Book Review: "Classic Crimes" by William Roughead

So let me begin by saying that if you are a true crime fan then you probably don't want to skip over this book. Classic Crimes by William Roughead was hailed as a brilliant collection by Joyce Carol Oates among others. The introduction goes through what we should expect from this book including the fact that true crime is perhaps one of the oldest genres of writing. Roughead seeks to delve into the psychological states of these select criminals of the 18th and 19th centuries, looking at the changing meaning of 'morality' and how the justice system formed and reformed itself over the course of time. Yes he tells a great story of criminality, but we can also learn a lot from his analysis.

The author describes a famed case that I had definitely heard of before, telling the story in a way that focuses on the brutality of the two men involved. William Burke and William Hare are two infamous characters from the history books as they killed vulnerable people in Edinburgh and sold their dead bodies for dissection. One thing we see in this book by Roughead is that there was such a large demand for cadavers by medical science that the idea of 'due dilligence' was not really much of a concern. Medical science was evolving and so, the crimes that often came with it were part of the trade. It probably reminds us of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, when early on in the book Victor goes grave-robbing. It is insane that these things not only happened, but it is suggested that Burke and Hare were not the only men in the trade.

Edward William Pritchard was another person featured in the book and I had not heard of this case before. An English doctor accused and later convicted, of murdering his wife and his mother-in-law via poisoning, this case was terrifying and yet, shows us a dichtomy. Why does there seem to be a link between the intelligence of the medical community and the rate at which people die of poisoning during these eras? Why is it that these people want to kill at all? Roughead explores this Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde nature in which outward respectability often hides a horrifying depravity of character, one which only stops when its caught out.

I had definitely heard of the Bermondsey Horror before. Marie Manning and her husband were convicted of murdering a man and thus they were both hanged in 1849. I know of this because Marie's story is explored through the maid, Mademoiselle Hortense, in Charles Dickens' book Bleak House - one of my favourites by the writer. Roughead tells her story as one with drops of empathy for the fact that it seems like the murder was done for financial gain. This almost folie a deux depicts a similar breakdown of trust as say, Therese Raquin by Emile Zola. The cases are definitely interesting and I have to say, I enjoyed both the familiarity and unfamiliarity I saw within. Even within the cases I had heard of, I have seemingly learnt something new or been presented with a new perspective on the topic.

One thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the recreation of the courtrooms. There's speeches referred to, cross-examinations present and Roughead often shows us how the outcome of the case is not simply based on the fact available, but by the performance given by those in the courtroom. It's quite funny because recently I've been rereading some Dickens and of course, there are some great and important courtroom scenes in some of the rereads I've completed this year, most notably in this air would be A Tale of Two Cities in which the outcome of the case is definitely based on performing and questioning.

He leaves us imagining how ordinary humans can commit such crimes, but he also leaves us questioning a fairly inept and inconsistent legal system which holds public opinions and class, gender and status in its core. This is unfortunately, not unlike today. We may be fascinated by the criminals themselves but what is even more fascinating is perhaps the way in which the justice system sought to put itself forward as being hardened and correct - even though if you're paying attention to the book, that is far from the truth.