Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Anne Perry / Juliet Hulme (Part 4)

I am truly surprised that a series of posts that started on Book Chase more than four years ago is still drawing comments from around the world.  Those posts began as a discussion of my   reaction when I first learned that Anne Perry had been convicted and punished for her participation in a very brutal murder when she was a teen.  The many comments added to the posts have expressed shock, negative reactions (including a difficulty enjoying Perry's mysteries any longer), and substantial amounts of support for the author.

I know that Book Chase finds new readers every day, so I think it would be appropriate to post links to two of the earlier posts here as a way of exposing the discussion to some to whom the information might be new and interesting.  My personal opinion concerning Ms. Perry's crime and the irony associated with her choice of profession (author of murder mysteries) has softened a bit over the past four years, but I still find it impossible to read her work.  Others do not.

Hopefully, this will start a fresh discussion - and some new material associated with the murder and its aftermath will be brought to my attention.  To this point, I have learned of an Australian book on the subject, a video interview in which Perry discusses the murder with author Ian Rankin, a major film about the girls and the murder, and a documentary shot in Anne Perry's home.  Links to each of those have been included in prior posts.

To regular readers this is old news, of course, and I apologize for repeating myself to them.  Others, I hope, will find the subject to be as fascinating as I do.

Prior posts and all the details can be found here:

Anne Perry / Juliet Hulme (Revisited)


Anne Perry / Juliet Hulme (Revisited Again)



7 comments:

  1. Anne Perry wrote for some time before she was successful in getting a book published.
    It was her step-father Bill Perry who coaxed her into writing murder mysteries based in the victorian period.He was an avid fan of that period, especially about the 'Jack the Ripper' murders.
    People say she chose to write about murder, and thumbing her nose up to the rest of the world,and dwelling on the offence she took a part in etc. That is just hogwash.

    Carl Rosel

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  2. Carl, please could you clarify how you know it's hogwash? Has Anne Perry or her agent informed you of this? Or is it simply your amateur opinion?
    Thanks, Alex

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  3. Yes, it is my amateur opinion, after researching the reason behind Anne Perry writing novels based in the victorian period, that to say she is dwelling on and writing about the matricide she was involved in over half a century ago is absolute hogwash. Demented garbage from people with an insane bias against her and unable or unwilling to get rid of it. What is the motive for that. Jealousy is an ugly trait. Maybe it is because Anne Perry can write rings around the people who constantly display vitriole towards her.
    Find out yourselves how Anne Perry came to be writing murder mysteries in the victorian period. Your warped biasness needs to change.

    Carl Rosel

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  4. I find what you say interesting, Carl, because my professional opinion (as an author's research assistant) has led me to Anne Perry's comment that her 'major interest is in conflict of ethics, especially involving honesty with one's self, which is why the Victorian scene, with its layers of hypocrisy, appeals to me.'
    As you can see, the only conflict of ethics in Juliet Hulme's life was committing murder, so right there Anne Perry is saying she writes murder stories because of the conflict of ethics, which resonates within her. As you can also see, she goes on to say that the Victorian era's 'layers of hypocricy, appeals to' her. If you consider the various (and varied) excuses Hulme has given over the years for committing murder, you can see why she says that about hypocricy. Anyway, I'm curious now: What facts (as opposed to opinion) did your research reveal?
    Regards, Janet.

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  5. Anne Perry wrote for sometime before having any success. It was her step-father Bill Perry who advised her to write murder mysteries based in the victorian era. He had an interest in that era. In particular the Jack The Ripper case. She did that and struck success and now has about 26 million books in print.

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  6. Apologies for the repeating of facts.
    Just realized.

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  7. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/23441272

    Article on Juliet Hulme (Anne Perry)at the time she was in Mt Eden Prison.

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