The Monkey King's Used Primate Emporium and Book Reviews

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Alan Moore, Various Titles

Started October 13 � Finished October 14, 2003; 618 pages. Posted 29 October 2003

The most fascinating thing about these two books was comparing them to the Johnny Depp movie. Determined to avoid being dismissed as comic book kiddie lore, Moore dedicates 42 pages at the end of this anthology to detail the historical records that he utilized in nearly every single page drawn for the series.

This has more cases of works cited than that last Chomsky book I read. He points out what is conjecture in his part, and differentiates it from other sources, and he claims there isn�t much that he made up. The second book, some of which was included in the anthology, details the frustration of trying to make sense from the various theories that are available, which are almost as numerous as the JFK assassination.

I wouldn�t know the difference between fact, theory, and fiction, as I�ve never done any study into the study of Jack the Ripper. But I work with a woman at the store who collects studies about the case, and she said Moore�s theory about the identity of the killer is not far from the mark of other �serious� historians. I should mention that she hasn�t read From Hell, but she did see the movie.

So when I finished this, I borrowed a copy of the film from work (available to you at the low, low price of $3.99! Come on down!), and compared the differences.

And here�s what I don�t understand. Judging by his footnotes at the end, detailed in single-spaced tiny font size, Moore put a LOT of work into this book, making sure he had his facts straight for when he needed them. Yes, there is some stuff in the book that moves toward the mystical realm that is obviously made up (though Moore still takes the time to make sure you KNOW it�s made up), but the majority is set up as a serious study into the Jack the Ripper legend.

So when these people bought the rights to the book and said, �we�re gonna change the fat married constable into Johnny Depp, and make him single so he can make out with the female lead,� why the hell didn�t he protest? And when the screenwriters� said they were going to take away one member of the royal family for narrative purposes, did Moore just shrug and reach for the check? When the script revealed they planned to make William Gull a rogue agent acting on his own instead of on orders from British royalty, was Moore on vacation in Ibiza and couldn�t be reached? Finally, when they decided to make Depp�s character a junkie with laudanum-laced dream visions that helped him solve crimes, which is nowhere in the book, was Moore incapacitated in his own laudanum-laced world?

Jay had it right in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back — Movies are bullshit.

The rating won't fit, so let me just say that at $35.00, From Hell is way too expensive. �Dance� is worth used, and it's cheap, but it's only for people who have read the series, and were really interested in the process behind it.


Rating: Worth used.

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