On the morning of August 31, 1888, the body of Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols was discovered in the district of London known as Whitechapel. Suffering from alcoholism, Nichols was estranged from her husband and had been supporting herself through employment at workhouses as well as through prostitution. Her brutal murder remains unsolved to this day.
Yet despite that, you've heard of her killer: Nichols is considered the first victim of the infamous Jack the Ripper.
For having so utterly captured the attention and imagination of so many historians, writers, investigators, actors, and audience members worldwide, there's little we really know about Jack the Ripper. Four other victims were ascribed to the Ripper -- Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly, all impoverished prostitutes -- whose murders occurred over a three-month period. (There may have been other victims as well, a possibility historians still debate to this day.)
The press referred to the killer as "Leather Apron," until a letter was sent to the police that described details only the murderer would be aware of. The letter was signed "Jack the Ripper."
Jack the Ripper horrified London with his brutal mutilating of his victims' bodies after their deaths. The apparent inability of the police to do anything about him fueled the city's panic (while the newspapers filled their headlines with revulsion and horror). The killings eventually stopped, but the identity of the Ripper was never discovered. (It hasn't stopped people from trying to guess; there are over 100 theories about the Ripper's real identity.)
For better or worse, Jack the Ripper remains an iconic figure in history -- and in the public's imagination -- to this day. Countless history books have been written about the Ripper, as well as fictionalized accounts in novels, television shows, films, and even graphic novels.
Here are five of the most noteworthy works about Jack the Ripper:
There are hundreds of fictionalized novels about Jack the Ripper. Perhaps it's unsurprising that, of those hundreds, dozens of them are devoted to an irresistible idea for fans of the Victorian era: what if you combined history's most infamous serial killer with the world's most famous fictional detective?
Though Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never pitted his fictional character against the real-life murderer Jack the Ripper, it hasn't stopped dozens of later authors from doing just that. I've read a fair few Holmes-vs.-the-Ripper stories and novels, and I can tell you that Lyndsay Faye's offering, while one of the most recent attempts, is also easily the best.
Thoroughly researching both the known facts behind Jack the Ripper -- as well as keeping her Sherlock Holmes canon straight -- Faye delivers a historical mystery that perfectly blends the factual with the fictional. As Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson face off against a darker evil than any they've encountered before, Faye infuses her story with wit, horror, honor, and friendship. (Just what any Sherlockian fan hopes for in a Holmes pastiche!) Faye even delivers a truly plausible theory on who the Ripper might have been.
Also try:
* A Study in Terror - a 1965 thriller film pitting Holmes against the Ripper.
* Murder by Decree - starring Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes and James Mason as Dr. Watson.
2. From Hell: Being a Melodrama in Sixteen Parts by Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell, and Pete Mullins [graphic novel]
Alongside such names as Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison, Alan Moore is considered by comic book aficionados to be one of the all-time great comics authors. And while Moore has written plenty of superhero stories, he also has written comic miniseries and graphic novels that blend aspects of classic literature and historical fiction.
Here, Moore delves into Victorian London with his own take on the Jake the Ripper legend. Published in the early 90s, the graphic novel takes its title from one of the letters sent by Jack the Ripper to the authorities. The series itself takes the tack that the Ripper murders actually had a sinister political motive behind them, and that a member of the Royal Family was even involved. (Moore did point out that he did not think this was factually likely; rather, it made for an intriguing story to tell.) Moore's writing is usually, to put it mildly, dark and gritty -- and the violence and gore of From Hell is no exception.
Despite being historically unlikely in terms of the Ripper's identity, Moore and artist Campbell still did their research to try to get the details as accurate as possible. There are also "cameos" from a variety of Victorian and Edwardian celebrities, from Oscar Wilde and Aleister Crowley to William Morris and Joseph Merrick (the Elephant Man).
Also try:
* From Hell -- the 2001 film adaptation starring Johnny Depp.
3. Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell [non-fiction]
Patricia Cornwell is best known for her Kay Scarpetta mystery novels. But in 2002, Cornwell -- a former computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia -- embarked on a different sort of project. Self-financing her efforts, Cornwell went out to research, examine, and uncover the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Familiar as she was with forensic techniques, Cornwell's intentions were to solve the 19th-century case using 21st-century methods. She gained access to original evidence (including the letters sent by the Ripper to the police), as well as documents and records from the time. She included scientific and law-enforcement experts in her efforts, contacting FBI profilers and forensic scientists, and cumulated her search with an attempt to recover DNA samples from the Ripper himself.
Her conclusion as to the identity of the killer is compelling, though not conclusive enough to stop the endless debates on how accurate her theory may be. Regardless, her study and resultant theory make for a compelling read -- and offer a new possibility as to the Ripper's identity.
Also try:
* The Complete History of Jack the Ripper - by Philip Sugden
* Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History - by Paul Begg
* The Complete Jack the Ripper - by Donald Rumbelow
4. Ripper Street [BBC series]
Set in London's East End six months after the last of the Ripper murders, this BBC television series follows two detectives who are still trying to uncover some answers.
Though it's been six months since the Ripper's last appearance, the killings appear to have started again. Detective Inspector Edmund Reid and Detective Sergeant Bennet Drake join forces with Homer Jackson (a former surgeon and Pinkerton agent) in their quest to find Jack the Ripper and bring him to justice once and for all. Meanwhile, they must deal with the crime and dark secrets of Victorian London.
While each episode of the series features a stand-alone mystery to be solved, there are long-running story arcs that keep the characters' lives -- professional and personal -- tied together. There will be a second season of the show, making now a great time to catch up on what you've missed so far.
Also try:
* The New Exhibit - An episode of The Twilight Zone.
* Wolf in the Fold - An episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.
* Comes the Inquisitor - An episode of Babylon 5.
5. The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog [silent film]
While Hitchcock will always be remembered primarily for his talkies, his early silent films should not be overlooked. This 1927 film, directed by Hitchcock, was based on the work of Marie Belloc Lowndes, who wrote the original story (and later co-authored the play adapted from it).
While the villain of the title is not Jack the Ripper, the character was certainly inspired by him. Known as "the Avenger," the killer targets young blonde women as his victims. While the newspapers are awash with the latest news about the Avenger, the killer himself seems impossible to track down.
The blonde-haired Daisy finds her friends' fears laughable (she decides, for instance, not to wear one of the wigs that her friends are using to camouflage their hair color). Then a mysterious new tenant shows up at Daisy's parents', with his unusual mannerisms and quirks all pointing to an undeniable warning sign. But when Daisy fails to see the danger, those around her become determined to protect her.
It all sounds fairly predictable -- but this is Hitchcock, after all. Things are not all as they seem to be, and the ending is bittersweet and sweet. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled during the newsroom scene for Hitchcock's classic director's cameo.
Also try:
* The Lodger - a similar film released in 1944, directed by John Brahm.
-- Post by Ms. B
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