I bought this book in a blind sale, not at all aware that it was a graphic novel. And since I had never tried graphic novels before, I was not particularly inclined to start off with this one as soon as it arrived. Therefore it stayed in my book shelf as I finished one book after the other but could not get myself to pick up this one. Until one fine day, I did.
'From Hell' was known to me as a Depp movie. One that I did not particularly remember, but had a faint recollection of. I knew it was about Jack the Ripper in some sort of way. So I picked up the book thinking that it would replay the movie for me, but it did not. In fact, the book and the movie were far far apart! I had to watch the movie again just to compare. And it was the novel that held me in awe. The motion picture looked almost puerile in wake of the work that Alan Moore had done. The book looks at the historic tragedy through the eyes of Stephen Knight, whose theory propounded that Jack the Ripper was a conspiracy to cover up the traces of a royal baby. The book has Sir William Gull, the alleged Ripper, as the protagonist and traces the course of the events through his chains of thoughts.
The novel starts with the inception of the frivolity that started it all. Prince Eddy marries a shop girl and fathers a child of hers. Sir William Gull, the royal physician, is commissioned with the task of covering up for Prince Eddy to avoid a scandal. Sir Gull, a freemason by heart, disillusioned since a heart stroke, takes up the task with zest. He puts the shop girl, Annie Crook, into a mental facility after making her insane surgically. And when it is later found that four prostitutes know about the secret and are creating a nuisance, he sets out to silent them. In doing so, he performs a ritual that he believes will show him the real truth. He gives birth to the legend of Jack the Ripper.
Alan Moore was astounding in more than one respect. There is apparently a humongous amount of research that he has put into the book. It is evident in the appendix where almost every scene is explained with a bibliographical detail. So much that I gave up reading the details after three odd chapters. Moore also brings his characters very vividly to life. In no way did it feel that he relied on the graphics to make his novel sell (they just made the book fatter I guess). Anyhow, Moore is up top on my list at the moment. In fact, I am expecting another book of his in a couple of days.
'From Hell' was known to me as a Depp movie. One that I did not particularly remember, but had a faint recollection of. I knew it was about Jack the Ripper in some sort of way. So I picked up the book thinking that it would replay the movie for me, but it did not. In fact, the book and the movie were far far apart! I had to watch the movie again just to compare. And it was the novel that held me in awe. The motion picture looked almost puerile in wake of the work that Alan Moore had done. The book looks at the historic tragedy through the eyes of Stephen Knight, whose theory propounded that Jack the Ripper was a conspiracy to cover up the traces of a royal baby. The book has Sir William Gull, the alleged Ripper, as the protagonist and traces the course of the events through his chains of thoughts.
The novel starts with the inception of the frivolity that started it all. Prince Eddy marries a shop girl and fathers a child of hers. Sir William Gull, the royal physician, is commissioned with the task of covering up for Prince Eddy to avoid a scandal. Sir Gull, a freemason by heart, disillusioned since a heart stroke, takes up the task with zest. He puts the shop girl, Annie Crook, into a mental facility after making her insane surgically. And when it is later found that four prostitutes know about the secret and are creating a nuisance, he sets out to silent them. In doing so, he performs a ritual that he believes will show him the real truth. He gives birth to the legend of Jack the Ripper.
Alan Moore was astounding in more than one respect. There is apparently a humongous amount of research that he has put into the book. It is evident in the appendix where almost every scene is explained with a bibliographical detail. So much that I gave up reading the details after three odd chapters. Moore also brings his characters very vividly to life. In no way did it feel that he relied on the graphics to make his novel sell (they just made the book fatter I guess). Anyhow, Moore is up top on my list at the moment. In fact, I am expecting another book of his in a couple of days.
Dude I just finished reading it. OH MY GOD.
ReplyDeleteUmmah for introducing me to Alan Moore. Bloody fuck, what a book.
One small note though. Did you notice the concept of kalyug echoed in places, in William Gull's ideas? Bohot alag alag jagah mentioned hai...there is a pattern...
And your review is too short - you have completely forgotten to go on and on about the IDEAS behind the story. And the ideas, oh god, Moore's ideas...I think I will marry Moore and Shaw both. And Camus. And Orwell. And well dude I'm just sad now that all these people are dead. Anyway. Awesomeness tha.