Description

Book Synopsis

 Decades before the term serial killer was coined, H.H. Holmes murdered dozens of people in his now-infamous Chicago Murder Castle.

In his autobiography, Holmes struggled to define himself in the language of the late nineteenth century. As the first--or, as he labeled himself, The Greatest Criminal of the Age--he had no one to compare himself to, and no ready-made biographical structure to follow. Holmes was thus nearly able to invent himself from scratch.

This book minutely inspects how Holmes represented himself in his writings and confessions. Although the legitimacy of Holmes'' accounts have been called into question, his biography mirrors the narrative structure of the true crime genre that emerged decades after his death.

Words of a Monster

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    A Paperback by Rebecca Frost

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      Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 1/19/2019 12:06:00 AM
      ISBN13: 9781476677040, 978-1476677040
      ISBN10: 1476677042

      Description

      Book Synopsis

       Decades before the term serial killer was coined, H.H. Holmes murdered dozens of people in his now-infamous Chicago Murder Castle.

      In his autobiography, Holmes struggled to define himself in the language of the late nineteenth century. As the first--or, as he labeled himself, The Greatest Criminal of the Age--he had no one to compare himself to, and no ready-made biographical structure to follow. Holmes was thus nearly able to invent himself from scratch.

      This book minutely inspects how Holmes represented himself in his writings and confessions. Although the legitimacy of Holmes'' accounts have been called into question, his biography mirrors the narrative structure of the true crime genre that emerged decades after his death.

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