The Invention of Murder
How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime
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Average rating2.8
Murder in the 19th century was rare. But murder as a sensation and entertainment began and became ubiquitous, transformed into novels, into broadsides and into ballads, into theatre melodrama and opera. From the crimes of Sweeney Todd, Jack the Ripper and the tragedies of the murdered Marr family in London's East End.
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Started reading then skimmed the rest. It seems like a good reference but goes too far into the weeds to be readable for fun.
As always, Kristin recommends me great books. Thanks Kristin, love you. (:
The premise of the book is describing how the Victorians reacted to murder, and treated it as a form of entertainment. It's a great premise! And she does it well. As far as I'm concerned, though, the book could have been half the size. The author spends time describing every. single. murder. that the Victorian public was interested in, and worse, references back to these murders later in the book with the expectation that you can remember the 200+ names she brings up as suspects or victims. It's good, and interesting, but probably about half the murders she brings up could have been edited out.
