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The Love of a Bad Man
A schoolgirl catches the eye of the future leader of Nazi Germany. An aspiring playwright writes to a convicted serial killer, seeking inspiration. A pair of childhood sweethearts reunite to commit rape and murder. A devoted Mormon wife follows her husband into the wilderness after he declares himself a prophet.
The twelve stories in 'The Love of a Bad Man' imagine the lives of real women, all of whom were the lovers, wives, or mistresses of various ‘bad’ men in history. Beautifully observed, fascinating, and at times horrifying, the stories interrogate power, the nature of obsession, and the lengths some women will go to for the men they love.
The twelve stories in 'The Love of a Bad Man' imagine the lives of real women, all of whom were the lovers, wives, or mistresses of various ‘bad’ men in history. Beautifully observed, fascinating, and at times horrifying, the stories interrogate power, the nature of obsession, and the lengths some women will go to for the men they love.
240 pages, Paperback
First published August 29, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
August 6, 2017
Thank you to Goodreads, the author and Scribe for my physical copy. I was a tad torn about what to rate this book, but I landed on 3. This story was unusual - a fictional account of a handful of 'bad' men from history. The author acknowledges in her notes that she has a fondness for the dark side. This was very dark in its themes, but very, very well written. I was cursing my pretty poor general knowledge as I could not link the real life stories as I was reading along, but low and behold, an appendix and bibliography were popped in, right at the end. I added an extra star for this, and it was the redemption that improved this read for me.
I googled Jonestown. What a messy messy thing that was!
I enjoyed this in the end, the Goodreads win pushed my boundaries again to try new genres.
Will be very interested to see what Laura Elizabeth Woollett comes up with next.
I googled Jonestown. What a messy messy thing that was!
I enjoyed this in the end, the Goodreads win pushed my boundaries again to try new genres.
Will be very interested to see what Laura Elizabeth Woollett comes up with next.
September 5, 2016
I really don't know how to rate this collection - Woollett is an incredibly skilled writer, drawing you into the fucked up relationships between her women characters and their dreadful men. The stories are all based in reality, so you get Eva Braun, Myra Hyndley as narrators, and the overall feeling is a kind of woozily sick horror.
I found the damaged people and the horrible things they did a bit much to deal with at times - probably because these weren't characters, but real people made messy and human by Woollett's writing. So it's a very impressive collection, but not one I'd readily recommend - I definitely wouldn't say that I 'enjoyed' it.
I found the damaged people and the horrible things they did a bit much to deal with at times - probably because these weren't characters, but real people made messy and human by Woollett's writing. So it's a very impressive collection, but not one I'd readily recommend - I definitely wouldn't say that I 'enjoyed' it.
August 25, 2016
I'm completely obsessed with this short story collection: twelve stories fictionalising the lives of real historical women who were the lovers/wives/mistresses/penpals of 'bad' men (serial killers, criminals, cult leaders, Hitler etc.). It shows the (often violent) lengths these women would go to for their love of a bad man. It's clever and badass and chilling and I can't pick my favourite I loved each story so much.
September 21, 2016
I won Laura Elizabethe Woollett's book The Love of a Bad Man through Goodreads Giveaways. These 12 short stories are based on true events featuring evil men such as Hitler and Charles Manson and their wives/girlfriends. Some of the stories were very disturbing such as the one about Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. It's hard to rate this book because it is so well written but gave me nightmares!!
Read
November 21, 2016These short stories are completely bonkers, very dark, so fascinating and incredibly well written. Each imagines the life of a woman in a relationship (marriage, de facto, mistress) with a revolting, evil man. So creepy, so good.
April 21, 2020
Ooh that was really good -- but creepy and disturbing too
March 26, 2019
I had such high hopes for this collection! Exploring women who love and admire bad men? Yes, please - excavating the strange, uncomfortable dissonances and histories of women who develop relationships with cruel, misogynistic killers and stalkers and abusers and sadists is a really important and fascinating premise.
Woollett's prose is not especially strong, as I felt she relied heavily on caricatures of these women and their personas and circumstances rather than actually delve into the textures, nuances, and depths that constitute characters who feel alive, and complex. I often felt that I was reading a story turned in for a creative writing assignment in a beginner's workshop, in her attempts to writhe around inside the minds and bodies of these complicated women. It frustrated me immensely as it is clear that she has so much potential and some latent, stirring strengths hidden in her writing - that much is obvious. Still, these women felt incredibly surface-level to me, particularly because I never felt that their complicity in the acts of the men they loved was actually thoroughly examined or acknowledged. It felt more as if these women were depicted as bystanders rather than the full, tumultuous humans they were: at once victims and perpetrators, the products of trauma and silently responsible for creating more of it for other women. I think that this collection failed, for me, to truly unravel the stickiness and contradictions of women like Eva Braun or the Manson girls. She depicted them more as wide-eyed and far more naive than I believe they were -- they were much more complex than that and simplifying them does them all a disservice.
Woollett's prose is not especially strong, as I felt she relied heavily on caricatures of these women and their personas and circumstances rather than actually delve into the textures, nuances, and depths that constitute characters who feel alive, and complex. I often felt that I was reading a story turned in for a creative writing assignment in a beginner's workshop, in her attempts to writhe around inside the minds and bodies of these complicated women. It frustrated me immensely as it is clear that she has so much potential and some latent, stirring strengths hidden in her writing - that much is obvious. Still, these women felt incredibly surface-level to me, particularly because I never felt that their complicity in the acts of the men they loved was actually thoroughly examined or acknowledged. It felt more as if these women were depicted as bystanders rather than the full, tumultuous humans they were: at once victims and perpetrators, the products of trauma and silently responsible for creating more of it for other women. I think that this collection failed, for me, to truly unravel the stickiness and contradictions of women like Eva Braun or the Manson girls. She depicted them more as wide-eyed and far more naive than I believe they were -- they were much more complex than that and simplifying them does them all a disservice.
September 15, 2016
My View:
This is a very very dark read. The premise is tantalising – who doesn’t wonder about the partners of some of the most diabolical murderous and sadistic killers in history - how they got together, why they stayed together, how the relationship worked, how much were they involved with the crimes? Who lead who on? Who was the mastermind? These mesmerising short stories are compelling and fascinating, yet simultaneously repulsive – magnetic in effect, tempting the voyeur hidden deep in all of us yet making us shudder as we read on. What powerful reads! The short story has been reborn! Fascinating scenarios and great writing – how did this author develop such a powerful and wicked voice?
This is an author to watch out for! Read if you dare!
This is a very very dark read. The premise is tantalising – who doesn’t wonder about the partners of some of the most diabolical murderous and sadistic killers in history - how they got together, why they stayed together, how the relationship worked, how much were they involved with the crimes? Who lead who on? Who was the mastermind? These mesmerising short stories are compelling and fascinating, yet simultaneously repulsive – magnetic in effect, tempting the voyeur hidden deep in all of us yet making us shudder as we read on. What powerful reads! The short story has been reborn! Fascinating scenarios and great writing – how did this author develop such a powerful and wicked voice?
This is an author to watch out for! Read if you dare!
January 16, 2019
I’m definitely a scaredy cat but this book terrified me but also was gripping. Such an interesting retelling of gruesome stories. Was constantly wiki-ing what actually happened. Loved the changing tone in writing too!
March 30, 2019
That was exceptionally traumatic. People i know about but was still horrified to read from their perspective.
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September 22, 2021Like Helen Garner, Laura Woollett is impelled to explore the darkest corners of the human heart, the savage cognitive distortions of love; to understand and empathise with the monstrous, rather than to instinctively recoil or judge … Woollett’s pitch-perfect command of narrative voice, period, and psychology creates 12 tales to fascinate and unnerve.
Cameron Woodhead, The Age
[Woollett] raises unnerving questions about the nature of desire: about why any of us are drawn to people who are bad, or bad for us, and why we stay with them. That she refuses to answer them is not to the detriment of The Love of a Bad Man, and in fact ensures that the collection never feels gimmicky … The stories are entirely concerned with conveying the distinctive interiority of the women, with the exploration of their impulses and insecurities. It is by the accretion of these case studies, rather than by armchair psychologising her girls, that Woollett builds her case.
Veronica Sullivan, The Lifted Brow
A genuinely fresh reading experience … we’re sure to hear a lot more from this talented writer in coming years.
Books+Publishing, Four Stars
An unusual and affecting reading experience, coupling true crime with literary fiction … Laura Elizabeth Woollett is refreshing, challenging, and utterly unique and I’m already looking forward to her next achievement.
Readings Monthly
With each finely tuned voice, Woollett draws empathy from abject horror. A confident and mesmerising performance.
Melanie Joosten, Author of Berlin Syndrome
The idea is intriguing and the execution goes well beyond expectation … The Love of a Bad Man gives sophisticated insight, and is full of empathy and nuance for the people portrayed.
Lip Magazine
The Love of a Bad Man is a rare combination of immense writing talent and wondrous imagination. You've never read a book quite like this one.
Jeff Gunn, Author of Go Down Together and Manson
Chilling … [Woollett] has rendered these women so real, so believable, sympathetic, and even likeable in some cases, despite the dreadful things they condone or participate in.
Austcrime
Compelling and powerful … Woollett has inhabited the spirit of these various women in a manner both thought-provoking and touching.
Ruth Wykes, Co-Author of Women Who Kill and Invisible Women
Woollett’s work in her female narrators’ interior lives, her in-depth research and deployment of detail and vernacular, combines to lend a frightening and compelling understanding to these women’s choices, and in some but not all cases, their coercion.
Homer
Seductive and enthralling … Woollett is a master of her craft. You won’t be able to put it down.
Stephanie Dickinson, Author of Love Highway
The Love of a Bad Man imagines the inner lives of historical figures who committed crimes all in the name of love … The stories treat death with a gothic inevitability and explore human darkness with a light touch.
Lou Heinrich, The Guardian
[Woollett’s] stories are beautifully written – poised and elegant.
Eithne Farry, Daily Mail
[T]he varied voices are what makes this collection outstanding … truly unsettling reading.
Emerald Street
Woollett explores power, obsession and warped love in this absorbing collection.
Sharmaine Lovegrove, Elle
Woollett is skilled at giving each woman a different voice, from the dramatic correspondence of Veronica Compton, to the semi-educated whining of Blanche Burrow. What each woman has in common is their transformation.
New York Journal of Books
[W]hat sets Woollett apart is the ease with which she floats through the lives of her protagonists … an experiment in the limits of empathy.
Crimereads
Cameron Woodhead, The Age
[Woollett] raises unnerving questions about the nature of desire: about why any of us are drawn to people who are bad, or bad for us, and why we stay with them. That she refuses to answer them is not to the detriment of The Love of a Bad Man, and in fact ensures that the collection never feels gimmicky … The stories are entirely concerned with conveying the distinctive interiority of the women, with the exploration of their impulses and insecurities. It is by the accretion of these case studies, rather than by armchair psychologising her girls, that Woollett builds her case.
Veronica Sullivan, The Lifted Brow
A genuinely fresh reading experience … we’re sure to hear a lot more from this talented writer in coming years.
Books+Publishing, Four Stars
An unusual and affecting reading experience, coupling true crime with literary fiction … Laura Elizabeth Woollett is refreshing, challenging, and utterly unique and I’m already looking forward to her next achievement.
Readings Monthly
With each finely tuned voice, Woollett draws empathy from abject horror. A confident and mesmerising performance.
Melanie Joosten, Author of Berlin Syndrome
The idea is intriguing and the execution goes well beyond expectation … The Love of a Bad Man gives sophisticated insight, and is full of empathy and nuance for the people portrayed.
Lip Magazine
The Love of a Bad Man is a rare combination of immense writing talent and wondrous imagination. You've never read a book quite like this one.
Jeff Gunn, Author of Go Down Together and Manson
Chilling … [Woollett] has rendered these women so real, so believable, sympathetic, and even likeable in some cases, despite the dreadful things they condone or participate in.
Austcrime
Compelling and powerful … Woollett has inhabited the spirit of these various women in a manner both thought-provoking and touching.
Ruth Wykes, Co-Author of Women Who Kill and Invisible Women
Woollett’s work in her female narrators’ interior lives, her in-depth research and deployment of detail and vernacular, combines to lend a frightening and compelling understanding to these women’s choices, and in some but not all cases, their coercion.
Homer
Seductive and enthralling … Woollett is a master of her craft. You won’t be able to put it down.
Stephanie Dickinson, Author of Love Highway
The Love of a Bad Man imagines the inner lives of historical figures who committed crimes all in the name of love … The stories treat death with a gothic inevitability and explore human darkness with a light touch.
Lou Heinrich, The Guardian
[Woollett’s] stories are beautifully written – poised and elegant.
Eithne Farry, Daily Mail
[T]he varied voices are what makes this collection outstanding … truly unsettling reading.
Emerald Street
Woollett explores power, obsession and warped love in this absorbing collection.
Sharmaine Lovegrove, Elle
Woollett is skilled at giving each woman a different voice, from the dramatic correspondence of Veronica Compton, to the semi-educated whining of Blanche Burrow. What each woman has in common is their transformation.
New York Journal of Books
[W]hat sets Woollett apart is the ease with which she floats through the lives of her protagonists … an experiment in the limits of empathy.
Crimereads
August 30, 2016
It's a question that has preyed on a lot of people's minds over the years - why do women fall for, and stay with, the worst possible men? What author Laura Elizabeth Woollett has done is imagine her author's pen into the minds and lives of some of these women in her series of short stories - THE LOVE OF A BAD MAN. Which ends up presenting the reader with an interesting series of fictional looks inside real women's minds that feel very real.
The range of women is historically and geographically varied, and the style of storytelling beguiling enough to have reader's guessing some identities to start. For something with such a dark subject at heart, it's an interesting style, almost light at points. Which makes the idea that you're inside the minds of women like Eva Braun, a disciple of Charles Manson, Myra Hindley and Marceline Jones (wife of Jim Jones of Jonestown massacre infamy), for example, particularly chilling.
Chilling is the word for this entire collection. It's not a heavy-handed message, it's more subtle than that. It's in the way that this author has rendered these women so real, so believable, sympathetic and even likeable in some cases, despite the dreadful things they condone or participate in. All in the name of love.
There are twelve stories in total in THE LOVE OF A BAD MAN, and whilst each one can be read reasonably quickly, you will undoubtedly find yourself going back to re-read. Which is well worth the effort as each re-read reveals different layers and even more questions than you might have started out with.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
The range of women is historically and geographically varied, and the style of storytelling beguiling enough to have reader's guessing some identities to start. For something with such a dark subject at heart, it's an interesting style, almost light at points. Which makes the idea that you're inside the minds of women like Eva Braun, a disciple of Charles Manson, Myra Hindley and Marceline Jones (wife of Jim Jones of Jonestown massacre infamy), for example, particularly chilling.
Chilling is the word for this entire collection. It's not a heavy-handed message, it's more subtle than that. It's in the way that this author has rendered these women so real, so believable, sympathetic and even likeable in some cases, despite the dreadful things they condone or participate in. All in the name of love.
There are twelve stories in total in THE LOVE OF A BAD MAN, and whilst each one can be read reasonably quickly, you will undoubtedly find yourself going back to re-read. Which is well worth the effort as each re-read reveals different layers and even more questions than you might have started out with.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
December 19, 2016
Skillfully written and deeply disturbing, this collection of short stories is fascinating, gruesome and utterly compelling. It's an exploration of the blindness of love as well as power imbalances within relationships, and had me gripped the whole way through. Big trigger warning for sexual violence.
June 21, 2021
I read this impressive short story collection via audio which I highly recommend because the reader is fantastic. This short story collection is the fictional narrative of various women who found themselves in relationships with bad men. I find this to be an ingenious concept for a short story collection. It is dark and disturbing so if true crime stories are not your thing this is not for you. However if true crime is....this cannot be missed.
November 3, 2021
I created a goodreads account just so I could review this book. This book is my all time favourite book. I’ve reread it more times than I can count, and it lives in my bedside table rather than bookshelf where all my other books are. This is such a unique and creative perspective to analyse and understand the women close to dangerous men. Each story has a different voice and character, and captivates the reader in a time and place. I love this book so much I wish there were more like it!
July 8, 2021
This is a short story collection about women involved with historical bad men. Some of the more infamous ones (Eva Braun, the Manson women) require a degree of imagination as they sit so heavily in people's mind. The author's done a pretty good job with these. She's mostly reconstructed details leading up to the crime itself or the time after. I appreciate that these stories are not gory and that they really try to dig into these women's psyche. I couldn't take the last one seriously because of the biblical dialogue. Perhaps it's authentic to its characters. But it made me laugh a lot.
May 28, 2018
Loved it.
There is no other way to say it: Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s writing is striking, precise and deftly crafted. Enviably so.
The visceral quality of the prose is not so much in its gory detail but in subtle evocative touches. The twelve women who form the framework of The Love of a Bad Man diverge in setting and history. They are not all killers, but they are bound to figures eternally tied to devastation, violence and horror.
Full review here: https://dashamaiorova.wordpress.com/2...
There is no other way to say it: Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s writing is striking, precise and deftly crafted. Enviably so.
The visceral quality of the prose is not so much in its gory detail but in subtle evocative touches. The twelve women who form the framework of The Love of a Bad Man diverge in setting and history. They are not all killers, but they are bound to figures eternally tied to devastation, violence and horror.
Full review here: https://dashamaiorova.wordpress.com/2...
April 5, 2017
These were mainly great stories. Some creepy crawly under your skin disturbing, others went somewhere deeper than that.
July 30, 2017
The fact that I laughed while reading 'Veronica' probably means I am a serial killer. I am as surprised as you. I was always so quiet and kept to myself. Maybe I should spend less time talking with my dog.
February 26, 2017
Deeply unsettling and disturbing fictionalised accounts of real women and the men they loved. I found some stories had more success (Charlie's Girls, Janice, Martha) than others (Eva, Blanche, Marceline).
June 7, 2018
This is a collection of historical fiction short-stories by the local (Melbourne) female writer Laura Elizabeth Woollett. I have to say, this is a truly brilliant concept for a book, and I’ve not read anything like it. Woollett has the ability to take the horrific stories that people have heard over and over before, and rewrite them from a fresh angle.
Clearly this is fiction, but whilst there are painful truths to these stories which make them incredibly difficult to read, there is a lot to gain from the imagination of Woollett herself. I’ve read a few reviews from people who were uncomfortable with the presumptiveness that the women in the stories were less guilty than the ‘bad’ men around them. My take on this is that it is simply fiction, and it was an interesting perspective to tackle.
After finishing each short story, I found myself immediately Google-ing the characters to educate myself. Woollett did an incredible job of stepping into each character and writing from such varied perspectives. Much like with acting, I always admire a writer who has the ability to make me completely forget their existence as they become the voice of their characters – and Woollett has achieved just that.
I hired this book from the library, but it’s one of those books I’ve become so fascinated by that I’ll be searching out a copy for my own shelves as soon as possible. I’m truly anticipating Woollett’s next book, whatever that may be.
- from polreaderblog[dot]wordpress[dot]com
Clearly this is fiction, but whilst there are painful truths to these stories which make them incredibly difficult to read, there is a lot to gain from the imagination of Woollett herself. I’ve read a few reviews from people who were uncomfortable with the presumptiveness that the women in the stories were less guilty than the ‘bad’ men around them. My take on this is that it is simply fiction, and it was an interesting perspective to tackle.
After finishing each short story, I found myself immediately Google-ing the characters to educate myself. Woollett did an incredible job of stepping into each character and writing from such varied perspectives. Much like with acting, I always admire a writer who has the ability to make me completely forget their existence as they become the voice of their characters – and Woollett has achieved just that.
I hired this book from the library, but it’s one of those books I’ve become so fascinated by that I’ll be searching out a copy for my own shelves as soon as possible. I’m truly anticipating Woollett’s next book, whatever that may be.
- from polreaderblog[dot]wordpress[dot]com
January 7, 2017
To put it simply, an anthology you cannot put down. Each story takes you into another time and place with interesting characters that were at times, incredibly dark. Laura has written them in such a way that you are turning the page faster and faster to know what became of them and their choices.
Certain characters I knew just from the title that they were based on women through history. I was shocked when I found turning to the final pages that in fact, every short story was based on a historical woman and the lengths she would go for her man.
This book I found on an Instagram account (good old #whatimreading) and when I made this purchase at the Hill of Content the sales woman was so excited for me to read it. Grab a copy now, make yourself a cup of coffee and become emerged in the heinous crimes and lives these women endured for the Love of a Bad Man.
Certain characters I knew just from the title that they were based on women through history. I was shocked when I found turning to the final pages that in fact, every short story was based on a historical woman and the lengths she would go for her man.
This book I found on an Instagram account (good old #whatimreading) and when I made this purchase at the Hill of Content the sales woman was so excited for me to read it. Grab a copy now, make yourself a cup of coffee and become emerged in the heinous crimes and lives these women endured for the Love of a Bad Man.
April 22, 2018
This is a hard book to review. On one hand, I love the concept of looking into what exactly made historical women stay with horrible men. However, like most “true crime” novels, it is heavily biased based on whether or not the author believes the woman is innocent which can be difficult when you disagree. The author also seems to leave out key aspects of the cases to gain our sympathy (like the fact that Manson’s end of the world theology was rooted in racism) which is just lazy storytelling in my opinion. This book works best if you know nothing about the women in question. Otherwise, it’s lacking.
2 stars
2 stars
September 27, 2016
A brilliantly imagined, disturbingly uncoiled collection of stories that captures the voices of women who've left the world wondering. While not every piece in this book thrums, the premise is captivatingly original. The words of Martha are a standout.
February 17, 2019
I loved this, every story had a different voice and I had to stop and research different women during reading it because I am weird. Loved it.
October 29, 2019
TW/CW: murder, gore/violence, sexual assault, rape, domestic abuse, fat slurs
Blanche ★★★★
Love the complexity of Blanche and how she gets stuck in a runaway situation that she can't control. I felt the abrupt ending was a bit jarring though.
Note: After some quick research I've realized that the ending is indicative of the real events that ended the lives of Buck and Blanche. I kinda adore the way Woollett has weaved in the facts of the story.
Eva ★★★
The ending felt rushed and the entire story felt a little flat? Less engaging - I felt much more personal distance with this story than Blanche.
Martha ★★★★
One thing that this story absolutely deserves kudos for is the way the fat rep is portrayed throughout the story. Despite the awful things that Martha partakes in, being a larger woman is still a real thing that is struggled with and commented on by the outside world.
Caril & Myra ★★★
I'm going to lump these two together because honestly I found them incredibly similar. Both about serial killer couples, they followed a very similar trajectory and honestly blur together a bit looking back on the stories. But the writing was still solid and engaging.
Charlie's Girls ★★.5
I just expected more from the story of Charles Manson's girls. While I get that the story is following the 'love' that the women have for Charles, it felt like it was missing out on a lot. Too much about the 'pigs' and not enough about what they were doing for Charles and their interactions with him.
Jan ★★★★
I think this is the most relatable story so far - Jan is a quiet, self-conscious, young lady who is willing to go outside of her comfort zone for a man she loves. I love how Woollett weaves a type of normalcy into this story, hardly giving away what is come beyond the story's ending...
Marceline ★★. 5
This story made me feel - conflicted, horrified at the truth that this really happened, torn about a woman who stuck around and did not strike out against what was to happen. Not enough at least.
And yet I felt the way in which Marceline's emotions were portrayed kinda rocky and difficult to grasp as a reader, detracting from the story.
Veronica ★★★
I think this was one of the most uncomfortable stories to read in the collection - a woman who goes out of her way to seek conversation with a murderer is something that is extremely difficult to grasp for most people. As uncomfortable as it was to read, Woollett definitely created a believable narrative.
Cathy ★★★★
I really admire the unreliable narration in this short - the reader is left not knowing how they are to feel about Catherine Birnie by the end of the story, which makes it stick for much longer than the writing itself.
Karla ★★★★
I am clearly a sucker for an unreliable narrative. Despite Karla's conviction - weaves another story based on real life which makes you wonder how responsible Karla is for her involvement. How much was she an active player and how much was she just blindly following the man she believed she loved?
Wanda ★
There is always one - I skimmed through this last story. Despite the fact the use of biblical dialogue is very much a part of the story, I found it made it difficult for me to stay engaged.
Blanche ★★★★
Love the complexity of Blanche and how she gets stuck in a runaway situation that she can't control. I felt the abrupt ending was a bit jarring though.
Note: After some quick research I've realized that the ending is indicative of the real events that ended the lives of Buck and Blanche. I kinda adore the way Woollett has weaved in the facts of the story.
Eva ★★★
The ending felt rushed and the entire story felt a little flat? Less engaging - I felt much more personal distance with this story than Blanche.
Martha ★★★★
One thing that this story absolutely deserves kudos for is the way the fat rep is portrayed throughout the story. Despite the awful things that Martha partakes in, being a larger woman is still a real thing that is struggled with and commented on by the outside world.
Caril & Myra ★★★
I'm going to lump these two together because honestly I found them incredibly similar. Both about serial killer couples, they followed a very similar trajectory and honestly blur together a bit looking back on the stories. But the writing was still solid and engaging.
Charlie's Girls ★★.5
I just expected more from the story of Charles Manson's girls. While I get that the story is following the 'love' that the women have for Charles, it felt like it was missing out on a lot. Too much about the 'pigs' and not enough about what they were doing for Charles and their interactions with him.
Jan ★★★★
I think this is the most relatable story so far - Jan is a quiet, self-conscious, young lady who is willing to go outside of her comfort zone for a man she loves. I love how Woollett weaves a type of normalcy into this story, hardly giving away what is come beyond the story's ending...
Marceline ★★. 5
This story made me feel - conflicted, horrified at the truth that this really happened, torn about a woman who stuck around and did not strike out against what was to happen. Not enough at least.
And yet I felt the way in which Marceline's emotions were portrayed kinda rocky and difficult to grasp as a reader, detracting from the story.
Veronica ★★★
I think this was one of the most uncomfortable stories to read in the collection - a woman who goes out of her way to seek conversation with a murderer is something that is extremely difficult to grasp for most people. As uncomfortable as it was to read, Woollett definitely created a believable narrative.
Cathy ★★★★
I really admire the unreliable narration in this short - the reader is left not knowing how they are to feel about Catherine Birnie by the end of the story, which makes it stick for much longer than the writing itself.
Karla ★★★★
I am clearly a sucker for an unreliable narrative. Despite Karla's conviction - weaves another story based on real life which makes you wonder how responsible Karla is for her involvement. How much was she an active player and how much was she just blindly following the man she believed she loved?
Wanda ★
There is always one - I skimmed through this last story. Despite the fact the use of biblical dialogue is very much a part of the story, I found it made it difficult for me to stay engaged.
December 6, 2022
Most of the stories in this book present their female protagonists as passive and focused on the man in their life to the point where they seem to disappear. After reading a few of the stories, they all began to sound the same rather predictable and bland.
I was familiar with all the crimes and women portrayed here except for Catherine Harrison. I wondered how a reader coming into this book with no knowledge of these cases would fare. I imagine they are going to be left confused. I also wondered about her choice to include a chapter on the Manson family. It feels like that case has been overdone.
I was especially pleased that she included Veronica Compton. I don't think most people are familiar with what she did, but the Hillside Stranglers were one of the first serial killers I read about when I started reading true crime decades ago. I also was curious to see how she would present Marceline Jones. Of all the women present in this book, I would think Marceline with her age, experience, and education would be more blunt and jaundiced in her opinions of her philandering drug addicted husband. But she wasn't much different from teenage Caril or Jan.
I think these stories had the same tenor of her novel that was based on a fictionalized Carolyn Layton, one of Jim Jones's mistresses. Rather nebulous and dreamlike they drift away from the story when it gets into the hard stuff.
I was familiar with all the crimes and women portrayed here except for Catherine Harrison. I wondered how a reader coming into this book with no knowledge of these cases would fare. I imagine they are going to be left confused. I also wondered about her choice to include a chapter on the Manson family. It feels like that case has been overdone.
I was especially pleased that she included Veronica Compton. I don't think most people are familiar with what she did, but the Hillside Stranglers were one of the first serial killers I read about when I started reading true crime decades ago. I also was curious to see how she would present Marceline Jones. Of all the women present in this book, I would think Marceline with her age, experience, and education would be more blunt and jaundiced in her opinions of her philandering drug addicted husband. But she wasn't much different from teenage Caril or Jan.
I think these stories had the same tenor of her novel that was based on a fictionalized Carolyn Layton, one of Jim Jones's mistresses. Rather nebulous and dreamlike they drift away from the story when it gets into the hard stuff.
November 2, 2021
Laura Elizabeth Woollett tells the stories of twelve different women who find themselves in the thrall of some very bad men. From world leaders to local loonies, the stories show how these cruel and charismatic men lure their women into a journey to hell. With her insightful characterisations and spot-on dialogue, Woollett takes us into the lives of some very different women, across time, place and culture. She shows the women going about their everyday lives, as the men they love become increasingly cunning and depraved. The Love of a Bad Man is a chilling and mesmerising read, that had me looking up the real-life people who the stories are based on. While history condemns these women for their complicity in their partner's crimes, I was left wondering whether they were victims or villians, or perhaps a little of both.
June 8, 2022
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Woollett held me in the palm of her hand throughout the entirety of The Love of a Bad Man.
Truely captivating, interesting and original. The concept of just sharing a glimpse into the life of a historically significant couple, either on their rise or demise, is just fabulous.
Each story is told in a unique voice, capturing a time period, a dialect or a location perfectly. Woollett has done her research! I enjoyed the psychological elements, hinting at how or why a character is motivated to behave the way they do.
I was able to identify most of the women in each story (I didn’t realise I was such a history/true crime buff/sicko) and the appendix at the end was useful to help orientate time and place. Most chapters spurred a Wiki-spiral to find out more about the truth behind the story.
This is my second Woollett book, certainly not the last. Her command over prose is spectacular and I love getting lost in the worlds she reimagines.
Woollett held me in the palm of her hand throughout the entirety of The Love of a Bad Man.
Truely captivating, interesting and original. The concept of just sharing a glimpse into the life of a historically significant couple, either on their rise or demise, is just fabulous.
Each story is told in a unique voice, capturing a time period, a dialect or a location perfectly. Woollett has done her research! I enjoyed the psychological elements, hinting at how or why a character is motivated to behave the way they do.
I was able to identify most of the women in each story (I didn’t realise I was such a history/true crime buff/sicko) and the appendix at the end was useful to help orientate time and place. Most chapters spurred a Wiki-spiral to find out more about the truth behind the story.
This is my second Woollett book, certainly not the last. Her command over prose is spectacular and I love getting lost in the worlds she reimagines.
June 4, 2017
An excellent collection of stories told from the perspective of various women who have loved (very) bad men throughout history. Although these story are depicted as fiction pieces, through my own research I found them to contain lots of true facts. The author did a brilliant job of making each woman have her own unique voice and each story was vivid and rang true. Some of the stories were incredibly dark but I suppose when dealing with people like serial killers, that would be hard to avoid. Overall I was really impressed with this story collection, every single story was both fascinating and satisfying, I hope there might be a volume 2 one day......
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