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    What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper
    Unavailable
    What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper
    Unavailable
    What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper
    Ebook362 pages6 hours

    What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper

    By Paula Marantz Cohen

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    "A marvelously rich and intelligent read, atmospheric, witty, irreverent, and not least a sharply perceptive portrait of those three extraordinary Jameses."
    -John Banville, author of The Infinities

    Under Certain Circumstances, No One Is More Suited to Solving a Crime than a Woman Confined to Her Bed

    An invalid for most her life, Alice James is quite used to people underestimating her. And she generally doesn't mind. But this time she is not about to let things alone. Yes, her brother Henry may be a famous author, and her other brother William a rising star in the new field of psychology. But when they all find themselves quite unusually involved in the chase for a most vile new murderer-one who goes by the chilling name of Jack the Ripper-Alice is certain of two things:

    No one could be more suited to gather evidence about the nature of the killer than her brothers. But if anyone is going to correctly examine the evidence and solve the case, it will have to be up to her.

    Praise for Paula Marantz Cohen

    "Cohen's wit is sharp, smart, and satirical, and her characterizations are vividly on target."
    -San Francisco Chronicle

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateSep 1, 2010
    ISBN9781402254734
    Unavailable
    What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper
    Author

    Paula Marantz Cohen

    Paula Marantz Cohen is Distinguished Professor of English at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She is the author of the novels, Jane Austen in Boca, Jane Austen in Scarsdale, and Much Ado About Jessie Kaplan, and four scholarly works of nonfiction, including Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth and The Daughter as Reader: Encounters Between Literature and Life. She lives in Moorestown, New Jersey, with her husband and two children.

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    Reviews for What Alice Knew

    3.5/5

    88 ratings19 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      This is interesting - Cohen tackles Jack the Ripper, through the sleuthing of the James siblings (Henry , William, and Alice). The book blurb, cover, and title were a bit misleading. Neither Alice nor Henry play as large a role in the story as William does, and the story isn't nearly as menacing as the cover would have the reader think.I appreciated that Cohen's plot is grounded in the historical speculation of who Jack the Ripper was, without having the big reveal fall into any of the camps.
    • 5/5
      I loved pretty much everything about this book: the historical setting, the thrilling developments, the literary characters, the social observations... it perfectly conveyed the times while also describing a gripping story. History buffs might be put off, because it is very difficult to separate fact from fiction, which to me, is the mark of Marantz Cohen's deftness at creating an imagined world out of a real one. There was only one scene where there seemed to be really too much literati assembled from the times to be truly believable, but generally the real and imagined cohabit brilliantly.I found the psychological and philosophical discussions just as entertaining: touched on but not ponderously, as well as the gentle sibling rivalry, most particularly the depiction of Henry James as a maladroit bon vivant. A delightful find!
    • 2/5
      It took awhile to get through this book. It seemed to bog down in so many spots that I found it tedious to read. The subtitle states A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper. I think William James played a much larger part in the book. His sister Alice is also a character but her part in solving the crime was insignificant. I liked that Walter Sickert was a suspect in this story as he was a suspect in the real ripper murders. I have read other fictional tales about Jack the Ripper that were much more interesting.
    • 3/5
      Professor of philosophy/psychology, William James (author Henry James' brother) lives and teaches in the United States but is asked to come to London to help with the Jack the Ripper case. Henry also wants to help, as does their invalid sister, Alice, who is confined to her home.It was ok, but anytime there was any focus that wasn't on Jack the Ripper, I got bored. The dialogue seemed very pretentious or maybe just too intellectual for me or something. I also had trouble getting past William being able to bring bits of evidence home to show Henry and Alice for discussion. Although I have at least one more fictional Jack the Ripper book on my tbr, I'm thinking the nonfiction is actually more interesting to read about than the fictionalized versions.
    • 5/5
      A fun read!
    • 4/5
      Jack the Ripper has been making headlines for his murder spree leading Scotland Yard to call on William James, an up-and-coming forerunner in the new field of psychology. Does he have what it takes to solve the crime on his own or will he need his sister Alice and brother Henry’s help?William James arrives in London and sets out to try to understand the mind of a killer and inadvertently draws his invalid sister into the investigation. What insight can she offer and will it help or hamper the investigation? His brother Henry, a famous author travels in circles that may be useful for gathering intelligence and collecting evidence. Will these three siblings be able to solve the mystery that Scotland Yard could not---who is Jack the Ripper?Overall in interesting read! I find the White Chapel murders to be very interesting, even more so since the identity of the real ‘Ripper’ was never discovered. The book portrayed actual historical figures of this time however it did not delve into the anti-Semitic sentiments that ran rampant due to the killings. It was a slow build-up with a quick wrap-up…. I would recommend the book to historical-fiction and murder mystery fans.
    • 3/5
      An interesting take on the Ripper murders but it would have been better if Cohen hadn't rushed the plot in the end. Also, this book focuses on all the JAmes siblings, not just Alice.
    • 4/5
      Jack the Ripper is one of the most intriguing stories of the 19th century and one of the most written about. What Alice Knew is a broody, atmospheric novel about Jack the Ripper that lets you feel the London fog curling around you.The story revolves around Henry, William and Alice James. I knew about Henry James of course, having read The Turn of the Screw but I knew nothing about his family. William, his brother, was a professor at Harvard and Alice, his sister, was an invalid living in London at the time. William has been called in to help Scotland Yard with the Ripper case because they felt his studies in psychology made him a bit of an expert about human nature. Alice feels she can be as helpful to the case as he can be.As William investigates, he includes his siblings in what he learns and they, in turn, help his investigation as it runs through some of the most celebrated sections of London society. The relationship between these 3 is what drives the book.Being about Jack the Ripper, this is obviously not a cozy mystery. This is a psychological study into the lives of not just the Ripper, but also the James siblings. It was intriguing enough to me that I took the time to look up Alice and read more about her. The book also has graphic descriptions of the Ripper's victims that not all readers will care for. If you like Jack the Ripper stories, this is a good one. If you like your mysteries dark and brooding, this one is. Settle in with a cup of Earl Grey and enjoy!
    • 3/5
      (I received this book through a LibraryThing giveaway, but that will in no way effect my review.)A murderer has been stalking the streets of London. He's called Jack the Ripper, and he has the city trembling in fear. Enter the James siblings--Henry, the author, William, the lecturer and early psychologist, and Alice, the invalid. When William is called to London from the US to apply his new studies in psychology to the case, the brothers and their sister decide to work together to suss out the Ripper. This is a pretty good mystery, though I thought the solution came a little bit from left field. However, the characters--particularly Henry--were quite enjoyable, and I liked the way they each had a different view of the society in which they existed. Also, the author used shifting perspective well.On the whole, I'd definitely read another mystery involving the James siblings!
    • 4/5
      Novelist Henry James may be the last historical figure one would think would make a good fictional detective, but that didn't stop Paula Marantz Cohen from putting him, his brother William, the psychologist, and their invalid sister Alice in the middle of the search for Jack the Ripper in "What Alice Knew." The result is a terrific and unusually intelligent mystery.William is summoned to London from Harvard to help Scotland Yard stop the deranged killer. It is thought that the American, already known in 1888 for his insight into the human mind, might be able to see something that will lead to the notorious murderer.Henry and Alice are already living in London at this time, and they get involved in the case, as well. Henry is a good observer of people, and knows a lot of men in the art world and in high social circles, one of whom they suspect may be the man they are looking for. Alice, although confined to bed with a vague illness most of the time, has a very analytical mind and plenty of time to think about the case. So Henry and William report to their sister and tell her everything they have observed in their investigations, while she tries to put all the pieces together.We learn a lot about the prominent James family in the course of the novel. Cohen tells a good, fast-paced mystery, but she also gives her readers much to think about along the way.
    • 3/5
      This is not the type of work I would have chosen to read, but it was lent to me so I read it to the end. While I like historical mysteries I am very selective in what I read, and prefer those that don't rely on real people as major characters. Perhaps I would have enjoyed What Alice Knew more if I were familiar with the James family--the three main characters are siblings and writers William, Henry, and Alice James--but the only work I have read is The Turn of the Screw. On the other hand, I might have enjoyed it less. Author Cohen spends most of the book detailing the James' innermost thoughts, and I don't think she did it well, because in doing so she violated the novelist's dictum to show, not tell. Consequently the book seemed heavy and plodding, weighed down by seemingly pointless digressions. Anything having to do with Jack the Ripper is intrinsically interesting, and Cohen's Jack was at least a plausible if ahistorical candidate.
    • 5/5
      Loved, loved, loved this one! Cohen has taken the Jack the Ripper story and created a fascinating, intellectual page turning mystery suspense thriller. Victorian England is captured in all of its gas-lit, murderous glory. The new twist on this well told tale is Cohen's involvement of the three James' siblings: novelist Henry, philosopher and psychologist William and their bedridden sister Alice, in the hunt for the killer.It is 1888 and London is in the grips of fear, and dinner gossip, over the brutal murders that have recently occurred in Whitechapel. The murders are even a topic of discussion within Henry's eclectic circle of artistic, literary and society acquaintances. Alice, while bedridden, still exercises her alert mind by reading three newspapers a day and has her own views regarding these murders. When their older brother William receives a letter from Scotland Yard, requesting his expertise in psychology to aid the investigations, the three siblings are reunited in London and work through the clues together.Like I said at the start of this post, I loved this one. Cohen has created believable characters in Henry, William and Alice and peppered the story with a number of historical greats: Oscar Wilde, John Sargent, William Sickert and of course, Frederick Abberline, the chief investigator for Scotland Yard in the Ripper cases. She has done a great job capturing the atmosphere and society of Victorian England while still keeping the story fun with sibling and artistic banter. The story was fascinating for its scientific and intellectual examination of the murders and the attempt to get inside the mind of the killer. Cohen maintained a nice control over her story allowing for the suspense to ebb and flow, while building to a suspenseful ending. Cohen also captured enough of the basic background history of the three James' that I am happy to ignore any literary license Cohen may have made to bring the characters to life. My only complaint about the book is I felt that William played a more prominent role in the story than Henry so I don't see why the title mentions the most curious tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper, unless it is to rely on the literary link of Henry to draw interest to the story.Overall, a great historical murder mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed.
    • 4/5
      In this historical mystery, Henry James, his sister Alice and his brother William try to solve the identity of Jack the Ripper. William lives in America but has come to London at the request of Scotland Yard to help them solve these crimes, using his psychological training. Alice, who is bedridden is determined to help, using information from William's investigation and Henry's observations. Other historical figures also make appearances: Mark Twain, John Singer Sergeant, Oscar Wilde, and Walter Sickert.The story is told through the eyes of each of the James'. I loved being in London, 1888. The author did a fantastic job of creating that atmosphere; the art, the literature,the theater, and of making real characters come alive in this fictional novel.I thought the author also nicely portrayed how politics played a role in the search for the killer and how the police looked at psychology as an investigative tool at that time.Though mostly bedridden, one does not feel sorry for Alice, she is very smart and is happy with her life. She definitely knows how to keep her brothers in line as they argue about who Jack's real identity is. The dialogue is sharp and witty and clever.What Alice Knew is an interesting look at one of history's biggest mysteries, while being very entertaining. I don't know how factual the book actually is, but I don't really care. It kept me engaged and interested.my rating 4/5
    • 4/5
      Though only Alice and Henry get a mention in the title, all three of the famous Jameses play a role in this tale. William James is called in by Scotland Yard to help solve the case of Jack the Ripper. Alice decides she and her brothers are perfectly suited to unravel the mystery with their combined talents. Marantz Cohen expertly weaves these historical characters into an historical mystery to create an intriguing yet plausible solution to this great unsolved crime. She also injects contemporary historical figures, including a cameo by William Chester Minor, the madman whose story is recounted in The Professor and the Madman, seamlessly.I really enjoyed What Alice Knew. In addition to being a great fictional account of the still unsolved case of Jack the Ripper, it peaked my interest in this fascinating family. As with all books like this, I find myself wanting to know which details are accurate and which are pure fiction. I'll be spending a little time reading up on the Jameses in the next few days and perhaps looking into Marantz Cohen's earlier works. If, like me, you enjoy books that insert historical figures into fictional situations, you will no doubt like What Alice Knew. It is a well-constructed mystery from a talented author.
    • 4/5
      What Alice Knew is an utterly original historical mystery. Paula Marantz Cohen has taken many well known historical figures and incorporated them as the characters in this period tale. Novelist Henry James, his psychologist brother William and their bedridden sister Alice are the main protagonists, but others such as Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain and John Singer Sargent figure prominently. And of course - Jack the Ripper. Cohen brings 1888 London, England to life with her descriptions of locales and social customs. But it is the dialogue and interactions between the characters that provide such a fresh inventive look at a event that has been covered many times before. The conversations between the siblings is witty, clever and very entertaining. The character of Alice is especially engaging - her self imposed bed rest seems at odds with her quick and intelligent mind, but she is self aware. When we get a glimpse at her vulnerabilities, she becomes all the more authentic. Of all the historical figures, I enjoyed her portrayal the most."...that the solution to these horrific crimes requires the three of us. Henry, to observe the social world where I sense the murder lurks and to plumb his friends and acquaintances for gossip. William, to study the physical evidence through his contact with the police and to supply psychological analysis where needed.And you? William asked in amused wonder. What will you do?Me? She levelled her intelligent gaze at her brothers. I will review what you gather....and solve the case."Cohen has presented a 'solution' to the Ripper mystery that is both plausible and unique. But the fun in this book is the journey not the resolution. Highly entertaining.
    • 3/5
      This book was very descriptive. VERY descriptive. Yet it added a lot of ‘flavor’ and really set the setting for the book. It made picturing the scenes and settings much more clearer and it almost felt like watching a movie. I especially like the dinner scenes (particularly when Henry was hosting a party) they were very well written and it also gave you a look on how parties were handled during that particular time period in England. The three main characters, Henry, William and Alice James were also well done. I liked how each of them although siblings, they had issues and problems of their own and never talked about it amongst themselves. Yet it was also fun to see the sibling rivalry especially between Henry and William. (With Alice usually being the one to stop the bickering) It made the characters more real and three dimensional - not to mention more enjoyable to read. What I thought was really interesting was the addition of other famous literary and artistic characters into the plot. They have small roles (I particularly liked Oscar Wilde and Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain in the book) but it suits the setting as Henry belonged to these particular social circles and it’s only logical that they would be featured in the novel. There were some characters that I had to look up online to see if they existed or not - particularly the artists as I have no knowledge of who’s who. It did turn out to be quite a learning experience for me.The plot was well done and well written. I found it a bit dry in some areas and wished it went just a little bit faster - I admit it was a little slow towards the end of the novel. The beginning however was certainly interesting and caught my attention. I thought the ending was interesting and although vague, it got me wondering if the mystery was really solved (or not). There is plenty of mystery in the book and the suspects add more to the intrigue. I myself had guesses as to who Jack the Ripper was, but with the ending, now I’m not so sure. I liked how the epilogue rounded out the book. I found it creepy and chilling at the same time. It still left me with a lot of questions, but the feeling of uneasiness was left behind. (Which I liked, it certainly added more intrigue to the story). Overall, an interesting mystery featuring Jack the Ripper. Yet the book still leaves you wondering; “Did he/she do it?” Although I recommend this to history lovers and those who are interested in the Jack the Ripper murders, I’d have to wonder if perhaps those who know their artists as well as writers of this particular time period would definitely enjoy this book more than I did?
    • 5/5
      From My Book Review Blog, Rundpinne."What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen takes a look at Henry, William, and Alice James and how they each use their talents to help Scotland Yard find Jack the Ripper. While William James is the person Scotland Yard has summoned from Harvard to help assist them, it is his brother Henry James who circulates among the elite in London as well as the with the great artists of the time. Meanwhile, bedridden Alice is the one who collects what her brothers have learned be it through official channels or dinner parties and newspaper clipping and ponders the clues. Cohen beautifully captures the time period, dialects, behaviours and details to bring about this most extraordinary story. Each character has been carefully thought out and well written, down to the slightest detail. I found the novel impossible to put down, shushing my family so I could finish, so engrossed was I into the lives of the James siblings and the quest to track down Jack the Ripper. I without reservation recommend What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper to anyone who enjoys an excellent mystery told in a most curious manner."
    • 3/5
      There are a few things I am very curious about, and Jack The Ripper is one of them. Who was he? I'd love the answer to that, and here I at least her one suggestion. But we can't really know.In this book Jack The Ripper is terrorizing London, and Henry James is attending boring dinner parties. In London he also has his sister Alice who never gets out of bed. Because she feels there is something wrong with her. Their brother William is called to London to do a profile on Jack and help them catch him. And soon the whole family are looking for clues.I have never read a Henry James novel, but I have seen some movies. And yes I could see him as he was here, he is very fond of England and the English way of life. He was in England during this period of time so therefore the what if showed up. His sister Alice was clever and nice, and I sure wished she just would get out of bed. And then there was the brother, the famous William, he saw clues that others missed. They were quite the team.They were looking at the suspects and found one of their own, and I must say that one made sense, considering. I think I'd vote for him too. Or..oh, right, well it could have been like that too. See, I am still wondering.It was a good mystery, and thriller, especially as they got close to Jack. I do read thrillers and mysteries, it's just that I only seem to read the historical ones. I like them, cos they are different. First there is the history, second, people just have to work more for clues.
    • 5/5
      I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to read and review Paula Marantz Cohen’s new novel, What Alice Knew, as I have read nearly every book (nonfiction and fiction) about Jack the Ripper I can get my hands on and I enjoy certain aspects of the Victorian era. I was not disappointed by this marvelous book, which alternated between darkness and stinging intelligence but always remained descriptive. Ms. Cohen brought to life the bleak disparity between the lucky (the upper class) in London and abject (below working class poor ) residing in Whitechapel of 1888. Turning each page, I could detect the slight lavender from a well to do gentleman’s handkerchief, to the aroma of a nice beef bouillon soup and then, just as quickly, the heavy scent of drink and hopeless despair from the squalid streets and back alleys. So vivid were her words that I could easily picture each chapter and event as though I were watching a film, or as if Ms. Cohen were describing such occurrences from memory. Ms. Cohen takes real persons of note, such as Henry James, William James, Alice James, Oscar Wilde and John Singer Sargent, but to name a few, and spins a fascinating, complex novel. Reading What Alice Knew, it was relatively easy to forget I was reading a work of fiction, based upon actual persons, and not an exact accounting of a horrible season in London in 1888. Taking on real life persons can be a risky business, nevermind the as-yet officially unidentified Jack the Ripper. Ms. Cohen does so with aplomb. I was fascinated with how she wove her literary web surrounding this black figure and more than pleased and satisfied with how she resolved the mystery.In all, I thoroughly enjoyed What Alice Knew and found it surpassed my expectations. So good and engrossing was the read that I handily zipped through it in just over 2 days and it left me wanting to read more books of the period, including those of central character Henry James himself. If you like period dramas, mysteries and thrillers and fictional takes on the infamous Jack the Ripper, I encourage you to pick up this book. You won’t be sorry.