Review: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A hugely important book. The Jack the Ripper legend has become such a part of British culture, specifically London culture, that we have forgotten the five women he murdered were actual people. In this book, their stories are finally heard. Rubenhold argues that for too long they have been dismissed as "just prostitutes" and somehow were partly to blame for how their lives ended. In fact, according to Rubenhold, only Mary Kelly (the last canonical victim) was known to be working as a prostitute at the time of her death.

But, whether or not they were "ladies of the night", all of them had limited options from the moment they were born. If you were born poor and female, a life of drudgery and constant child bearing was the best you could hope for. As Rubenhold suggests, it's no wonder that all five women had some sort of drink problem. Furthermore, while they all made mistakes and could be seen as own worst enemies, they would have been judged much less harshly had they been men.

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Review: Convenience Store Woman

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Keiko - the convenience store woman - is decidedly odd and is at a loss as to how not to be odd. She is deeply confused because she knows that society abides by a set of rules but doesn't know what those rules are or why she is supposed to follow them.

What is so great about this book is that it shows that Keiko's family and friends who are so concerned about how odd Keiko is are just as odd in their own way. They are utterly obsessed by what Keiko should be doing and never stop to consider that doing something merely because you're supposed to (without questioning why you're supposed to do it) is itself a bit weird.

A fabulous book for anyone who has ever felt that they were off sick the day everyone else learnt how to be normal.

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Review: Quaker Quicks - What Do Quakers Believe?: Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Quakerism

Quaker Quicks - What Do Quakers Believe?: Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Quakerism by Geoffrey Durham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good overview of what Quakers believe and try to put into practice. This is not the book for someone wanting to gain an understanding of how Quaker came to be or how have they developed over time (Durham himself says his book is aimed at the "casual observer" rather than those wanting to do an academic study of the Quakers), but it's a handy guide for those contemplating Quakerism.

As a practising Quaker, I found it useful. I often feel I am not a very good Quaker - I don't feel a strong connection to the divine at times and I don't work in a particularly Quaker job. However, Durham (and the other Quakers quoted) has reminded me that Quakers come in all shapes and forms and their sense of the divine can differ greatly. What connects them, and this is something I try to adhere to, is the desire live their faith through action. Being a Quaker is not so much about what you believe but how you behave.

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Review: Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow

Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow by Lucy Worsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sympathetic portrait of a complex woman. There are many things to dislike about Victoria - she basically abdicated her duties to Albert, wasn't particular loving towards her children (mind you, given she had nine of them, she just did well to remember their names), and could be extremely selfish. But, Worsley argues that Victoria was a woman of her upbringing and her time. She was taught from a young age to believe that the world revolved around her, so that's how she behaved. Plus, the 19th Century wasn't exactly a great time for women's rights - deferring to your husband was what you were supposed to do.

Above of all, Worsely portrays Victoria as an extremely lonely woman. Before marrying Albert, she had no real friends (she wasn't allowed any as a child) and didn't really make any after he died. Friendship is based on being equals and that's quite hard to achieve when one of you is the head of an empire. Worst still, when she did attempt to have friends (such as John Brown), everyone around her got upset.

As Queen, Victoria was vastly more privileged than a lot of her subjects (particularly if they were poor and/or female). But, based on this book, you can't really envy her. Like our current Queen, Queen Victoria had to do her best with a life that she didn't choose and perhaps didn't really want.


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