NUMBER: 56TITLE: From Hell
AUTHOR: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
STARTED: August 9, 2005
FINISHED: August 15, 2005
PAGES: 560
GENRE: Graphic Novel
FIRST SENTENCE: "Bloody shambles this last six years."
SUMMARY: [From amazon.com] The mad, shaggy genius of the comics world dips deeply into the well of history and pulls up a cup filled with blood in From Hell. Alan Moore did a couple of Ph.D.'s worth of research into the Whitechapel murders for this copiously annotated collection of the independently published series. The web of facts, opinion, hearsay, and imaginative invention draws the reader in from the first page. Eddie Campbell's scratchy ink drawings evoke a dark and dirty Victorian London and help to humanize characters that have been caricatured into obscurity for decades. Moore, having decided that the evidence best fits the theory of a Masonic conspiracy to cover up a scandal involving Victoria's grandson, goes to work telling the story with relish from the point of view of the victims, the chief inspector, and the killer--the Queen's physician. His characterization is just as vibrant as Campbell's; even the minor characters feel fully real. Looking more deeply than most, the author finds in the "great work" of the Ripper a ritual magic working intended to give birth to the 20th century in all its horrid glory. Maps, characters, and settings are all as accurate as possible, and while the reader might not ultimately agree with Moore and Campbell's thesis, From Hell is still a great work of literature.
REASON FOR READING: Someone told me I should.
THOUGHTS: I don't think I'm made to read graphic novels. I speed through the text and barely look at the pictures. That in mind, From Hell was not bad. The art was not exactly to my liking, but I like comics to be in color with easily definable lines and such. This art was black and white drawn in slashy lines and shadow.
The text was interesting and I believe Moore puts together a passingly plausible take on Jack the Ripper. Moore doesn't just show us the killer and his work, he gets inside his head. That was the best part of From Hell, you got to see what the killer was thinking. The end notes are both informative and funny.
The novel was, however, quite disturbing.
MISCELLANEOUS: I might give other graphic novels a shot.
KEEP/SHARE/CRINGE(?): I have to give back to the library from whence it came.
RATING: 6/10 [Good]
CR: Mr. and Mrs. Smith by Cathy East Dubowski
RN: Not a clue. Hopefully not something for school.
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