See What I Have Done

by Sarah Schmidt

WINNER OF THE ABIA LITERARY FICTION OF THE YEAR 2018
WINNER OF THE MUD LITERARY AWARD 2018
Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018
Shortlisted for the Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction 2018
Shortlisted for The Ned Kelly Awards for Best First Crime 2018
Shortlisted for the Strand Critics Awards for Best First Novel
Shortlisted for the Davitt Awards for Debut Novel 2018
Longlisted for the ABIA Matt Richell Award for New Writers 2018

'Eerie and compelling, Sarah Schmidt breathes such life into the terrible, twisted tale of Lizzie Borden and her family, she makes it impossible to look away.' Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train

He was still bleeding. I yelled, 'Someone's killed Father.' I breathed in kerosene air, licked the thickness from my teeth. The clock on the mantel ticked ticked. I looked at Father, the way hands clutched to thighs, the way the little gold ring on his pinky finger sat like a sun. I gave him that ring for his birthday when I no longer wanted it. 'Daddy,' I had said. 'I'm giving this to you because I love you.' He had smiled and kissed my forehead.

Lizzie Borden took an axe. Or did she? On 4 August 1892 Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. During the inquest into the deaths, Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged with the murder of her father and her stepmother.
Through the eyes of Lizzie's sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget, the enigmatic stranger Benjamin and the beguiling Lizzie herself, we return to what happened that day in Fall River.

'Haunting, evocative and psychologically taut, See What I Have Done breathes fresh life into the infamous 19th-century murder case surrounding Lizzie Borden. This is a powerful, beautifully researched debut novel that brings us into contact with the recurring American dramas of violence and retribution while summoning the beguiling voices of the past.' Dominic Smith, author of the New York Times bestseller The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

'Deserves to be considered a Gothic classic.' The Saturday Paper

'Schmidt writes thrillingly well.' The Australian

'A grand gothic novel.' Books+Publishing

'Believe the hype.' Marie Claire

'There are books about murder and there are books about imploding families; this is the rare novel that seamlessly weaves the two together, asking as many questions as it answers.' Kirkus Reviews

'[An] unforgettable debut ... Equally compelling as a whodunit, 'whydunit,' and historical novel.' Publishers Weekly

'Heralds the arrival of a major new talent ... Nail-biting horror mixes with a quiet, unforgettable power to create a novel readers will stay up all night finishing.' Booklist

SELECTED AS ONE OF 2017's MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS BY: Entertainment Weekly (US), Sydney Morning Herald (AU), The Metro (UK), The Observer (UK), The Sun (UK), The Express (UK), The Pool (UK) and The Stylist (UK)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Crime, Horror, Thriller

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2017

About the author

Sarah Schmidt is a Melbourne based writer who happens to work at a public library.
See What I Have Done is her first novel.

Sarah is currently watching:
Nathan for You
A shit ton of YouTube for 'research purposes’
Lady Dynamite (re watch)

Sarah is currently reading:
Cove - Cynan Jones

Last Read:
Hourglass - Dani Shapiro


Things Sarah has burnt this week:
Her face, cheese on toast

Sarah is currently listening to the following podcasts:

The butterfly effect
Ear Hustle
It's Not A Race
The Moth
Criminal
How Did This Get Made
The Allusionist
You Must Remember This
Comedy Bang Bang
Death, Sex & Money

This week's random useless fact:
Sarah eats pasta

Tell us one more thing?
Sarah's least favourite season is summer

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m removing my review based on a personal commitment to not place unnecessarily negative content on Goodreads - there is enough ugliness in the world already, and I realized it doesn’t give me any joy to shit on writing that an author labored over and especially that gives other readers much-needed pleasure in these hard times - but suffice it to say that this book really didn’t work for me! (OK, those of you who remember my original review will recall that it REALLY REALLY didn’t work out for me!) 😉🙃 This book probably personally triggered me and I’m content to leave it at that.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars to See What I Have Done, a historical fictional account of the "Lizzie Borden Axe Murders," written by Sarah Schmidt and set to be published on August 1, 2017. Many thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic Monthly Press and the author for providing me with an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of this fantastic book.

Why This Book
I've become a NetGalley member and saw this in the update feeds of a few fellow Goodreads' members. I am fascinated with historical re-telling of real-life stories and knew a little bit about the Lizzie Borden murders. I thought this would be a great way to learn more and read the debut novel of a new author. And if you're interested in some additional facts about the whole affair, check out this site: http://www.history.com/news/9-things-....

Approach & Style
I read the electronic Kindle Reader version on my iPad over three days. The book mostly takes place over a 3-day period, covering the day before, the day of, and the day after the murders occurred. It takes place in the small Massachusetts town in the Borden home.

There are about 15 chapters with each one told from the perspective of all the main and supporting characters. You see and hear the voice of each person before or after the murders occurred, learning different facts that weren't clear to everyone else.

I believe most of the main facts are accurate, but there is likely some embellishment in the thoughts and actions of the other characters. For example, the uncle's motivations behind hiring a supposed accomplice are not fully explored in the book but were more detailed in real life. As is traditional in historical fiction, there is some element of drama being added in to help support some of the known information. It felt natural to me, and nothing seemed to throw me at any point, which means the author has done a fine job at telling this story.

Plot, Characters & Setting

I'm breaking this area into two sections to set the stage of what has previously occurred and what actually happens in the book. Since this is a real-life story, I don't think any of this counts as a spoiler, but if you want to be surprised about what's actually covered in the book, you may want to skip this review.

Background covered thru conversations
Andrew and Sarah Borden were married and had two daughters, Emma and Alice. Alice unfortunately died in infancy from dropsy. A few years later, Lizzie was born, but Sarah never quite recovered and passed away. Andrew later married Abby, who became a stepmother to his two surviving daughters. Sarah's brother, John Morse, would visit from time to time, checking in on his nieces in their small hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts. Though they lived in somewhat poor conditions, the Bordens were very wealthy; Andrew was just unwilling to spend any money. Abby hires a house maid, Bridget, recent Irish immigrant. At first, the ladies are friendly, but over time, Abby becomes more and more difficult, which leaves Bridget wanting to escape the family's clutches, as she feels there is a dark cloud surrounding both the family and the home. Emma loses her chance at getting married when Lizzie orchestrates a small blackmail scheme in order to keep Emma from leaving. But Emma eventually moves away from Fall River on her own, leaving Lizzie behind. Lizzie's mental state is somewhat questionable as a result of these actions.

Action in novel
Lizzie and her father have a peculiar relationship. They love one another, but for a nearly 30 year old woman, Lizzie certainly plays a few too many games to capture his attention. She also raises pigeons in the backyard to keep her mind occupied. Lizzie does not like her stepmother, Abby, and often treats her poorly. Lizzie also plays mind games with Bridget, the house maid. Lizzie has some great lines, and quite a number of times, I had to stop reading and think about what that loon was trying to do. She might actually scare me if I met her in person, and I don't scare easily.

The Bordens are planning to have a small party in a few days. Abby tells Bridget what needs to be cleaned and arranged, but it is too much for one person. Bridget asks Lizzie to help with some of it, but Lizzie has a fit and tells Bridget it's not her responsibility. Bridget is trying to escape the house and has been saving up enough money. As she's telling the neighboring house maid, Mary, Abby overhears Bridget's confession and steals the money, so Bridget is unable to leave. Bridget is very upset and agrees to clean up for the party but begs to leave afterwards. Abby says she'll think about it, but truly has no intention of letting Bridget leave. Andrew is off at work when a visitor arrives. It's his former brother-in-law, John Morse, who has stopped in to check in on his nieces.

Uncle John has a flashback to a conversation the previous day with Benjamin, a somewhat friend of his, who has been hired to "do something" to Andrew Borden, as revenge for the way he treats his daughters. John sees the pain and struggle in Emma and Lizzie, and wants to teach Andrew a lesson. Benjamin hides out in the house and the barn for several hours. Andrew arrives home and is angry to learn from Abby that John has shown up unannounced. Abby then tells him that Lizzie knew earlier in the day he would be stopping, but failed to tell anyone. As revenge on his own daughter, Andrew harms her pigeons. Lizzie is distraught over the whole situation. The next morning, an odd series of events occurs involving Abby supposedly leaving to visit a sick friend, the uncle heading in to town to meet some bankers and Andrew preparing to leave for work, too. Lizzie and Bridget are mulling about the house. Bridget hears strange noises but can't find anyone. Soon after, Lizzie comes running to find Bridget and tells her that her father has been cut. He's resting on the couch in another room but looks very sick. Bridget runs for the doctor. Everyone assumes Abby is out with the sick friend. But events quickly turn when the cops arrive and find Abby has also been brutally murdered with an axe, just like Andrew.

Emma is brought back to the house. Benjamin is hiding out in the barn, then meets with John. John asks him why he killed Abby too, as the plan was only to harm Andrew. Benjamin wants his money, but says he never got to hurt anyone. When he arrived, he found both had already been killed. John doesn't understand but when the cops arrive, Benjamin escapes. No one knows he was there until years later when he surprises Lizzie and asks for his money. Emma, Bridget and Lizzie band together to help clean up the house, trying to get some rest before the bodies are moved to the mortuary. Lizzie says many odd things but no one accuses her of murder. She doesn't seem upset that her father has died, but she is also given sedatives to keep her calm. A few days later, she's arrested but is not found guilty. The book doesn't cover the trial, instead it's told in a few small sections as part of the conclusion to the book. We learn what happened to Bridget, Lizzie and Emma in the future years, as well as John and Benjamin.

Strengths
I am not certain how much knowledge the author had of all the events beyond what people may have already read about or seen on TV. Perhaps she had access to all the police reports, trial summaries and information handed down to future generations. But what she's done with it is truly amazing. She's brought to life this once great family and shown us the complexities of living in the 1890s beneath one's means when there was money to do things in a better way. She's shown the crazy and tender side of Lizzie. She's made Andrew and Abby into very peculiar people who either were indeed crazy themselves or truly just impacted by raising someone like Lizzie. Nothing is clear cut, as the author offers up scenes and emotions, but the reader gets to choose how to interpret the action. It feels very accurate from what I know of the true story. The embellishments add drama but don't take away from the sense of reality that occurred. The writing feels authentic to the 1890s. The descriptions clearly show what the house looked like and how the family lived. I love how the murders were handled, as they weren't. But it was fantastic. In one scene change, we go from a few missing hours of time to suddenly Lizzie yelling her father has been cut. You might think it is awkward, but it really is integrated quite well. It's exactly representative of the missing hours in the real story, since we don't for certain know what happened.

For those who are a tad squeamish, there are a number of scenes describing how different people react to the dead bodies. And some of these characters have an unhealthy fascination with blood and cuts. If you can't handle a few descriptions about how some of the characters touch the bodies and want to feel where the axe has cut open flesh and bone, you may not want to read this one. I loved it, but as much as I find this kind of detail cool... what two of the characters do is absolutely insane... are there really people like that? Oh my!

Concerns
I would have liked more background on why they thought Lizzie was guilty. No evidence is provided, but very little of the arrest and trial is included in this novel. It leaves you wanting more. I would have liked to see a fact sheet in the back, letting us know what was embellished and what was real. There is some information showing the timeline of events, but you won't know on your own without reading other literature or websites, which makes you wonder which parts are true, e.g. the whole concept of Bridget and the stolen money or the events with the pigeons.

Questions & Final Thoughts
It's a solid book. It deserves a 4 rating, given how well the author has told a story that actually happened but with some flair and drama to make the intricacies even more complex. It is an easy read and leaves you more curious about the events and the author's future in writing. I will definitely pick up another book if and when she writes another one.

About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

[Felice Laverne · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my exclusive interview with Sarah Schmidt about her novel See What I Have Done here!

Sarah Schmidt's See What I Have Done is a novel that has the advantage of having a truly titillating premise and a built-in fan base of readers who already know of Miss Lizzie Borden’s infamy:

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

If you’ve ever sung that “nursery rhyme” to yourself, you’re already at least a step ahead. See What I Have Done has its roots in the factual 1892 trial of Lizzie Borden--the characters are even based on and named for the real people who were in and out of the house on the fateful day of the murders. With those common facts out of the way, Schmidt rolls up her sleeves and dives into the task of reconstructing that fateful day and retelling the notorious story of Miss Lizzie Borden.

Let me start by first of all saying that Schmidt has a true talent for finding her readers' pressure points and picking at them consistently, a skill that sets a suspenseful novel apart from a predictable one. I can see this author's method working for so many readers, pulling them in and making them feel immersed in these characters' very thoughts. But, it didn't work for me. In fact, there were times when this novel was an uphill struggle for me.

The one thing that will always stick out to me about this novel is Lizzie’s temperament. Throughout the novel it was eerily strange despite her obviously childlike temperament, menacing just below the surface in a way that was clearly deliberate on the author’s part. Whether she was not in her right mind in a vaguely sociopathic way or in a childlike way hinting at mental retardation I could not fully tell (though I’m leaning toward the latter), but it certainly functioned to add a little unpredictability and upheaval in the otherwise monotonous 19th century lives these characters seemed to lead.

However, there was something about the execution of this novel that really turned me off—possibly intentionally—but I definitely didn’t take to it the way I would have wanted to. Lizzie’s personality was like an itch under my skin, one I wanted to scratch until she was gone completely and long forgotten about. Instead of building suspense or anxiety, her twitchiness and oddities really just annoyed me to the point that I could no longer stand her. I wanted to be out of her head—away from her altogether at times—at any cost. Only, her chapters were by far the most interesting, as the others seemed to melt into the background for me as a reader. The characters’ voices didn’t pull me in; their actions didn’t interest me. So, that left me with Lizzie, and you can imagine the conundrum that left me in as a reader! :) There was just too much of it. A titillating hint here and there is intriguing; 5 hints toward her psychological oddities per page, every page is annoying. That��s what created that itching sensation under my skin, the tap dancing on my reader Spidey senses.

The thing is, Sarah Schmidt’s ability to affect her reader in that way is a true gift, a skill that's difficult to hone and display. So, just because it didn’t work for me personally doesn’t mean that I don’t see the cleverness and mental dexterity it took to execute that aspect of this novel, and for that I tip my hat off to her. I’d recommend this novel to lovers of The Village (2004) or of historical mysteries in general. There’s absolutely a fan base out here for Sarah Schmidt and See What I Have Done, and I look forward to giving her another shot the next time she hits the shelves. 3 stars ***

**I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Grove Atlantic, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

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See my EXCLUSIVE interview with Sarah Schmidt: Sarah Schmidt Pulls the Curtain Back on her Debut Novel, See What I Have Done!

[Always Pouting · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lizzie Borden walks into the drawing room of her house one morning to her father's mutilated body and begins to scream out for the maid to come help. Soon after her stepmother's body is found upstairs and law enforcement is called into investigate. Lizzie's sister Emma has to come back home after finally moving away to try and create a life for herself independent of her sister. The book follows by re accounting the events leading up the day of the murders, painting a picture of a dysfunctional family where multiple people have motive to have killed Mr. and Mrs. Borden.

Another 2.5 stars because even though the ideas behind the book and the relationships portrayed were pretty interesting, the writing and plot line just didn't do it for me. Might be spoilers from this point on not sure what counts as a spoiler and what doesn't since it's based on something that actually happened. I felt like it was so obvious all along that Lizzie was the one who did it and I feel like reading about what drove her to become the person she did wasn't really that fascinating because it really wasn't enough to make her murdering her parents feel justified. I don't think the author meant to try and justify it but it just feels hard to like a character who keeps putting all responsibilities on other people, especially when it's her own sister. Going in to the book I didn't know it was based on something that had actually happened historically, and I'm not sure what the purpose here is supposed to be. Is it to cast doubt on whether or not Lizzie did it, or to excuse it because of her supposed mental state in a house with a tense environment? It didn't really do either of those things for me, because honestly I can not comprehend why Lizzie hates her stepmother all of a sudden or what exactly makes her dissociate the way she does multiple times through out because the physical abuse from her father seems not to be at a level where it should be causing it. Also her blatant disregard for her sister and anyone else felt much more intentional than something someone in such a dissociated state would do. Again it might just be my mood but I couldn't get into the book, the whole time I just felt like Lizzie was a sociopath and kept wishing Emma would just stop trying to take care of her.

[Mischenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my full review @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2017/...

I was so excited to start this book because I love retellings and honestly didn’t know the whole story behind the accusations of Lizzie Bordon murdering her parents with an ax in 1892. I decided to get online and read about the true story so that I would have an idea about what really went down that August morning in 1892.

The book starts with an introduction to that morning the ax murdering took place in Fall River, Massachusetts. Lizzie’s father Andrew and her stepmother Abby were both found axed to death and the only person in sight when someone finally arrives to help is Lizzie. Everyone wants to know who the perpetrator is. Who could commit such horrible acts of crime and why would they want to hurt these people?

For me, the first half of the book was not intriguing at all. I felt like the characters were flat and boring and the narrative was confusing at times, mainly because of Lizzie’s thoughts with the jumping back and forth between reality and what was going on in Lizzie’s head. I wasn’t enjoying the writing style at all. Then, when I got to the last half of the book, I became very interested in who the real killer was here. It could’ve been Lizzie, but she’s not reliable and her thoughts are all over the place. Is she being honest? What about Uncle John and Benjamin? There are clues and accusations along the way, but the reader is left to wonder until the very end what actually happened.

Overall, The author has spun her own version of the tale and it’s spellbinding at times. I’m happy that I stuck with it and didn’t give up. Some people say that the book is gruesome, but I didn’t think it was too gory on the details. I really appreciated the timeline the author provided in the back of the book. If you’d like more true information on the events that took place, you might want to watch “Histories Mysteries: The Strange Case of Lizzie Bordon.” This is truly a compelling mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for review.

My rating on this is 3.5 stars

Hardcover: 324 pages
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (August 1, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802126596
ISBN-13: 978-0802126597

[Jaidee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "rhythmic, revolting, riveting" stars !!

4th Favorite Read of 2019 Award

To say that I loved this debut novel by Sarah Schmidt would be an understatement !

Ms. Schmidt has taken this well known piece of history and created through character studies and immense and intense sensuality an alternate yet plausible understanding of this familial double murder.

In this re-imagining we are taken into Lizzie's interior world, her sister's sacrifices, Bridget the maid's mistreatment and a hired killer to try and unravel what happened to this most dysfunctional yet wealthy family.

The prose of this novel is fascinating with all sorts of rhythms and beats and repetitions interspersed with the most vile sensual imagery that gives a technicolor fireworks that does not let up. Not only can we see, but we hear, and unfortunately (in a good way) smell and taste the maladaptive decay that is inherent not only in these family system but in the damage of personalities that each of the main characters experience and exhibit. Lizzie is one of the greatest depictions of Histrionic Personality Disorder that I have ever read about.

I cannot wait for what Ms. Schmidt comes up next.

I would love her to do a collaboration with Otessa Moshfeigh where Lizzie meets Eileen in some near future environment and they take over the world with evil glee :D

Jokes aside. This blew my socks off and this is a book that I will study further for its originality and jagged poetic prose.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars.

A family at its most dysfunctional. What happened is therefore, not exactly surprising.. Its retelling is however, brilliantly done. “See What I Have Done” is the historical retelling of the story of Lizzie Borden, by Sarah Schmidt. You’ve all heard the story:

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

As we all know, Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted for her alleged crimes because there was no hard evidence – it was all circumstantial and Lizzie was set free.

This retelling is rather splendid. It embellishes upon the life of Lizzie Borden and those around her. Her sister Emma, her abusive, controlling and difficult father, Andrew; her step-mother Abby (with whom she didn’t get along); and her Uncle John (who almost no one liked). A stranger (and friend of Uncle John) named Benjamin, who made his appearance around the town and in the home the day before and on the day of the murders. And last but not least: the family maid, Bridget - who saw and heard everything. “See What I Have Done” is the story of why Lizzie Borden became the woman she did and the events surrounding that fateful day. And I must say, the story is truly captivating.

“See What I Have Done” starts with the crime. The morning of. The discovery of Andrew Borden’s body; and then the discovery of Abby Borden. Lizzie was questioned. Her behavior was erratic - which to be frank, was expected. First, she discovered her father’s body and second, she was always known as the strange one, the crazy one. Why wouldn’t she be out of it when questioned? Lizzie and her father had a tumultuous relationship and she never got along with her step-mother. She never felt loved, thus she sought out attention and affection any way she could. Further, Lizzie Borden was not in her right mind - but that should not come as a surprise, given the level of familial dysfunction she grew up with and how she was treated. Her sister Emma often tried to comfort her, but they too had their issues with each other. Their family was not an easy one.

In case you did not know, at the time of the crime, Lizzie was not alone in the house. Yet her behavior was singled out. Bridget, was of course, in the house as always and did nothing to garner suspicion of any kind. Yet another individual was in the home and acted crazy suspicious. A man named Benjamin. He was neither seen nor heard - by anyone but Uncle John. He was, however there for a reason. And he was never discovered.

This story then moves forward and backwards at pivotal points, told from the alternating perspectives of Lizzie, Emma, Bridget and Benjamin. This is highly effective in that it gives the reader an idea of each person’s POV and allows us the opportunity to understand how each person felt during specific points in time. You feel what they feel and inevitably can’t help but wonder who was the victim in this story. Sarah Schmidt makes you question this in her retelling. I felt as though I was reliving this with Lizzie herself. For a few moments, I felt her craziness stirring inside of me. It was not a welcome feeling. I am glad it’s gone.

So to be frank, I can’t say for sure if Lizzie Borden actually picked up the axe, but then I work in the legal field and I believe in reasonable doubt. Had I not read this story, I previously would have said I thought she did it. Now, I’m not so sure and that is because of Ms. Schmidt’s brilliant embellishment of Lizzie’s family and her history. While I don’t know how much research went into this book, I can honestly say that Sarah Schmidt breathed life into the story and that’s enough for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery/suspense novels as well as those who enjoy true crime books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Sarah Schmidt for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 7.26.17.

*Will be published on Amazon on 8.1.17.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are many good things in this book that would make this a great choice for a different reader. Sadly I am not that reader. I was super excited about this book - it was on plenty of people's "most anticipated" lists, both covers are absolutely stunning, and the bit of the blurb that I read sounded exciting. I had some misconceptions though: I did not realize that this book would be gritty historical fiction, I did not realize that Lizzie Borden was 32, and for some reason I thought it would have magical realist pieces.

Sarah Schmidt sets out to retell the story of the Borden murders - murders so famous that most people in the English speaking world have heard of them (I was not one of those people). The story is told in alternating viewpoints following Lizzie Borden, her sister Emma, their maid Bridget, and an involved bystander/psychopath, Benjamin. Every single one of those characters, save maybe Bridget, is unbelievably awful. They are nasty, self-involved, blind to their own faults, and unbearable to spend time with. Especially Lizzie's chapters made me want to throw things - she is without a doubt the worst person I ever had to listen to (figuratively). Every time her name was above the chapter, I groaned. I know many people do not mind unlikable characters but I think I just need to be honest with myself here. I am not one of those people; I need the characters I spend time with to be at least sympathetic or have any redeeming traits.

Sarah Schmidt has an undeniably brilliant way of painting vivid pictures that engage the readers senses in a near unique way. Sadly, here it is mostly used to paint a vivid picture of the awful living conditions of this wealthy family (the father was famously stingy). There are long and evocative descriptions of vomit, sweat, blood, period blood, and everything else nasty. The characters all eat fruit in a way that apparently leaves them covered in its juices. They do not swallow, they gulp (side note: I think this is my alltime least favourite word - it might be because I am not a native speaker but for me the action of gulping sounds super loud in my head).

This is not a bad book but it is one I did not enjoy one bit. I was absolutely the wrong reader. Sarah Schmidt has a very evocative way with words and I think she succeeds in telling her story in an original way; I thought the time jumps worked very well and the execution was really well-done. I just did not enjoy reading this and was sad to be so glad to be done with this book. But I was very glad.

First sentence: "He was still bleeding."

______
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian author Sarah Schmidt’s debut is a clever, gritty, vision of one of the most infamous unsolved crimes of history, beginning on the morning of the murder, when Lizzie calls the maid, telling her:

“Someone’s killed Father”.

These things are true:

Lizzie Borden was born 19 July 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts, she lived and died in that same town. Lizzie Andrew Borden, her full name, was tried and acquitted in 1892 for the murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts, the location of the murders was the home that they shared. The main characters in ”See What I Have Done” were the actual people in and out of the home, Lizzie’s older sister, Emma, her father Andrew, her stepmother Abby, Bridget is the maid, whose only dream is to return to her family in Ireland. John, Emma and Lizzie’s Uncle who is their mother’s – the first Mrs. Borden - brother.

Schmidt excels at making you want to really understand Lizzie Borden, get under her skin, making you want to figure out who she is, and if she’s done what the famous folk rhyme says she’s done, showing you so many possible diverse sides to this story.

For those of you who didn’t skip rope to this chant:

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

Yes, really. Up there with “Ring around the Rosie” and it’s rumoured background of it being about the Plague.

Told from different perspectives – Schmidt delivers a rather cryptic, strange, and disturbed peek into the thoughts of Lizzie, but no one is left to appear innocent. While the act itself is a fact, there remains the obvious who-done-it question.

The narrators include Emma and Lizzie, daughters of Sarah Anthony (Morse) Borden, the first Mrs. Borden, Bridget, the (Irish) family maid, and Benjamin, a man hired by Uncle John, an “outsider.”

A wonderful debut novel, this is a captivating, spellbinding and, at times, unsettling read. For me, exceptionally disquieting moments were when I was reading Lizzie’s thoughts, dark and disturbed one moment and filled with a childlike admiration and love the next – but always relayed in this childlike voice, as though she’s forever trapped in childhood. Lizzie is also a fairly fragmented, unreliable narrator, but then again, I wasn’t counting on her for an accurate retelling. Emma has her own unique view on life and her desire to shield of Lizzie, Lizzie was so young when their mother died and Emma feels responsible for Lizzie. Bridget stands out as voice of reason, contributing her the “behind the scenes” portrait of this uniquely different household in her levelheaded way, but as a maid her voice is quieted to almost a whisper. Benjamin has more than enough troubles of his own and Uncle John owes him, but he fills in his views.

I’m not sure how one would write a novel on this without including some gruesome details, but all things considered they are fairly minimal – although I would caution against eating while reading this for those with sensitive tummies. For those disturbed by this dark tale, I would recommend a dose of the Chad Mitchell Trio’s “Lizzie Borden” which I believe is only found on YouTube (unless you happen to have an old 45 of this), a much lighter take on Lizzie’s tale … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wlO-... which I found only because I was curious if there was ever a song in addition to the folk rhyme chant.

Recommended – with a cautionary twist

Pub Date: 01 Aug 2017


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Grove Atlantic / Atlantic Monthly Press

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

See What I have Done by Sarah Schmidt is a 2017 Atlantic Monthly Press publication.

After seeing some reviews for this book pop up on Goodreads and realizing the book was based on the infamous Lizzie Borden murders, I knew I had to read it.

For decades, I have been fascinated by the Borden murders, never quite sure if I fully believed in Lizzie’s guilt or innocence. I’ve read true crime and historical fiction based on Lizzie or the murders in general. Some of these novels are quite convincing, for one side or the other, and entirely plausible, while others are so far fetched I barely recognize the central characters. The same can be said for true crime books which also tend to lean to one side or the other and like to add, or leave out, any evidence that doesn’t fit their narrative.

Still, I never pass up the chance to read a book about the murders, fiction or nonfiction. This newest look at the day the Borden’s died and the subsequent fallout, is a work of fiction, and it appears to have received a few mixed reviews.

Initially, my personal experience with the novel, was one of boredom. The only interesting cog in the wheel was the arrival of Lizzie’s uncle on her mother’s side of the family, which explores a theory only some give credence to. I was glad the author decided to explore that angle, and the question of what John's motive may have been.

Other than that, there wasn’t much here I had not heard before, and many times it reminded me of the old made for television movie starring Elizabeth Montgomery. The speculation was different, but the characters and the family dynamics were very similar, as was the overall atmosphere.

However, towards the last quarter of the book, things really started to perk up. At one point, a chill went down my spine, literally.

The author doesn’t attempt to solve the riddle, instead leaving the reader, once again, to spend their spare time mulling over the evidence presented, which left plenty of room for reasonable doubt.

Although the book raised some interesting questions and presented some unexplored theories, and the author did a fair job of recreating the intense hostility and resentment in the Borden household, as well as giving the main players individual and pronounced personalities, there was something missing or lacking along the way that prevented the type of suspenseful build up I was hoping for. Perhaps my familiarity with the case squashed the anticipation aspects just a little, so maybe it was just me.

Still, I think the book was worth the time I invested in it, and it has renewed my interest in this case, causing me to rethink the facts I am one hundred percent sure of. But, at the end of the day, I find myself continuing to waffle, unable or unwilling, to stand on one side of the fence or the other.

The bulk of the book was mildly interesting, and kept me engaged just enough to propel me forward, but by the end, I was feeling much more impressed, and my attention was totally undivided.

So, for that reason, I gave the book a nudge up on the rating scale. - 3.5 stars

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read anything before, fictional or not, about these murders though of course I have heard the rhyme. This is a very interesting take on the Borden family and the murders of the two elder Bordens. Emma, ten years older than Lizzie, a young woman who has had to take on the role as main confidante and caregiver of a younger Lizzie. She promised her mother on her deathbed and Lizzie took full advantage of this promise. Emma, though was not in the house during the times of the murders. Lizzie, in her thirties, acts and sounds like a young child. Stunted growth. The young, Irish servant Bridget is our main narrator.

Written in a strange almost dreamlike manner, the ominous tone and the forbading atmosphere of the house permeated throughout. So very strange some of the things going on, from the mutton soup which always seems to be on the stove, never refrigerated, eaten daily to Mrs. Bordens strange attempt to hold on to Bridget. Not a happy home, definitely not a happy family. Two others are introduced to this story, an uncle and a young boy for hire.

Not a book I can recommend to everyone, but I thought this was inventive and well written, albeit as I said, strange.

ARC by publisher.
Releases August 1st by Atlantic Monthly.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Someone’s killed Father”

Someone indeed! Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home on August 4, 1892 between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m in Fall River, Massachusetts. Abby was killed first and then Andrew. Their bodies were found in different rooms - Abby upstairs and Andrew in his office. Lizzie Borden was arrested for the murders and spent 10 months in jail and after an hour and a half deliberation, the jury acquitted her of Murder.

Most people have heard the rhyme:

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

**In reality Abby was only hit 19 times and Andrew hit 10 or 11 times.

In this debut Novel, Schmidt paints a picture of the not-so-perfect Borden family. Andrew Borden was a wealthy man but was extremely frugal and his family lived without indoor plumbing or other comforts he could have easily afforded. His relationship with his daughters was tenuous at best due to him getting re-married after their Mother's death. He also gifted his new wife's family with real estate which further angered his daughters. There were also issues surrounding Mr. Borden killing Lizzie's pigeons. Lizzie appears to be quite immature and at times I felt she came off as a 13 year old girl versus a grown woman. Was she immature due to living a sheltered life? Did she have mental health issues?

The Borden family comes off as quite dysfunctional with both sisters locking up parts of the home at various times. Both adult daughters spent time in Europe after arguments with their father. When home, they rarely ate meals with their father and step-mother. The book also paints the sisters as having a love/hate relationship with each other. Emma was away at the time of the murders but only by 15 miles or so. Did she suspect her sister of killing their father and step-mother?

"I looked at my sister, looked at blood. That grief inside the heart."

What is interesting is that Bridget and Lizzie were both home at the time of the Murders. Bridget was quoted as hearing Lizzie say "Quickly. Someone has killed father." Lizzie burned a dress several days after the deaths were committed. An axe with a missing handle was found in the basement but the handle was broken off and the blade was clean. Could this have been the murder weapon? Why did Lizzie give conflicting statements? Was the door in the basement unlocked? Could someone have committed the murders without anyone in the house knowing?

This book is told through the point of view of various characters: Bridget (the housekeeper/maid), Emma (the oldest daughter), Lizzie, and Benjamin (hired by Uncle John). Their POV's jump around a little so one has to keep track of when they are giving their perspective (pre-Murder vs. post murder)Who had a motive? Was Lizzie the real killer? What was going on with the food? Why was the family getting violently ill before the murders? This family does a lot of vomiting in this book! There is also a lot of talk of blood - maybe the squeamish may have an issue with it. If you are reading a book about murder it is to be expected IMO.

I thought this book was a very good fictionalization of the real life murders of the Borden family. It is evident that the Author did a lot of research and wove her tale around the real life time frame of the important events in this book. These murders are very famous - at least in the United States. The murders have never been solved and many people could have had motives for the killings. Most people believe that Lizzie did commit the murders. I believe the fascination with this "cold case" is that at the time, it was "shocking" that a woman could or would commit such a crime. I think crime and/or history buffs will really enjoy this book.

I was torn between a 3.5 and a 4 so I rounded up to a 4. I wish the ending would have been a little more exciting. I found it to fizzle rather than to end with a BOOM. Yes, I realize that the Author cannot re-write history but I would have liked to have seem more of Lizzie and
Emma's perspectives at the end. Maybe a blow out fight between them. I was left wanting something more.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Axes....Murder....Multilation, and one Creepy Family....1892 Fall River, Massachusetts.

Sarah Schmidt does a great job of presenting this work of historical fiction about the life and times of Lizzie Borden complete with factual data and Creepy atmosphere.

As a matter of fact, the whole Borden family REALLY is a bit off, and it seems everyone dislikes.......well everyone including the maid Bridget who just wants to get the hell out of dodge, older sister Emma who desperately seeks separation from crazy Creepy Lizzie, and ole Uncle John who is just a bit too touchy with the sisters and has it in for their beastly father Andrew.....in a deadly way.

SEE WHAT I HAVE DONE has it all.....mystery, sibling rivalry, a Creepy dangerous man hanging around the family abode.....and oh.....I wouldn't eat the food!

So.....who REALLY butchered Andrew and step-mother Abby Borden? You'll find a timeline of facts, entertaining read and intriguing look into the past here....with a brutally symbolic book-cover to help you figure it out....or not.

One last note: Had to check out 92 Second Street NOW and THEN (interesting) AND I would be remiss if I didn't include this little rhyming ditty of Lizzie:

"Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks; When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one." (history.com)

Lizzie Borden - July 19, 1860 -- June 1, 1927

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to love this book. The synopsis sounds so cool, I love hist-fic (especially regarding famous murders), and the cover is gorgeous. I was so excited when I was approved for the ARC!

Sadly... I just can't do it. I tried really hard, but this writing style is horrible. I have never cringed so much in the first chapter of a book as I did in this one. I might try it again someday, but for now, I'm just going to have to DNF this one.

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lizzie Borden's story continues to fascinate me the world.


This is probably one of the better tellings of her story that I've read. Who cares if this book is fiction? It takes you there..in so many ways.

Way One: The author doesn't just shine a spot light on Lizzie. She takes the time to flesh out all the surrounding characters. You get a feel for the whole household. (And it ain't pretty)

Way Two: I thought the author had an unhealthy obsession with food at first. There are so many descriptions of food in this book that I kept wondering why the heck she was throwing so much in. I did know if they ate that damn mutton soup one more time I was going to take the axe to them my damn self. And the pears.......


Way Three: Everybody in this book had some kind of smell associated with them through out the story. And most of them stunk.

(Yes, I know that hygiene has changed Mr. Troll Ass..so back off before you even start)

Way Four: There are not really any redeemable characters in Lizzie's life. Including herself. I can totally see why SOMEONE took out the old ax.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review
.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think everyone knows the old rhyme about Lizzie Borden. But I would think that most folks, like me, never knew the actual facts of the murders. Well, this book sets out to tell the story of the days before, of and after the murders. The Bordens are just some strange people. No one really gets along with each other, let alone loves or cares for each other. Lizzie’s mental state is questionable and her character the most unlikeable. Emma is the only one for whom I felt any sympathy.

Each chapter is told from a different person’s perspective - Lizzie, Emma, Bridget (the maid), Benjamin (a thug). I can tell you, Lizzie’s initial chapter was so odd with its singsong narrative that I almost set the book aside before I had finished it. The author does do a good job of giving each character a unique voice. Benjamin is not a historical figure but is used more as a device to show what is happening from an outside perspective.

This book is not your typical historical fiction. It doesn't particularly give you a sense of the time or place. It's more of a historical psychological thriller. It gives you the willies, it's so creepy.

My thanks to netgalley and Hachette for an advance copy of this book.

[Agnieszka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting debut novel though given all these raving reviews here and there a bit letdown too, at least to this reader. See what I have done follows a famous case of double murder in the house at 92 Second Street at Fall River, Massachusetts. Abby and Andrew Borden were killed with an axe and Andrew's younger daughter, Lizzie, was tried for murder. And finally acquited. The perpetrator was never found. That’s for facts.

The novel in regard to subject matter and historical background could be compared to Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace or Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites. And in my estimation they are better and more nuanced works, both in evoking facts, authentic setting and creating psychologically credible images of respectively Grace Marks convicted for her involvement in two murders, and Agnes Magnúsdóttir, last woman sentenced to death in Iceland.

But back to See what I have done. This one surely has its moments too and Sarah Schmidt managed to render quite specific portrait of main protagonists and suffocating atmosphere around them. The narrative is divided into four voices: mentioned Lizzie, her sister Emma, Bordens’ maiden, Bridget and somewhat mysterious stranger, Benjamin. The latter seems to be Schmidt’s invention. I have no problem with unlikeable protagonists, but by Lord, to not liking almost anyone and not feel for anybody is rather trying, admit that. And so they mostly felt to me. Arrogant, malicious, selfish. Even the house feels claustrophobic and full of bad vibes. Though in this case I'm not saying that as an objection. The author definitely could make an impression of haunted house. At first I was slightly irritated with some repetitiveness of her descriptions. Of fuggy atmosphere, unbathed bodies, unwashed cloths and unaired rooms, greasy food that was eaten and eaten to no end. It felt totally revolting. Ugh. But in the process of time I could see to what effect Schmidt was driving at. Maybe it was executed too clunky but you could see there had to be some violent culmination to finally clear the air. Also the way Schmidt portrayed all inhabitants of the ill-fated house, especially Lizzie, was not very subtle in my view. So as a wholeness I thought it was intriguing but not quite satisfying.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41.”

This debut novel fictionalises the infamous murder of Andrew and Abby Borden in 1892. The story is told from the point of view of Emma and Lizzie – Andrew’s two adult daughters, who lived with their father and stepmother, the family’s Irish maid, Bridget, and of a man named Benjamin, who is asked to accompany Emma and Lizzie’s Uncle John to the small town of Fall River, Massachusetts, where the family live.

Of all the voices in this novel, that of Bridget was, for me, the most revealing (interestingly, she was often called ‘Maggie’ by the Borden family – following the Victorian tradition of naming servants by previous members of the household who had had that name, so all maids could be ‘Maud,’ in one house, for example, or names were changed if they were considered too ‘exotic’ or pretty). The author has given Bridget back her own name for this novel, and it is she who really shows what occurs behind the blind façade of a middle class Victorian home.

Although Andrew Borden was a wealthy, and successful, businessman, he was known for his frugality and things were far from happy in the Borden household. Relations between Abby Borden and her two step daughters were strained, it was known that Lizzie had a tendency to steal things and doors in the house were kept locked – both outer and inner doors – and there were arguments about who would inherit Andrew Borden’s property. Although the sisters were close, there were also tensions between them and Emma was away at the time of the murders.

The author really makes this time come alive and you need to have a strong stomach to read this book. From the pots of food that have been bubbling away for days on the stove, to the heat, blood and sickness surrounding the house, Sarah Schmidt assaults our senses. This is an uncomfortable topic for a novel and, at times, it makes for uncomfortable reading. Also, there is the disturbing voice of Lizzie’s character. Of course, you will draw your own conclusions about what happened that day, but Lizzie sounds much more like a fractious child than a grown woman in this novel and so, the parts of the storyline you see from her point of view, do feel disconnected from reality.

Overall, this is an interesting look at an infamous true crime, which created a furore and huge press attention – with speculation and interest still ongoing. The fact that a woman was accused of murder – and a middle class, gentlewoman, at that, really caused a sensation. Just be warned that this may make you feel slightly squeamish in places, but the writing is strong and this is an assured debut. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

[Ellen Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprise slam dunk of the year!



I am paralyzed. My brain can't deal with this right now. HOW DID I LIKE THIS SO MUCH? Like who gave this book permission to blindside me with so much beautiful weirdness?

This needs to be on your TBR.

See What I Have Done easily earns 5 stars, and may earn a place on my favorites shelf too. We shall see.



Are you familiar with the tale of Lizzie Borden? I feel like most people are, but then again, I try not to assume. Perhaps you've heard the schoolyard chant?

Lizzie Borden took an axe,
And gave her mother forty whacks;
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

It's a fascinating case. But the good news is even if you're completely clueless as to this bit of history, a total Borden virgin, you can still 100% enjoy See What I Have Done, author Sarah Schmidt's first novel in English (and I dearly hope not her last!)

I need more!



I'm going to start off by saying that I think the writing will make or break it for a lot of people. The style is unusual and took me some getting used to. And if the writing isn't working for you after Part I, it's probably not going to. That said, personally, it worked for me. Oh holy shitsnacks, did it ever work. It was gristly and beautiful and the writing wrapped it's claws around my heart and never let go.

I highlighted at least 50 passages that I am dying to quote. Things that I could frame on my wall, scrawl on my arms, chalk onto sidewalks. The writing is a wild tiger; it's beautiful and I want to cuddle it, but I'm fearful of its raw power.

The story is told from multiple perspectives; Lizzie, her sister Emma, the family maid Bridget, and a mysterious man named Benjamin (who I'll remain frustratingly mum about. spoilers!) The story also moves through time almost seamlessly. Centering around that life altering day, August 4th 1892, it also digs into the events of the days before and after. And it's a beautiful execution of what a multi-narrator novel should be. Never once did I have to question whose perspective I was reading. All four narrators added to the story.

So you've got this gorgeous, almost surreal writing. What about the characters? Are they awesome too?



Oh you know it.

Lizzie and Emma, both individually and their relationship together, is one of the most fascinating, fucked up things I've read. It's a codependent, sick, violent, sororal relationship. Oh god the things they do and say to each other, for each other! I promised myself I wouldn't drop spoiler bombs in this review, but I could talk about about them until I'm blue.

The plot goes so much deeper than just a historical role play too. Books that take historical events and make them into fucking amazing fiction - like The Underground Railroad and A Burnable Book - will always be special to me. This story takes the basic "Lizzie Borden took an axe," and twists it and claws at it, makes it extraordinary.

Don't worry, there is an axe though.



And the detail in all the other characters! I can't think of a single character who felt like a prop or filler. Really the DETAIL of the whole story is just amazing; the detail of the characterization, the intricacies of Lizzie's mind, the dedication to telling a rich story from every angle. I'm still amazed.

I could say a million and one nice things things about this book. In some ways, it's easier to be critical of a bad book. I can list exactly what I didn't like and why. But when a book just knocks my alpaca socks off? Well, I just turn into a flailing mess, completely unable to articulate everything beautiful and unusual about what I just read.

I just need to have a physical copy of See What I Have Done NOW, so I can start forcing it on my friends. I'm going to be that crazy lady hanging out in the library, like "Psssst. Hey you. Here, try this, you'll like it. Wait no, don't call the cops, it's just a book!"



I'm not without complaints. Am I ever? (Hahahaha no. I bitch about everything.) However. My complaints about this book A) go into major fuckton spoiler territory, and B) are dwarfed by the awesomeness of everything else. It's not perfect, there is a plot hole / loose thread that bothers me, but it doesn't bother me enough. It's hardly a book ruiner.

What else, what else? Oh I loved the inclusion of the timeline at the end. It doesn't have to be there for the story, but it adds a little something. There are so many wonderful little touches.

I can't guarantee anyone will love this, but I couldn't have guaranteed I would have either! I can wholeheartedly recommend that you give it a shot. If you hate it, you hate it. But if you think there's a chance you could like this, or love it the way I did, I say read it.

Now that I've finished it, I can't imagine my shelves without it.

Thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press and Edelweiss for the digital review copy!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Longlisted for the Women's Prize


Fall Rivers, 1892

This book started and my head became a whirling dervish because Sarah Schmidt lands readers right into the unsettled mind of 32 year old, Lizzie Borden. With her father and stepmother brutally killed and neighbors asking questions, the atmosphere about what could have happened in the Borden household continues to haunt many 125 years later. Schmidt adds the voices of the Borden maid, Bridget, older sister, Emma, and a mysterious stranger named Benjamin to the mix. By the time I finished the book I had so many theories that it became pretty clear why these murders still are discussed in the USA. I found so many recent articles online that were intriguing regarding the murders, court case, and the sad end to the lives of the Borden sisters. Is Lizzie Borden a victim or a cold blooded killer? This book will certainly get the wheels in your head turning!

Thanks to NETGALLEY for an uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Joint · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but it fell a little short. Like many people, I'm fairly familiar with the story of Lizzie Borden. I love creepy reads, so I was excited to begin this one. Very unique style of writing, but sometimes it actually felt TOO descriptive. My focus started to wane while I was reading as a result. I've never been grossed out so much by simply eating before. It is genuinely creepy though. Getting inside the brain of Lizzie Borden (and others) is very disturbing. The family is painted as being very dysfunctional. Definitely not your average family tiffs happening in the Borden house. The sisters seemed to be both intensely attached to each other and despise each other. Insane family dynamics. Chapter perspectives alternate. Lizzie, big sister Emma, cousin John, maid Bridget, and an original character you'll learn more about as you read.

I'm not going to touch on the plot much because most of us already know the story, which means we know what's coming in the book before it actually happens. There has to be some mystery, so it's best to go in without knowing exactly how the author presents the story.

I was given an ARC copy of this book from Grove Atlantic and Net Galley, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

[Book Riot Community]

It will surprise zero people to learn that I am obsessed with the Lizzie Borden and the axe murders of 1892, so when I heard there was a new novel about the case coming next year, I squealed and squealed. If you don’t know Lizzie Borden, she was the OJ Simpson of her time: famously accused of killing her father and stepmother, then acquitted after the century’s biggest trial, despite the overwhelming public opinion that she was guilty. (Basically, a jury of twelve men let her go because they didn’t believe women were capable of such brutal crimes back then. Which really works in your favor when you’ve just axed two people to death.) This novel is like a crazy murdery fever dream, swirling around the day of the murders. Schmidt has written not just a tale of a crime, but a novel of the senses. There is hardly a sentence that goes by without mention of some sensation, whether it’s a smell or a sound or a taste, and it is this complete saturation of the senses that enables the novel to soak into your brain and envelope you in creepy uncomfortableness. It’s a fabulous, unsettling book.

— Liberty Hardy



from The Best Books We Read In November 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/12/01/the-be...

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a struggle and far from a satisfying read. Sarah Schmidt is exceptionally talented when it comes to all the things you can see and hear and feel and taste. Your senses are battered by the book, so much so that at times you can feel it lodged in the back of your throat. Yet all the other essential bits that make up the narrative are disjointed and disappointing.

The four voices did not match their characters, this was especially evident for Lizzie. I had heard about the Borden murders previously but knew very little detail. My assumption on reading this book was that Lizzie was between 8-12, she has a childlike, fey voice that is perhaps a stylistic choice of the author or a reflection of the possible 'fugue state' she may have been in during the murders, but it certainly doesn't match a woman in her 30s. It made the whole narrative feel off kilter, though to be fair it is infinitely more terrifying if it had been such a young child going to town with a hatchet. Maybe that's the point, but I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be. I left the book with a rather bemused shrug and nothing more.


ARC via Netgalley

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Insanely good writing. Review on hold until nearer publication. But put it on your wishlist would be my recommendation.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I was really looking forward to reading this book as the case involving Lizzie Borden was interesting , but the start wasn't gripping I found the characters boring & It never picked up at all.
The plot goes back & forth with multiple POV's I just couldn't connect with this one at all was way to slow for me.

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'm not gonna lie, this caught my eye on NetGalley because it had a pigeon on the cover and—long story short—I really love pigeons and think they are underrated birds that deserve more love. When I read the description I was a bit confused about what pigeons had to do with Lizzie Borden, but super intrigued by the premise.

See What I Have Done is a fascinatingly twisted and beautifully written book. It tells the story of the dysfunctional family behind the real-life horror story, about the messy relationships between Lizzie, her sister Emma, and Mr. and Mrs. Borden (their father and stepmother).

This book grabs you from the first page, with Lizzie’s vibrant, chaotic voice and chilling description of her father’s gruesome remains. (I should add that this book does contain some pretty gory and disturbing scenes, so if that’s not something you’re okay with this might not be for you.) That opening chapter gave me goosebumps, and I knew I was in for a psychological roller coaster ride with her. The chapters are written in multiple POVs that create a rich, overlapping narrative, allowing the reader to piece together the events leading up to and immediately following the murder. One of the biggest problems that multiple-POV narration often runs into is that the voices tend to blend into one another, but I’m happy to say that that is not the case here. Lizzie, Emma, Bridget (their maid), and Benjamin (a young man who gets caught up in the events of the crime) each have a distinct voice and uniquely compelling way of telling their story.

The way all of the characters’ lives and wishes and frustrations were all tangled up together was intense and pretty fucked up sometimes, but utterly fascinating to read about. The only character I didn’t particularly care about was Benjamin: I could see how his chapters were important, but there were several times when I found myself skimming them, wondering when we would get back to the main plot. The ending also felt a bit dragged out. A lot of the historical information about the arrest and trial was kind of dumped on the reader via Benjamin’s POV, and I feel like the plot could have wrapped up more concisely. The pacing just seemed odd, but it was all still interesting enough that I never really got bored.

This was a haunting and intriguing book about the ugly things people do and say to each other, and the impossibility of truly knowing what the ones you love are capable of.

Favorite quotes (basically the whole book was a fav quote bc it was all beautiful, but here's a few that show off Schmidt’s stunning writing):

All the little strings that hold a body together threatened to undo.

I woke to a morning that was half awake. I looked around my room, had that feeling that someone had reached inside my body and pulled me out backwards, had left me with nothing but animal noises dripping from behind.

Night carved out the moon. Things became quiet.

She made my teeth want to sink into her flesh and eat her out of my life, made me want to swarm her mind and sort through all the thoughts she had of me, that I was being too stubborn, I was being too secretive, I was being bad, I was, I was. I felt her nastiness crawl over my skin, tiny deaths that made me want to become nothing.

Every adult that had ever held me as a baby was dead and no one would ever carry me again.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review was also posted on my blog.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the annals of murder and horrific crimes, one that seems to have persisted through history is the story of Lizzie Borden and the murders committed when her parents were horribly killed by someone wielding an ax.

What Ms Schmidt has done in her novel is to try to work her way into the minds and hearts of the principal characters present in that event. What she has created is an atmospheric presence of both macabre horror and the development of the principal characters that is mesmerizing and frightening.

Lizzie Borden, the younger of the two sisters, is the prime focus of both the novel and the murder investigation. The author portrays her as a manipulative person walking the line between a type of insanity and normalcy. She is a forever child even though at the time of the murders she was thirty-two. She positions herself as always being ever so demanding as if she never really went beyond the age of a seven year old. Her needs were huge and she demanded her sister Emma's attention and was resentful if others veered away from her wants.

Her father was seen as a brute, abusive and controlling while establishing a love hate relationship with his offspring and his second wife, Abby. Lizzie's relationship is cold just like the feeling one got from the way the household was structured. There was always something sinister dwelling in this loveless abode.

The characters are interwoven in this harrowing tale told from the perspectives of Bridget, the maid, Emma, Lizzie, an uncle, and a character named Benjamin who might have been the murderer or who it is forwarded was possibly hired to do Mr Borden harm.

This atmospheric novel was well done, creating the Gothic, frightening scene within the house where murder most foul was done. Did Lizzie Borden commit this atrocity against her parents or was it someone else? One perhaps will never know as Lizzie escaped prosecution largely because of her being a woman. Was Lizzie the ultimate manipulator? Was she the person who killed so wantonly? One thing is for sure Lizzie Borden's name has gone down in history as perhaps being the most vile murderess of her time. She has become a most frightening person and Ms Schmidt, in her debut novel, has done justice to a character who has occupied people's mind for quite a long time. Did Lizzie take that ax and give her mother forty whacks and then proceed to her father and give him forty-one? One will always wonder if indeed she did.

Thanks you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for an advanced copy of this book for an unbiased review.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my fifth book read in the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist. Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.

This is the re-imaging of the infamous Lizzie Borden, incarcerated for ten months for axing her father and step-mother to death and later released due to lack of evidence. This fictional recounting of the grisly, historical crime utilises the perspectives of Lizzie herself, as well as sister, Emma, their Uncle John, the household maid, and a mysterious (and completely fictional) stranger.

I begun my reading in utter awe at Schmidt's prosaic narrative style. She manages to so vividly portray the hazy Summer heat or the slick, sticky juice of a pear with a graceful ease that made this novel often poetic in its execution of imagery. I quickly assumed this was going to be a forever favourite and so my latter disenchantment stung me all the more.

I maintain that the writing style is one of the most captivating I have ever read. It may not be for every reader but I adored her metaphoric brilliance and the oft used juxtaposition of the beatific with the horrifying. I was also mesmerised by the gruesome story-line, whose facts have often been fodder for my grisly imagination.

These feelings were turned by the intrusion of the only truly fictional character added to this tale. His inclusion felt completely unnecessary and he was a very obvious plot device, used to convey information dumps and details from the past that tied this story together. I would have vastly preferred a more organic tying together of loose ends and, so, my former adoration was quickly severed.

I am still a firm believer in this author's prowess as an author, if not entirely, and unfortunately, an advocate for this book.

[Joce (squibblesreads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I reviewed SEE WHAT I HAVE DONE in a video AT THIS LINK HERE!

- So much vomit. If you have emetophobia, steer CLEAR.
- Balance of dialogue vs prose didn't work for me. Can't quite put my finger on it but when there was dialogue I wanted prose and when there was prose I wanted dialogue. Perhaps just could have improved on the placement of both when describing and going through certain events...?
- Each chapter began with a date but the timeline seemed unclear and murky. Would jump around and I found it an ineffective use of time jumps.
- I alternated between audio and physical book and I found when I read the physical book, the prose was similar between the characters, very distant and stern, and only the switching of narrators on audio helped this.
- If I had to hear about the fucking rotting stew on the stove one more time and the color of people's vomit, so help me god. IF IT'S ROTTING DON'T EAT IT DUDE.

Overall, not enjoyable, HOWEVER, I don't rate a book based on how enjoyable it was because I like reading about difficult topics and find it rewarding. BUT this also was not rewarding for me, did not make me think, and was quite flat and frustrating (and made me nauseated). Of the books I've read this year, I was VERY highly anticipating this one and it let me down the most. Sad.

[Jennifer (Insert Lit Pun)]

Some definite highs and some serious lows. Video review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDN1O...