I finally read Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher! I've had this on my TBR since it came out in 2008 and though I had heard of its easy readability, I just never got around to picking it up. But, as I'm behind on my non-fiction reading for the year, I grabbed this one a week or so ago. It's the story of a young boy who is murdered, apparently in his own home and probably by a member of the household. The investigating detective from Scotland Yard is Jonathan Whicher and this is the story of the case, his investigation and the effects afterward on both the family and the detective.
While this was an interesting book which filled in a bit more of my Scotland Yard knowledge, I thought some parts were a bit info-dumpy, especially right at the beginning. Still, it was a compelling piece of history, especially reading about how the murder became so popular in England, dominating the newspapers for a long stretch of time and inspiring writers such as Wilkie Collins.
I wasn't going to buy any new books for RIP this year but then there was this new Carlos Ruiz Zafón novel (new in translation anyway) and I couldn't resist. The Watcher in the Shadows is his third YA novel from early in his career. It is an incredibly atmospheric and melancholy book with a terrifying villain. I was in doubt as to whether many of the characters would even survive to the end of the book. I think it's amazing how CRZ can take the most elemental of fears and turn them into such imaginative and unique stories. All of his YA books are well worth picking up if you're looking for suspenseful reads. I saw that Simon got a copy of the fourth in translation, Marina, just recently so I guess that will be on my RIP plate for next year!
Finding the real and the fictional equally disturbing,
K
"Mr. Whicher" was interesting, but irritating. I thought the book was quite misleading. I've long been fascinated by the Constance Kent case, and the author left out a lot of information that indicates that Constance was NOT the killer and had, in a sense, been railroaded. The author also gave Whicher a sort of heroism that I do not believe he deserved.
ReplyDeleteThis is good to know. Do you have any suggestions for other books about this case and/or about Whicher? I have to say that I was never sure about Constance's role in the murder, even by the end of this book.
DeleteYseult Bridges had a fascinating book about the case called "The Tragedy at Road-Hill House." (It also went by the title "Saint With Red Hands?") She made, to me at least, a persuasive case that Constance was an emotionally abused girl who was psychologically manipulated into confessing to a murder she didn't commit.
DeleteThank you! I'll get that one on my reading list.
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Whicher--I do agree with the information dump but I still found it fascinating. In grad school I took a course on Victorian Sensationalism and this was the perfect follow-up a few years later to see how Dickens and Collins were so influenced.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize Carlos Ruiz Zafón had a series of YA novels! You've reminded me I should really get to Angel's Game (how does it always come back to series when I comment here...). LOL!!
Oh, the best thing about the Zafón novels is that they aren't actually in a series, they're just a loose collection! So you can read them any time. :) Not so much with his adult series, right? (And I do read A LOT of series. I'm sorry!)
DeleteI really need to read more Zafon! I adored The Shadow of the Wind, but haven't read anything since. Maybe I need to do a re-read even!!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely do a reread if you are going to read the series. But I think you might want to look for one of these YA titles. They would be your thing!
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