| Detailed Synopsis |
| The idea of this book is that an English poet named Francis Thompson was secretly Jack the Ripper. The book narrates the life of the world�s most feared serial killer. It covers the circumstances of the crimes that took place in London in the autumn of 1888 and tells that the victims, dates, locations and method of the murders were all chosen by Thompson in accordance to ancient occult lore.
His reason was so that he could bring back from the dead a prostitute that he had murdered. He had killed her in an uncontrollable rage when after he told her that he would become famous she threatened to leave him. Thompson, well studied in religious mystical, magical and occult traditions choose to resurrect her through a necromantic ritual, but fearing that she might still leave him his scheme was to recreate her not as an individual human being but as an entity that would encompass the entire world. The book tells of his growing horror after the last murder when he realised that he had mistakenly created a being that was a dreadful amalgam of the pain filled last moments of his victims. It was a demonic spirit that would haunt him until his dying breath. Beyond this horror is one even greater. Thompson believed that his murdered prostitute, now an innocent victim, was surely destined for heaven while he a murderer was going to directly to hell. There was only one way that he and she could unite and that was if he could somehow stay alive until the end of days, until the Apocalypse. In the remaining years of his life, in a frenzy of study, he pieced together symbols, legends, and arcane imagery all centred upon the belief of reincarnation. He found a way after his so-called �death� to hide within us. This book may answer why we might sometimes feel not right and not at all ourselves. It ends in asking is it the reader who wished to learn more about Jack the Ripper and Francis Thompson or is it he inside the reader who wants to read about himself. The story shows how history itself and some of its key players, politicians, generals, writers, publishers, murderers have been guided by hands beyond the grave- the hands of the Ripper. A ghost that haunts our minds and forever seeks the end of the world. |
| Chapter Summary |
| Introduction Murders in the Sanctuary.
Introduces the theory of Francis Thompson as the Ripper and provides its history. Shows how the murders mirror Thompson's ideals in their features, dates and locations. An account of murders before the so-called canonical five is given. A warehouse fire near to the crimes on the night of the first murder is reported on and how it affected the early stages of the murder investigation. This leads to speaking upon Thompson�s own history of arson. Chapter One Francis Thompson poet of Sacrifice. Traces Thompson�s life from his birth until 1888 when he was homeless in London right before the Jack the Ripper murders. Samples of his macabre poetry are given to illustrate his horrific view on the world. His tragic childhood, disastrous training as a priest and failed studies as a medical student are discussed. It examines his flight to London and his suicide attempt thwarted by the ghost of a fellow writer. The chapter describes his bouts of delirium while homeless and his steady decline into the London abyss. It relates the circumstances of his relationship with his prostitute and her disappearance. It examines the writers and their occult works that he then literally devoured Chapter Two Mary Ann Nichols - Innocent in Death. Provides an account of the first Jack the Ripper murder and gives an insight into environment of the East End where the murders occurred. This account includes the structure and nature of the police force and its investigative techniques. Chapter Three Annie Chapman and the Midnight Butcher. Details the second victim's finals hours, and continues to follow events as they transpired. This includes the investigation of a number of leads and the search and arrests of various suspects. It relates how the press popularised the murders. Chapter Four Elizabeth Stride & Catherine Eddowes; �My Two Ladies.� Relates the death of Stride and Eddowes and introduces the Ripper letters in comparison to Thompson�s history. Introduces Thompson�s motive for the crimes as a ritual evoked to raise the spirit of the prostitute �friend� he had murdered. Chapter Five Mary Kelly and the Secret in Her Eyes. Discusses the last victim's murder as the culmination of Thompson�s dark scheme. Shows the bewilderment and shock of the populace and its immediate ramifications. Chapter Six Francis Thompson, Confessions at Midnight. Continues the life of Francis Thompson from 1888 onwards. It narrates his rise to fame and the publication of his poetry and essays. It analysis his relationship to writers and intellectuals. This chapter gives an insight into Thompson up until his death in London in 1907. This includes his habits, his social life and his opinions upon society. It tells of his reaction at finding the ghost he had created was not she but a type of abomination. It tells of his continued research into the occult his desperate seeking for the key to reincarnation with which to merge into the collective consciousness until the end of time. Chapter Seven The Haunted World. This chapter is an exploration of post-modern history in relation to the Ripper-murders. It will evaluate the mind set and activities of serial killers as signalling a contagious psychosis of the Ripper persona. It will examine the lives and works of writers who were influenced by Francis Thompson. It will draw upon Thompson's own writing to further understand his intention. |