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

Paula Marantz Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 1, 2010

"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

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

At the request of Scotland Yard, American philosopher William James, an expert in the science of the mind, travels to London to assist in solving the Jack the Ripper case. Once in London, William has access to the evidence collected at the crime scenes, and he travels with Inspector Abberline to interview witnesses. He then shares the particulars of the case with his brother, novelist Henry, and his sister, Alice, who is bedridden but feels she can still contribute to the identification of the madman. The story is told from multiple points of view, and Cohen seamlessly blends fact and fiction into fascinating looks at late-nineteenth-century London, the Jack the Ripper case, and the lives of the James siblings. In addition, she weaves in provocative details about the philosophy, literature, and art of the era and makes room for cameo appearances by such real-life figures as Oscar Wilde, John Singer Sargent, and Walter Sickert, once thought a suspect in the Ripper killings. For fans of historical fiction as well as historical mysteries. --Sue O'Brien

Review

"Cohen seamlessly blends fact and fiction into fascinating looks at late nineteenth-century London, the Jack the Ripper case, and the lives of the James siblings."

"the author does a good job of evoking the grimness of everyday life in the Whitechapel slums."

"An imaginative foray into historical fiction... [What Alice Knew] should reel in students of literature... [and] devotees of period pieces and mysteries."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; 1 edition (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402243553
• ISBN-13: 978-1402243554
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.5 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars More about the characters than the mystery for me... September 13, 2010

By Luanne Ollivier TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Many-Splendoured Treat March 20, 2011

By Serious Reader

Format:Paperback

This book is a page turner. It is a mystery; it is a historical period piece; it is a piece of literary and cultural criticism. It makes a famous family--as well as some ancillary characters on the London scene at the fin of the last siecle--come alive. Henry, William, and especially Alice James are beautifully limned, and Cohen is adept at capturing the cultural and aesthetic issues and tensions of the Aesthetic movement. When Jack the Ripper (whoever he may have been) can enter the world of fiction and keep a reader's attention as forcefully as fictional characters, and real ones do, you know you are in the presence of a writer of sophistication, depth and substance. Also of wit and suspense.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars What Alice Knew December 12, 2010

By Chapati VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James & Jack the Ripper is Paula Marantz Cohen's first novel. The plotline is luscious for any lover of historical fiction or mystery. The three James siblings- Henry the mildly successful author, William the brilliant psychologist and Alice the keenly observant invalid- investigate the Jack the Ripper murders as they take place, trying to determine through psychology and social observation who must have committed the murders.

Sounds exciting, right? Unfortunately, I don't think it was nearly as exciting as it could have been. I admit I haven't read too many of Henry James' books, but The Turn of the Screw is one I read several years ago and still serves to give me a deliciously creepy shiver up and down my back when I think of it. James was a master of the unreliable narrator and wrote amazingly well. In this book, he was portrayed as an insecure, fat alcoholic who just wanted the approval of his elder brother. It's possible that Henry James did feel insecure and maybe he was an alcoholic and quite possibly he wanted his older brother to like him. But there was also keen insight, wittiness and a very real kind of genius in him and I don't think Cohen brought that out at all. Nor does she allow us to see Henry's neuroses develop. She tells us flat out exactly what Henry thinks. For example:

"But William had always treated him dismissively, had viewed his life as frivolous, and had denigrated his writing, if only by failing to read it. These things pained Henry deeply, though he pretended not to care. For more even than social acclaim and fortune, more even than literary immortality, he desired the good opinion of his older brother...."

Really, I think this point would have been much better made through less obvious methods, allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions about what must have been a very complex relationship between the two brothers. And Cohen gives Alice and William the same treatment- we are told exactly what they think and feel in this heavy-handed manner and do not get the opportunity to draw our own conclusions.

And if that is how the story is just for character development, then I think you can guess that the murder mystery also proceeds at a somewhat clunky manner. In many ways, I found the mystery investigation more interesting. I liked the way the new and budding fields of psychology and photography were used. But in general, this story did not grip me at all in the way one would expect a Victorian era novel featuring a family of famous siblings investigating one of history's most infamous serial killers to do. Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars nice historical read March 19, 2011

By bookmagic418 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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