hindsight is 20/20.

From the other texts we've covered in class, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher would be the baby, if all of them got together. While the other texts are fiction, they offer the framework and principles that are expressed in the Summerscale text. A detective tale, almost in its finest, the text offers the Victorian era and all it stands for in one. In order for a crime to be solved, a family's history must be unveiled. This is a concept that doesn't, and wouldn't, sit well with a family from this time. Besides, who wants their dirty laundry aired for all to see?

Mr. Witcher, in my opinion, is the epitome of proper Victorian detectives. He showcases the skills we saw in Sherlock Holmes and Dupain from the Edgar Allen Poe tales, but brings a more realistic feel. This comes, in my opinion, because he existed. His colleagues consider him the "prince of detectives" and the Prologue is dedicated to previous crimes he's solved. It's as if the author wants to be sure that we understand how qualified our hero is.

The story contained so much detail and I found myself referring back to the list of family members written at the front of the book. This didn't help, so I wrote out my own to establish the relationship between one member to another. I'm not sure if the author was attempting to share so much detail to force us to solve the crime before the resolution is given, but I find it distracting. We cannot all be Sherlock Holmes in understanding and piecing together details to solve a crime.

The text is written from an all-seeing observer's point of view, providing details and hints throughout. The narrator offers the tale knowing the end to the beginning and shares the story in this manner. Obviously, the narrator wants the reader to know what has happened and fills in the details accordingly.

Considering the other texts on the syllabus, there seems to be a growth happening. The class started with children's books, The Jungle Books to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland then on to tales of discovery (comparable to adolescence, a time of growth and learning), The Coming Race and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. At the end, we've finally reached a grown-up phase, with murder and deceit that only adults can stomach.

Personally, I find this text too long and drawn out for my tastes. Being a product of the 'microwave generation', I prefer tales that are to the point or at least hold my attention for longer than a couple of pages. For anyone interested in following a case from being to end and delving into the past of a Victorian family, then this text may interest you. For me, I'd rather read about Sherlock Holmes and his cocaine addiction.