carrying us through maps of shame to rescue a convincing fiction of the past from its sullen entropy.”—Iain Sinclair, award-winning author of The Last London “A chilling debut . . . An audacious exercise in mimicry . . . Its tone is mischievous, with a vein of dark, crafty humor—though the overall effect is somber. Blacklock’s Humble is impossible to like; yet by the end it is almost impossible not to feel sorry for him.”—Financial Times   “A deftly executed ventriloquist act, it’s anchored in the true story of notorious hoaxer John Humble.”—Observer

Genres: Fiction, Novels, 21st Century, British Literature

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2015

Reviews

[Ilyhana Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The crafting of this novel is exceptional. A mosaic of letters, reports, witness accounts, even poetry make up an impression of the man John Humble. It requires interpretation by the reader, a deciphering of the lies, the arrogance, the stupidity, the fragments of honest regret, the eventual capitulation to the truth of his doing.
Parts of the novel are monotonous, as his life must have been. Underlying the monotony is a sinister inference that John Humble truly desired to identify with the reputation of Jack the Ripper.
The author creates a valid presentation of a weak man attempting to steal for himself a notorious identity, to try it on for a while, see how it feels, utterly thoughtless of consequence.
The book is all the more impactful for being based on the real life events of the man John Humble and the hoax he very nearly got away with.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed by this, both by the clever use of a mosaic structure, and by the insight into Humble's character. You have to slow down and read the Wearside-dialect monologues aloud for their full effect (and sometimes, to understand them), but the book as a whole is evocative, imaginative, and compassionate. David Peace with a heart.
I read this in one go - I'll admit to being gripped, even though (and perhaps because) I knew what happened. This s the best true crime/novel crossover that I've read in years (though Andrew Hankinson's book about Raoul Moat was pretty good too).
Might have to read something a bit more light-hearted next time...go back to John Connolly, maybe.

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story itself and the mixed media style of writing were quite interesting but unfortunately as a whole, the book was not something I enjoyed thoroughly. This was probably due to my own personal taste but it's unlikely I will reread this.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a pretty great read. I don't usually go in for crime stuff, but this was a nice, very emotional book. It's based on the Wearside Jack hoax letters about the Yorkshire Ripper, and really, I found myself sort of feeling bad for Wearside Jack?? I'm probably a secret criminal at heart, but the book was told through his letters, letters to him, and various legal documents and it painted a very heartfelt, sad picture. Worth a read if you're interested in crime or serial killers.

[Danny Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin?

Casual acquaintances with this novel may baulk at the unparagraphed, unpunctuated, stream of consciousness opening and put it back where they found it.

That would be a mistake.

This is a brilliant, innovative novel, if indeed 'novel' is the way to describe it. Made up of letters, police transcripts, scientific and psychoanalytic reports, graphology, redacted statements and various other forms, (real or imagined, it's impossible to tell) Mark Blacklock has weaved a complex portrayal of the individual responsible for the 'Wearside Jack' forged letters and tapes that became synonymous with the search for the Yorskhire Ripper.

It is a fascinating character study and darkly beautiful in its evocation of both Sunderland and working class life during the 70s and early 80s. The subject is, in turns, an elaborate game player, a liar, a goader, an obsessive, an innocent victim of society's ills, delusional, full of self-denial and occasional self-loathing…and yet for all that, he is also curiously sympathetic and it is this that I think makes Blacklock's creation so incredible.

[Korie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Synopsis
In this provocative novel Mark Blacklock portrays the true and complex history of John Humble, aka Wearside Jack, the Ripper Hoaxer, a timewaster and criminal, sympathetic and revolting, the man hidden by a wall of words, a fiction-spinner worthy of textual analysis. In this remarkable work, John Humble leads the reader into an allusive, elusive labyrinth of interpretations, simultaneously hoodwinking and revealing.

I'm Jack is a riveting novel about truth, lies, prison and shame. It is also a profound and furious love letter to Sunderland. It is a puzzle, a hoax, a multi-voice portrait and a virtuoso assemblage of textual elements. I'm Jack announces the arrival of a radically talented and innovative novelist.

Review
I'm Jack was an interesting mixed media read looking at the life of John Humble. In all honesty, it wasn't a book I would normally pick up, but it looked interesting. It was an interesting read, however, I didn't like it for my own personal tastes. There were many times within this book where I wanted to DNF this book but because it was so short I decided I would push through it. It wasn't that it was a bad book in any sense of the word. Its just it didn't fit into what I like in a book. This is quite odd for me to say because I like nearly every book I read. I have only ever had one DNF book at that was a book I read years ago.
This is not a book that I am going to keep on my shelves as I picked it up very cheaply so I don't mind giving it up. It would be a great book to analyse though, through the different textual styles and interviews, documents and voices throughout.

[Simon Barraclough · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hybrid ‘novel’ that impersonates the man who impersonated the Yorkshire ripper: a fascinating spiral staircase down into one of the infinite cellars of Hell. Or maybe Purgatory because the book, while dark and unsentimental, contains a quantum of compassion, an impulse to understand, if not to forgive. The years and deeds this book deals with came very close to our home and our lives in the mid-to-late 1970s and this was a forbidding and sometimes claustrophobic read. But something of an artistic triumph.

[aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

an intriguing read and style of writing, fiction through imagined letters mixed with factual transcripts and news reports. as the letters are written often in johns wearside accent its occasionally hard to follow but it also makes it all the more realistic; you can imagine him actually speaking to you as we are so familiar with his voice from the hoax tapes. overall a very interesting and enjoyable read and very thought provoking re the impact johns hoax had on the yorkshire ripper inquiry

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really impressive multi-layered picture of Jack Humble. Knew the story but nothing about the man, until I read this - even though this is mostly imagined, I feel like I’m right inside his head now. Reminded me of You Can Do Something Amazing With Your Life You Are Raoul Moat’ by Andrew Hankinson, which is also highly recommended.

[Justin Sarginson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original format, well crafted and incredibly entertaining. Perhaps not for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Grim at points, but reality is right?

[Andrew Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, but probably not an easy read if you're unfamiliar with the case or the dialect.

[Chris Roberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

England / (Aerial shot) Leeds at dusk / (Soft focus) / An industrial area / (Hard focus) / A six-story confectionery warehouse / (Zoom in) / rooftop / (Camera center) two figures.

(Head shot, both characters) “Oi Derick / I can touch the sky!” / “Bloody brilliant Chris!” / “Let's roll a baccy” / Are you barmy?! Let's get at it now! Wait, what's that noise?” / “Belt up! Have a butchers Derick!

(Pan in) / Peter Sutcliffe scampering up drain pipe /(Zoom out slowly, fix) Ripper grabs Derick, he struggles to break free / "Let him have it, Chris!!" / Gunshot / loud report / burns through Sutcliffe's eye / (Wide shot) He picks up the boys and throws them off the roof (Body shot) Peter Sutcliffe throws up ancient gang signs.

(Zoom out) Play “Ain’t Taking ‘bout Love” by Van Halen, Fade, Credits.

Chris Roberts

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I am fascinated by Jack the Ripper but have very little interest in the Yorkshire Ripper case, despite the fact that I come from Sunderland and how much my city was caught up in that case.
But reading this book has made me curious.
I loved the unreliable narrative style and the use of the epistolary format. I found the poor spelling and grammar to be charming and as it is my local dialect, had no issues with understanding it.
I loved hearing about 70's Sunderland and reading the names of places I know well.
It had me hooked as Blacklock writes Humble with a strong literary voice and while I do not like the man, he does have his own tragic tale which lies forgotten in the case.
I think this book was very cleverly constructed and it has become a surprise favourite of mine! So glad my book club prompted me to read this at last!