Kate Summerscale

A book that takes time to read, but I liked it.

In the tense, uneasy atmosphere of the late 1930s, the presumed medium Mrs Alma Fielding and a team of investigators headed by Nandor Fodor embark together on an exchange of experiences that become more and more twisted. To keep the interest of Fodor and his group, and presumably the fee they pay her, Alma Fielding gradually expands her scope of “psychical” manifestations, becoming bolder in the process. The investigators, as they were increasingly suspicious of being tricked, became more and more intrusive and possessive. Summerscale gives Fodor the benefit of the doubt, as he understood that his actions risked doing real harm to Mrs. Fielding.

This is less a story about a medium, her troubled personality and her tricks, than a story about the investigator, Fodor. Summerscale is kind about his efforts to seek truth in his own way, and the evolution of his beliefs, while recognising that he went too far and had to be stopped.

As history goes, this is almost a psychological novel. The events described in this book affected only a few people, but no doubt affected them deeply.… (more)

The publisher’s description sums this book up neatly and accurately, but it doesn’t convey what a compelling story it tells. It’s a fascinating and gruesome murder mystery/detective story, with well-drawn characters and a focus on the relevant details, but all soundly documented by primary sources, including police and court documents, correspondence of the people involved, newspaper articles, and similar historic documents. It also looks at the popular reaction to the case and the great influence it had on the creation and rise in popularity of detective fiction. Everything is tied up neatly by the end, but it ends up being a rather melancholy tale when all is said and done.

Summerscale does a wonderful job of presenting interesting and relevant details without bogging down the history with a lot of boring facts. I typically hate reading history, so maybe this style of telling would disappoint historians, but I found it very engaging, like reading fiction. The notes (aside from a few explanatory notes at the ends of chapters) are endnotes, so I could flip to the back if I wanted to see her sources, or ignore them until a convenient lull in the story. So I guess I can tolerate history after all: just give me a lurid story told like fiction, with historic details inconspicuously tucked away out of sight.… (more)