SRP: Book 2
David Kent, Forty Whacks: New Evidence in the Life and Legend of Lizzie Borden, 225pp.
I had high hopes for this book - I'm all about the murder mystery, and the courtroom drama, and the history. All I knew about Lizzie Borden before this was that jumprope rhyme: Lizzie Borden took an axe/and gave her mother forty whacks/when she saw what she had done/she gave her father forty-one. I had no idea she'd been tried and acquitted of both murders. So I was particularly intrigued. Now, I'm just let down.
The book starts just before the murders (of Lizzie's father and stepmother, to be precise), and follows the course of the (short) investigation and trial, and briefly describes Lizzie's (sad) later life. The bulk of the book is devoted to the inquest and trial. Unfortunately, the author had a few too many agendas for my liking, including excoriating earlier Lizzie authors as being one-sided or blatantly writing fiction. While he seemed to present the evidence fairly all around I got a little sick of the attitude. And in drawing upon contemporary sources, including newspaper accounts and testimony, the facts were mis-stated so many times my head is still spinning. There was not a clear or consistent story here - perhaps someone familiar with the Borden story and trial would enjoy this, but not a newcomer.
In short: I do *not* recommend this. And there wasn't any "new evidence", either. Poopyhead.
SRP Totals
Books: 2
Pages: 721
I had high hopes for this book - I'm all about the murder mystery, and the courtroom drama, and the history. All I knew about Lizzie Borden before this was that jumprope rhyme: Lizzie Borden took an axe/and gave her mother forty whacks/when she saw what she had done/she gave her father forty-one. I had no idea she'd been tried and acquitted of both murders. So I was particularly intrigued. Now, I'm just let down.
The book starts just before the murders (of Lizzie's father and stepmother, to be precise), and follows the course of the (short) investigation and trial, and briefly describes Lizzie's (sad) later life. The bulk of the book is devoted to the inquest and trial. Unfortunately, the author had a few too many agendas for my liking, including excoriating earlier Lizzie authors as being one-sided or blatantly writing fiction. While he seemed to present the evidence fairly all around I got a little sick of the attitude. And in drawing upon contemporary sources, including newspaper accounts and testimony, the facts were mis-stated so many times my head is still spinning. There was not a clear or consistent story here - perhaps someone familiar with the Borden story and trial would enjoy this, but not a newcomer.
In short: I do *not* recommend this. And there wasn't any "new evidence", either. Poopyhead.
SRP Totals
Books: 2
Pages: 721