What is the worst Ripper book you've ever read?

[Pippin Joan]

What an interesting thread! Did no one have the same reaction as I did to "Light-Hearted Friend"? Sheesh! It made me want to go wash my hands every time I put it down. The whole business with anagrams for Lewis Carroll's writings said heaps more about the author than about Carroll. I tried to imagine the time he spent working out obscene anagrams and got thoroughly creeped out.

Stephen Knight is close to the bottom of my list, a complete prat on many subjects. A sign of my fanaticism was my Jack the Ripper Loo in my last apartment. I put all my JTR books, pictures, etc. in the downstairs lavatory for the amusement of guests. They would noticeably spend a considerable length of time in there. I was often asked which ones were good or not, and I would point out that Knight was only there because it was vaguely on the subject.

Like someone else on here, Tom Cullen's Autumn of Terror was my first Ripper book, too. I read it in 1968, when I was 16. It scared me to death and got me totally hooked on JTR. Funny how coinciding events meld together -- while reading the book, the song "Sealed With a Kiss" played, and even today if I hear it, I'm transported to 1888 Whitechapel.

[timsta]

I think I'll reserve judgement until I see Powell's steaming pile of nonsense.

Timsta

[Mike Covell]

I only ever read the blurb on the back of "End of a Legend" and was put off by the cencept, every time I tried to read it I kept looking for the "Fiction" lable! It is on my shelf gathering dust.

[downonwhores]

worst book

End of a Legend, Case Closed, diary of Jack the ripper, and Jack the myth.

[Lord Lucan]

Looking through some old books of mine I came across a copy of Murder & Madness. Don't think I've actually ever read it. Perhaps I shall...just for jolly!

[Bailey]

Hey Debbie

Well, I was thinking of the dreaded trinity I read recently of Murder & Madness, Prince Jack and Death Of a Prince. I doubt you'd have much hope of coming off worse than those ones! However, I'm sure you're very interesting Your book is on my must get list... long list, tho, so it make take a while.

B.

[dmcdonald@onwight.net]

Poor old Eddy and JK do seem to attract the most... interesting... kind of authours, don't they?

B.

Does that make me - interesting - having just written a new one on the topic of JK and Eddy? I hope this one will set the records straight and not appear on this list!

Regards

Debbie McDonald

[dmcdonald@onwight.net]

Hi Mike and all

I am back from hols. 'Murder and Madness' was probably the book that made me write mine on JK Stephen. I found it really bad - so lacking in any sort of facts. Mind you I agree that the one on anagrams was probably worse. Hopefully Stephen has now had something fair written about him.

[The Grave Maurice]

Welcome, Inspector

The book was discussed briefly on this thread, but it didn't draw a lot of attention. Probably deservedly so.

[Inspector Death]

Afternoon all, this is my first post.

Haven't seen 'JTR end of a legend' by Calum Reuben Knight mentioned yet.

Nominated purely on it's poor reputation, JTR murders carried out by 3 individuals one of which was a French woman masquerading as the final victim.... what?!?

Though I haven't started reading it yet I'm hoping it's as bizarre as the back cover suggests.

Anybody else read it?

[Celesta]

Hi Mike,

Long time no bump into. I'd say you pretty much covered it, here!

Did you notice how quickly he jumped to the conclusion about his uncle? Even before he saw the articles stored at the library, if what he told us was true. And that bit about the cape with the red lining being found with the knife. What was that supposed to be about? Clearly the guy was not well-loved, even in his own family, it seems, but to make that giant leap to accusing him of being the Ripper, based on a single letter is obscene.

Best,

Cel

Uncle Jack, by Tony Williams, is, at present, my least favorite JtR book. I never thought I'd find a Ripper book boring, but when I was reading this one, I was tempted to go out and bury in the backyard. Since I paid almost four whole dollars on it, I made myself read it as penance for buying a book just because it was cheap.

On the other hand, Rumbelow's The Complete Jack the Ripper is one of my favorites. I lucked up and got one that he had autographed on one of his tours.


Jeff, I see you've struck again! "Always look on the broyt side of life..."

Hi Celesta,

I was thinking of Uncle Jack before reading your comments, but now that Ive had more time to reflect, it was a good fictional premise I thought...reproductive issues, at least some surgical talent, ...but the fact that it paints what seems to be one of the great men of his era, with an enduring zest for culture and heritage, in the way it does, made me ask here about potential lawsuit issues from family members.

I really havent read a total miss...they all have some appeal and interesting perspectives. The ones that leave this a mystery are the best.

Nice to see you Ms C, cheers.

[Graham]

A short time ago I re-read Stephen Knight's 'Final Solution'. Very much with the benefit of hindsight I thought that the premise of his book was highly dodgy - but it was well-written in a very entertaining way that a lot of more modern books are not, and it also brought the story of Jack The Ripper to the public consciousness.

A rather bad book, I always thought, was Paul Harrison's Jack the Ripper - the Mystery Solved. Not only was it poorly written, with terribly bad punctuation, but the author was trying to prove the guilt of Joseph Barnett, and sadly had latched onto the wrong Joseph Barnett.

What a mistake-a to make-a!

Cheers,

Graham

[Bailey]

So you didn't find one of the rare unsigned ones?

PHILIP

Oooh, I've got two of those - a 1987 HC and a paperback of the latest edition, neither of which has been touched by Don's pen. What are they worth, get the bids rolling in...

B.

[Celesta]

So you didn't find one of the rare unsigned ones?

PHILIP

Hi Philip,

It's a paperback copy. Looks like it came out in 1988 and is signed in blue ink. Supposedly, the seller got it signed while she was on one of the tours. I hope it's not a fake signature. I'll keep my eye out for one of those rare unsigned ones! :-)