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THE POISON PRINCIPLE - A MEMOIR ABOUT FAMILY SECRETS AND LITERARY POISONINGS
When Dr William Macbeth poisoned two of his sons in 1927, his wife and sister hid the murders in the intensely private realm of family secrets. Like the famous poisoner Dr Crippen, Macbeth behaved as if he were immune to consequences; unlike Crippen, he avoided detection and punishment. Or did he? Secrets can be as corrosive as poison and, as time passed, the story of Dr William Macbeth, well-dressed poisoner, haunted and divided his descendants. Macbeth's granddaughter Gail Bell, who grew up with the story, spent ten years reading the literature of poisoning in order to understand Macbeth's life. A chemist herself, she listened for echoes in the great cases of the 19th and 20th centuries, in myths, fiction and poison lore. This intricate story, with a moving twist at the end, is a book about family guilt and secrets, and also an exploration of the nature of death itself-as Bell turns to her grandfather's poisonous predecessors, from Cleopatra, Madame Bovary and Napoleon, as well as looking at Harold Shipman.
276 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
November 2, 2018
I've mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, this book deals with a very interesting subject - both in terms of the author's personal family history and also regarding poisoning in general - and there is plenty of variety and breadth in the content of this quirky book. Bell comes over as intelligent and blessed with an interesting wit and willingness to touch on a wide range of aspects of the subject of this book - science, art, history, literature, even philosophy and psychology. It makes for a read which is often enlightening and impactful.
So why the three-star mark? For me because I never escaped the feeling that this was a fifty-page family history story padded out with a hundred pages of relevant background, and a hundred more pages of meandering nonsense. The latter half of the book is mired in irrelevant musings on famous incidents, portrayals and rumours of poisonings, often going well past the facts and pertinent context to witter on for pages about all kinds of playfully described considerations that the author made when (over-)researching the (relatively simple) story of her grandfather - a quack and black sheep of the family. I'm torn because I enjoyed a lot of what Bell had to say, but also frequently found myself furrowing my brow wondering what the hell tangent had the writer gone off on now?
So why the three-star mark? For me because I never escaped the feeling that this was a fifty-page family history story padded out with a hundred pages of relevant background, and a hundred more pages of meandering nonsense. The latter half of the book is mired in irrelevant musings on famous incidents, portrayals and rumours of poisonings, often going well past the facts and pertinent context to witter on for pages about all kinds of playfully described considerations that the author made when (over-)researching the (relatively simple) story of her grandfather - a quack and black sheep of the family. I'm torn because I enjoyed a lot of what Bell had to say, but also frequently found myself furrowing my brow wondering what the hell tangent had the writer gone off on now?
May 11, 2009
Things I don't need:
1) A true crime book that turns into the history of poison.
2) A nonfiction book that uses over the top flowery language better suited for a Harelequinn Novel.
3) To know the dictionary's definition of executed. Any author still using this tranisition trick should be "executed" from the literary world unless they are in fifth grade and writing an essay on government.
4) Random vignettes of random people who have poisoned other random people in the past with random poisons.
5) An almost 4 page dissertation of the painting "The Death of Socrates".
6) Reading the author's outre "rescue fantasies" regarding people who have been poisoned.
1) A true crime book that turns into the history of poison.
2) A nonfiction book that uses over the top flowery language better suited for a Harelequinn Novel.
3) To know the dictionary's definition of executed. Any author still using this tranisition trick should be "executed" from the literary world unless they are in fifth grade and writing an essay on government.
4) Random vignettes of random people who have poisoned other random people in the past with random poisons.
5) An almost 4 page dissertation of the painting "The Death of Socrates".
6) Reading the author's outre "rescue fantasies" regarding people who have been poisoned.
September 19, 2016
‘Poison is rarely if ever perfect.’
In 1927, William Macbeth apparently poisoned two of his sons with strychnine. William Macbeth was Gail Bell’s grandfather, and he died before she was born. When Gail was ten, her grandfather’s sample case was delivered to her father. She opened one of the bottles in the case, and put the end of the stopper to her nose.
‘My father snatched it from my hand and said ‘Never, never do that. You could die.’
In 1980, Ms Bell spoke with her Great-Aunt Rose, six months before Rose’s death, and was told about William Macbeth. Rose’s story was that she and her younger sister Ellen met William Macbeth, a travelling showman who travelled the country selling his miracle cures. Ellen and William married and had four sons. But when the marriage came under strain, according to Rose, William poisoned first his ‘retarded’ first son Thomas and then a few months later his son Patrick. Ellen left with her two surviving sons while William, although never tried for these murders, continued his life of crime. According to Rose, he impersonated a doctor in a lunatic asylum, stole money from the bank account of a rich inmate and then, decades later, died of tuberculosis.
Ms Bell thought that there must be more to the story, and was struck by the comment of another relative who believed that Rose herself fancied William, until he married Ellen. Would it be possible to find out more, especially now that all of the participants were dead?
‘Sometimes, stories are a melange of subjective truths, and sometimes lies tell you more than all the evidence you can hunt down.’
By persevering, Ms Bell was able to find the truth (which readers learn in the final pages of the book). Ms Bell started with a few newspaper clippings, birth marriage and death certificates. In the end, with information in a file from a mental institution, she is able to find the truth. And the truth shows her grandfather in a different light.
‘Antidotes come out of the shadows, like kind spirits holding lamps.’
I found this book fascinating. Ms Bell is a pharmacists and a teacher as well as a writer. Along the way, while unravelling the story of William Macbeth, we are treated to an extensive history of poisoning. Fictional and historical poisoners are included, as are those poisoned. A range of poisons are discussed, as are their effects on both humans and animals.
Toxicity takes many forms and not all poison is chemical.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In 1927, William Macbeth apparently poisoned two of his sons with strychnine. William Macbeth was Gail Bell’s grandfather, and he died before she was born. When Gail was ten, her grandfather’s sample case was delivered to her father. She opened one of the bottles in the case, and put the end of the stopper to her nose.
‘My father snatched it from my hand and said ‘Never, never do that. You could die.’
In 1980, Ms Bell spoke with her Great-Aunt Rose, six months before Rose’s death, and was told about William Macbeth. Rose’s story was that she and her younger sister Ellen met William Macbeth, a travelling showman who travelled the country selling his miracle cures. Ellen and William married and had four sons. But when the marriage came under strain, according to Rose, William poisoned first his ‘retarded’ first son Thomas and then a few months later his son Patrick. Ellen left with her two surviving sons while William, although never tried for these murders, continued his life of crime. According to Rose, he impersonated a doctor in a lunatic asylum, stole money from the bank account of a rich inmate and then, decades later, died of tuberculosis.
Ms Bell thought that there must be more to the story, and was struck by the comment of another relative who believed that Rose herself fancied William, until he married Ellen. Would it be possible to find out more, especially now that all of the participants were dead?
‘Sometimes, stories are a melange of subjective truths, and sometimes lies tell you more than all the evidence you can hunt down.’
By persevering, Ms Bell was able to find the truth (which readers learn in the final pages of the book). Ms Bell started with a few newspaper clippings, birth marriage and death certificates. In the end, with information in a file from a mental institution, she is able to find the truth. And the truth shows her grandfather in a different light.
‘Antidotes come out of the shadows, like kind spirits holding lamps.’
I found this book fascinating. Ms Bell is a pharmacists and a teacher as well as a writer. Along the way, while unravelling the story of William Macbeth, we are treated to an extensive history of poisoning. Fictional and historical poisoners are included, as are those poisoned. A range of poisons are discussed, as are their effects on both humans and animals.
Toxicity takes many forms and not all poison is chemical.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
December 19, 2014
This is a weird comparison to make, since the subject matter is very different, but I had the same problem with this book as I did with The Bling Ring: there's too much information and too little analysis. Bell decided to tackle her family history, the different concepts of poisoners throughout the entire history of time AND threw in a bunch of very literary prose that had nothing to do with real life. In the end, it was a lot of ideas thrown at you without much thought behind them.
The story about her family was very interesting, and I wish she had stuck with that. Obviously, the question of whether or not William MacBeth poisoned his sons might not have made a whole book, but I would have loved more context. It was difficult to tell when any of this was happening because she spent so little time setting the scene. The parts she did get into -- how someone with no medical license could have passed himself off as a doctor at the time -- were fascinating, and I wish she had talked about what the Australian criminal justice system was like at the time.
Also:
The story about her family was very interesting, and I wish she had stuck with that. Obviously, the question of whether or not William MacBeth poisoned his sons might not have made a whole book, but I would have loved more context. It was difficult to tell when any of this was happening because she spent so little time setting the scene. The parts she did get into -- how someone with no medical license could have passed himself off as a doctor at the time -- were fascinating, and I wish she had talked about what the Australian criminal justice system was like at the time.
Also:
August 8, 2017
Deceit, betrayal, fact, inquiry and a whole of a lot of science. I learned a few things about poison and power, which I think was one of my favourite themes that the author explored.
I also admired the depth of research in poison history and poison stories that were so intriguing.
There were definitely times when I dozed off and whole minutes in which I tuned out the science, but it wasn't totally focused on that aspects and I was incredibly grateful for that.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, because it was just an audiobook to pass the time on commute, but it had its interesting moments so read it if you want. :D
I also admired the depth of research in poison history and poison stories that were so intriguing.
There were definitely times when I dozed off and whole minutes in which I tuned out the science, but it wasn't totally focused on that aspects and I was incredibly grateful for that.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, because it was just an audiobook to pass the time on commute, but it had its interesting moments so read it if you want. :D
June 4, 2017
I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did.
It takes a long, circuitous route to discover the truth about the poisoning of two of Bell's uncles, when they were infants. Using exceptional research, it tells the story of poisoning myths, poisoning in fiction and famous poisonings along the way - in a very rambling, and sometimes almost stream-of-consciousness fashion.
The vicarious side of me wanted much more sordid detail, so that's probably my failing, rather than Bell's.
It takes a long, circuitous route to discover the truth about the poisoning of two of Bell's uncles, when they were infants. Using exceptional research, it tells the story of poisoning myths, poisoning in fiction and famous poisonings along the way - in a very rambling, and sometimes almost stream-of-consciousness fashion.
The vicarious side of me wanted much more sordid detail, so that's probably my failing, rather than Bell's.
March 12, 2019
Everything I could want in a book:
- Murder
- a history of Poisons through the ages
- How-to oncombing combining the above (as my boss pointed out when I explained the entire book to him at work. he is never eating anything I bake again)
- Crazy family antics
- Twists to die for, literally
And delicious narration by Wendy Bos as icing on my poison wolfsbane pie.
- Murder
- a history of Poisons through the ages
- How-to on
- Crazy family antics
- Twists to die for, literally
And delicious narration by Wendy Bos as icing on my poison wolfsbane pie.
June 5, 2016
this is one of those fascinating books where you don’t know quite what you are about to learn from one page to the next. If you too love learning more about poisons and those who administer them, you can’t go wrong with this book. Even for those of you who don’t have quite the same niche interest as me, there is plenty to ponder on the literary side, those myths, fairy tales through Shakespeare and Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and taking in a few other’s along the way.
The backbone of the book is the discovery the author made that her paternal Grandfather had poisoned two of his young sons in their Australian home in 1927. The author started to unravel the truth behind this family tale in 1980 by contacting her Grandmother’s sister who one afternoon agreed to be interviewed and told her the facts, the background to the perpetrator William Macbeth, and what life was like for the family at the time, and afterwards.
The book does read a little like a stream of consciousness but fortunately that stream is one of knowledge coupled with intelligence so it maintains a loose kind of structure. Along the way we learn about the origins of some of the popular poisons, famous poisoners which include those who used this method as suicide, forensics and even a poisoned circus elephant gets a place in this eclectic read.
My interest in poisoners has me fairly well-versed in the most infamous of this group including Crippen, Florence Maybrick, Madeline Smith amongst a whole host of others and I got to know some new ones too with the mini case histories the author provides us with. Gail Bell also looks at the notion that poisoning was a woman’s crime, sneaky and devious and using the traditional woman’s nurturing hand to provide poison rather than sustenance. She examines the statistics which bear out the truth that most non-accidental poisonings are against family members. As you can tell there is a lot to enjoy and discover but perhaps as a pay-off there is little that goes too deeply below the surface which I have to confess suited me perfectly – this is perhaps a friendlier read than the more learned book that The Secret Poisoner was and fortunately doesn’t include the gut-wrenching descriptions of poisons doing their work in the human body. What Bell does give us is a look at what action different poisons take on the body, a physiological study rather than one of the symptoms which again, I use the word again, was fascinating!
I have to confess that the subject matter took a turn for the truly bizarre when the author gave some of the characters, including Cleopatra, an imaginary rescue through quick action of those around them, for me the book could have lost these imaginations.
By the end of this meandering look at a whole range of poisoners both real and literary, we find out the truth of what happened to the poor Macbeth boys. A sad tale indeed for the whole family, including the author’s father who was fostered out to a rural farm to carry out chores for his bed and board.
The backbone of the book is the discovery the author made that her paternal Grandfather had poisoned two of his young sons in their Australian home in 1927. The author started to unravel the truth behind this family tale in 1980 by contacting her Grandmother’s sister who one afternoon agreed to be interviewed and told her the facts, the background to the perpetrator William Macbeth, and what life was like for the family at the time, and afterwards.
The book does read a little like a stream of consciousness but fortunately that stream is one of knowledge coupled with intelligence so it maintains a loose kind of structure. Along the way we learn about the origins of some of the popular poisons, famous poisoners which include those who used this method as suicide, forensics and even a poisoned circus elephant gets a place in this eclectic read.
My interest in poisoners has me fairly well-versed in the most infamous of this group including Crippen, Florence Maybrick, Madeline Smith amongst a whole host of others and I got to know some new ones too with the mini case histories the author provides us with. Gail Bell also looks at the notion that poisoning was a woman’s crime, sneaky and devious and using the traditional woman’s nurturing hand to provide poison rather than sustenance. She examines the statistics which bear out the truth that most non-accidental poisonings are against family members. As you can tell there is a lot to enjoy and discover but perhaps as a pay-off there is little that goes too deeply below the surface which I have to confess suited me perfectly – this is perhaps a friendlier read than the more learned book that The Secret Poisoner was and fortunately doesn’t include the gut-wrenching descriptions of poisons doing their work in the human body. What Bell does give us is a look at what action different poisons take on the body, a physiological study rather than one of the symptoms which again, I use the word again, was fascinating!
I have to confess that the subject matter took a turn for the truly bizarre when the author gave some of the characters, including Cleopatra, an imaginary rescue through quick action of those around them, for me the book could have lost these imaginations.
By the end of this meandering look at a whole range of poisoners both real and literary, we find out the truth of what happened to the poor Macbeth boys. A sad tale indeed for the whole family, including the author’s father who was fostered out to a rural farm to carry out chores for his bed and board.
June 27, 2010
I don't usually go to the effort of writing reviews for bad books, because I feel for the most part that bad books usually are easily identified. For example, one does not usually pick up a Harlequin Romance expecting great literature. Or even much variation in plot.
This book is an exception. It was surprisingly bad, but the blurbs on the cover specifically describe otherwise, to my great disappointment. It was so annoying, I am going to list the reasons.
1) The book title includes the statement "A Story of Family Secrets". The only problem is that it is not. This book is a diatribe or treatise on poisoning, with a little bit of the family story thrown in to try to bond it all together. It fails to do even this, since the family story made up so little of the book.
2) When I mention treatise, I mean it. This book jumps from topic to topic to topic, touching on everything but covering nothing in great detail. When I picked up this book, I wanted to read about a family story. I did not want to read about (for example): Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of poisoning in his story "Rappacchini's Daughter", how cruel animal research is the basis of what we know about poisons today, the use of cyanide in capital punishment, a history into Victorian-age research into the effects of cyanide on the human body, the use of poisoning as a subject in paintings, the treatment of poisoning in poetry, the atomic number and placement on the periodic table, etc. etc. etc.
3) And on the chance one is in the mood for bona-fide research, this book falls down again. There are only 53 references listed in the very back of the book. None of the 53 are mentioned or referred to at all in the body of the book. A proper reference work of this length, given the number of "facts" she included, should have had several hundred references, and they should have been referenced properly.
4) Finally there is the fact that she relays many, many stories as fact, when it is at best really an example of the "non-fiction novel" (as in Capote's In Cold Blood). Once again, no references.
I only question why I forced myself to finish this book.
This book is an exception. It was surprisingly bad, but the blurbs on the cover specifically describe otherwise, to my great disappointment. It was so annoying, I am going to list the reasons.
1) The book title includes the statement "A Story of Family Secrets". The only problem is that it is not. This book is a diatribe or treatise on poisoning, with a little bit of the family story thrown in to try to bond it all together. It fails to do even this, since the family story made up so little of the book.
2) When I mention treatise, I mean it. This book jumps from topic to topic to topic, touching on everything but covering nothing in great detail. When I picked up this book, I wanted to read about a family story. I did not want to read about (for example): Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of poisoning in his story "Rappacchini's Daughter", how cruel animal research is the basis of what we know about poisons today, the use of cyanide in capital punishment, a history into Victorian-age research into the effects of cyanide on the human body, the use of poisoning as a subject in paintings, the treatment of poisoning in poetry, the atomic number and placement on the periodic table, etc. etc. etc.
3) And on the chance one is in the mood for bona-fide research, this book falls down again. There are only 53 references listed in the very back of the book. None of the 53 are mentioned or referred to at all in the body of the book. A proper reference work of this length, given the number of "facts" she included, should have had several hundred references, and they should have been referenced properly.
4) Finally there is the fact that she relays many, many stories as fact, when it is at best really an example of the "non-fiction novel" (as in Capote's In Cold Blood). Once again, no references.
I only question why I forced myself to finish this book.
January 26, 2016
This was not the book I expected -- a pharmacist writing about a double murder in her family as someone with a personal connection to a poisoning case. The author ranges all over true crime, history, even mythology and folk tales as they relate to poisoning. Beautifully written -- almost poetic. Highly recommended.
November 11, 2018
A written documentary into the curious history of the study and use of poison, including the authors family skeletons. Scientific storytelling at its best. Listening to an audio version was a treat, such clever descriptions and interesting facts.
December 22, 2019
Gail Bell, an Australian author, begins her book by telling us that in the 1920s, her grandfather poisoned two of his sons. (These were her father's older brothers.) Not surprisingly, family members generally avoided talking about this dark piece of history, and it was only when Bell began to investigate the story that relatives cautiously opened up about it.
This unusual book shows the results of Bell's investigations into the family 'secret' but teases the facts out amidst a series of intriguing digressions and discussions on the subject of poisons, of poisoners and on the way people react to both of these.
At first I wondered who this book was aimed at, and why people would want to read about the chilling character of various poisoners, the often gross results of being poisoned (none of your easy sudden deaths here) and the herbal, chemical and sinister issues Bell relates to her main topic.
But the author knows her audience, and knows we are more fascinated with poison and poisoners than we care to admit. Indeed it is easy to see that we are little different to the people who went along to witness the executions of various famous poisoners.
Bell ranges wide and far in her discussions, and is able to retain our interest even when writing about somewhat arcane chemical details. The book is full of anecdotes and stories about intentional and unintentional poisonings, and leaves the reader with the understanding that we live in a more 'chemical' world than we care to admit.
For example, Bell herself almost died of poisoning when she made a cup of tea out of an old tea-bag that had been hidden away at the back of a cupboard for many years. And to my surprise, I discovered green, red and yellow arsenics are used in the production of the various pigments for wallpapers, paints, prints and aniline dyes. More than one person mentioned in this book dies as a result of arsenic flaking off wallpaper.
The author also shows how throughout history people have chosen to drink and take as medicine mixtures that were primarily poisonous. Sometimes these were beneficial; most often, especially in the long-term, they were not. Absinthe, for instance, in its 19th century form contained the herb wormwood, and caused a huge addiction amongst those who drank it regularly.
Bell covers her topic in detail, with a seeming enjoyment in the torments and agonies of those who have been poisoned and in the flamboyant and venal nature of the poisoners.
In a few places she lapses into philosophising about her subject. She is always a stylish writer but I found these chapters less successful. The final uncovering of the family mystery is also a little disappointing; nevertheless it would be unfair of me to tell you what actually happened.
Overall the book was far more readable than its subject matter first indicated.
This unusual book shows the results of Bell's investigations into the family 'secret' but teases the facts out amidst a series of intriguing digressions and discussions on the subject of poisons, of poisoners and on the way people react to both of these.
At first I wondered who this book was aimed at, and why people would want to read about the chilling character of various poisoners, the often gross results of being poisoned (none of your easy sudden deaths here) and the herbal, chemical and sinister issues Bell relates to her main topic.
But the author knows her audience, and knows we are more fascinated with poison and poisoners than we care to admit. Indeed it is easy to see that we are little different to the people who went along to witness the executions of various famous poisoners.
Bell ranges wide and far in her discussions, and is able to retain our interest even when writing about somewhat arcane chemical details. The book is full of anecdotes and stories about intentional and unintentional poisonings, and leaves the reader with the understanding that we live in a more 'chemical' world than we care to admit.
For example, Bell herself almost died of poisoning when she made a cup of tea out of an old tea-bag that had been hidden away at the back of a cupboard for many years. And to my surprise, I discovered green, red and yellow arsenics are used in the production of the various pigments for wallpapers, paints, prints and aniline dyes. More than one person mentioned in this book dies as a result of arsenic flaking off wallpaper.
The author also shows how throughout history people have chosen to drink and take as medicine mixtures that were primarily poisonous. Sometimes these were beneficial; most often, especially in the long-term, they were not. Absinthe, for instance, in its 19th century form contained the herb wormwood, and caused a huge addiction amongst those who drank it regularly.
Bell covers her topic in detail, with a seeming enjoyment in the torments and agonies of those who have been poisoned and in the flamboyant and venal nature of the poisoners.
In a few places she lapses into philosophising about her subject. She is always a stylish writer but I found these chapters less successful. The final uncovering of the family mystery is also a little disappointing; nevertheless it would be unfair of me to tell you what actually happened.
Overall the book was far more readable than its subject matter first indicated.
October 13, 2019
She isn't sure if she is a chemist or a historian, a poet, or an artist. What she isn't, is a good writer. This book tries to be everything, and succeeds at nothing. 3 hours I gave it, BORING!
The narration is pretty poor too. She would be great playing a dentist in a TV commercial, but as a narrator, nah, find someone who can read and emote.
The narration is pretty poor too. She would be great playing a dentist in a TV commercial, but as a narrator, nah, find someone who can read and emote.
June 18, 2016
This book is biased. It is peppered with "strychnine" and "arsenic", while I was wanting more on "cyanide" but to no avail.
Actually I got this book in a fire sale long ago (I saw they shipped this from Taiwan for their fire sale, which is strange) but didn't read it. But a case in the news piqued my interest in cyanide, and I remembered I had this book.
I agree that this is hardly a usual novel, but a way to showcase literary works that utilise poison, written in a very literary and scientific sense. There is some arcane knowledge. Overall it makes for a lethal combination. I have not read most of her cited works, but I saw she cited Macbeth (the Shakespearean work; but of course). Her favorite is Mdm Bovary, which I've not read. It is a mixture of 9th and 8th, actually.
Actually her real plot on Macbeth (the protagonist) murdering his sons is so slim that you wouldn't think that was the basis of the story.
I want to get rid of this book but I see it is not a common book so it shall stay at the back of my shelf where it once was for some time?
Seeing how the pages at the side have turned yellowish, like they have been imbued with or rotted by poison, it is a little bit complimentary to the title. But truth is this could be one of the better kept books on my shelf. They turned yellow not due to frequency of use but lack of use. So actually putting books on shelves unread for years is basically useless and like slow poison.
How I would describe this book is "whimsically poisonous". The author sometimes tries to use romantic language to evoke the seductiveness and mystery of poison and its usage in literature. I did like some of those parts. The writing is not so consistent. Some parts are less readable than others. BUT I like that there were so many words and new terms, some of which I did bother to check on.
Actually I got this book in a fire sale long ago (I saw they shipped this from Taiwan for their fire sale, which is strange) but didn't read it. But a case in the news piqued my interest in cyanide, and I remembered I had this book.
I agree that this is hardly a usual novel, but a way to showcase literary works that utilise poison, written in a very literary and scientific sense. There is some arcane knowledge. Overall it makes for a lethal combination. I have not read most of her cited works, but I saw she cited Macbeth (the Shakespearean work; but of course). Her favorite is Mdm Bovary, which I've not read. It is a mixture of 9th and 8th, actually.
Actually her real plot on Macbeth (the protagonist) murdering his sons is so slim that you wouldn't think that was the basis of the story.
I want to get rid of this book but I see it is not a common book so it shall stay at the back of my shelf where it once was for some time?
Seeing how the pages at the side have turned yellowish, like they have been imbued with or rotted by poison, it is a little bit complimentary to the title. But truth is this could be one of the better kept books on my shelf. They turned yellow not due to frequency of use but lack of use. So actually putting books on shelves unread for years is basically useless and like slow poison.
How I would describe this book is "whimsically poisonous". The author sometimes tries to use romantic language to evoke the seductiveness and mystery of poison and its usage in literature. I did like some of those parts. The writing is not so consistent. Some parts are less readable than others. BUT I like that there were so many words and new terms, some of which I did bother to check on.
November 20, 2011
I'm a huge fan of (auto)biographies. I don't know why, but I'm sure there's a good reason for it. I'm also a little on the morbid side, being an archaeologist. Exploring a cemetery/graveyard is a fun way to spend an afternoon and is probably why I'm so fond of churches, since the two are commonly associated. I've exhumed graves and sorted out physical anthropology collections (ie: boxes of skeletons). I have a somewhat irreverent attitude to death and the dead. I'm fond of murder mysteries and I have a small piece of my (maternal) grandfather's humerus in a match-box on my 'dressing-table'.
As a result, I picked this up expecting a fascinating tale about the discovery of murder in the family. I was disappointed. It was, however, a fascinating description about the suspicion of murder in the family and a woman's quest to uncover the truth of the matter. This also gave some insight into personality and how people can distort the truth for their own ends, sometimes without even realising that that's what they're doing. The effects that such secrecy and suspicion can have on the following generations of the family is also something that interests me. How many family secrets do I not know about, that affect the ways my families interact with each other?
As a result, I picked this up expecting a fascinating tale about the discovery of murder in the family. I was disappointed. It was, however, a fascinating description about the suspicion of murder in the family and a woman's quest to uncover the truth of the matter. This also gave some insight into personality and how people can distort the truth for their own ends, sometimes without even realising that that's what they're doing. The effects that such secrecy and suspicion can have on the following generations of the family is also something that interests me. How many family secrets do I not know about, that affect the ways my families interact with each other?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2018
A book subtitled 'a memoir of family secrets and literary poisonings' promised an enthralling and involving read. Instead this was very much a curate's egg of a book: good in parts, but otherwise dull, long-winded and occasionally florid. The good parts were those that focused on the details - how poisons are produced, how they work and some fascinating case studies (not all of which were literary, although, perhaps unsurprisingly, Emma Bovary features heavily). The 'family secrets' story that forms the framework of the book is occasionally confused and subject to some rather overheated speculation. Gail Bell is a qualified pharmacologist and knows her stuff, and her insight is often fascinating; but just as often it strays into fantastical territory and is couched in somewhat overwritten, and occasionally difficult to follow, prose.
July 5, 2008
One of my friends gave me this book and I was disapointed with it. The summary on the back says that it's written by a woman who's grandfather killed two of his sons with poison (he was a dcotor) and she goes on a search of her family history to find out the facts. I think of the 269 pages, maybe 15 were about her story. The books is REALLY about different poisons, the history of poisons, short stories throughout history of people who poisoned and were poisoned. It was interesting, though a bit boring at times. I think if I'd gone in knowing it read more like a history or medical book i'd been ok with it, but expecting a great mystery- well, not so great. If you do read it and want to know what happened to her family either hang in or just read the last few pages.
January 17, 2016
A family secret,a mystery and a history of poison
At the heart of Bell's beautifully written tale of family tragedy is the family "secret" - her Grandfather murdered his son...and possibly another child years earlier. Certainly that's what the family believes , as well as half the town at the time. But did he? Was his child's tragic death the accidental poisoning the coroner said it was ? Using her expertise as a chemist and her extensive knowledge of poisons Bell attempts to solve her family's mystery and also looks at the history of poisons and poisoners throughout time. What she uncovers in a twist worthy of a great crime novel , won't be what you expect and might just break your heart.
At the heart of Bell's beautifully written tale of family tragedy is the family "secret" - her Grandfather murdered his son...and possibly another child years earlier. Certainly that's what the family believes , as well as half the town at the time. But did he? Was his child's tragic death the accidental poisoning the coroner said it was ? Using her expertise as a chemist and her extensive knowledge of poisons Bell attempts to solve her family's mystery and also looks at the history of poisons and poisoners throughout time. What she uncovers in a twist worthy of a great crime novel , won't be what you expect and might just break your heart.
September 30, 2017
The Poison Principle
The Poison Principle is a captivating detective story that combines biography and the scientific exploration of poison and its history. Gail Bell trained as a chemist and was fascinated with the dark family secret that her grandfather murdered two of his young sons by poisoning before her own father was born. In an attempt to discover the truth, Bell not only painstakingly examines all the evidence available in regards to her own family narrative but also sheds light on historical poisoners and the the physical plight of their victims. The scientific language was new to me but instead of being dry it drew me in until the final, moving twist in her own tale.
The Poison Principle is a captivating detective story that combines biography and the scientific exploration of poison and its history. Gail Bell trained as a chemist and was fascinated with the dark family secret that her grandfather murdered two of his young sons by poisoning before her own father was born. In an attempt to discover the truth, Bell not only painstakingly examines all the evidence available in regards to her own family narrative but also sheds light on historical poisoners and the the physical plight of their victims. The scientific language was new to me but instead of being dry it drew me in until the final, moving twist in her own tale.
January 23, 2008
Cocktail party tidbits of knowledge are scattered through here, interweaving with an indepth look at the poisonous family history of the author's own clan. Like many of the non-fiction books I read, I took my time savoring the knowledge intake (too long) and had to return it to the library before finishing.
Still, I met a boy because I knew the nitty gritty details of how Cleopatra killed herself. So there's that.
This will definitely rotate back someday and I'll finish the whole thing, but I've got too many books on my plate to keep checking it out.
Still, I met a boy because I knew the nitty gritty details of how Cleopatra killed herself. So there's that.
This will definitely rotate back someday and I'll finish the whole thing, but I've got too many books on my plate to keep checking it out.
August 26, 2008
I found this to be an interesting mix of memoir, mystery and the history of poisons and poisonings. Gail Bell's inspiration to write this was the story of her own grandfather, a quack tonic maker and snake oil salesman, who was supposed to have poisoned two of his sons. Gail herself became a chemist, leading her to dig into her family's hidden past, and question what drives people to poison others. (This book was published under Poison: A History and Family Memoir and The Poisoner - A Story of Family Secrets in the US.)
January 30, 2013
This book is a fascinating read - it is a mixture of family histories and the investigation work that went in to exploring it. It is also part science book since the author has a grounding in pharmacy and chemistry explaining the types and processes of poisons and their historical significance. This is a riveting book which educates on many levels. I will admit being a chemist myself this was of particular interest to me (no I am not going to poison anyone) since it brings what can be a very academic subject to the general public and shows where academia meets the read world
September 21, 2011
Fascinating topic. (You may notice that I've read another book on poison.) A few interesting stories of historical poisoners. But lots and lots of the very sort of "flowery language" the author deparages. Probably not worth the effort. It seems as though the author wanted to write a really compelling story about a poisoning incident in the family. But she didn't have much material to go on, so she just wanders around the general topic. A frustrating read.
March 24, 2017
I was intrigued by the review of this book, and so I read it and was completely satisfied. An interesting look at poisons and poisoning through history, research the author had done in order to unravel an old family skeleton in the closet. The answer to the central question of what had happened 90 years ago to her father's two brothers was compelling, and I found the entire book fascinating.
January 14, 2012
Each chapter starts with a tale of poisoning then goes in to a ramble, so I got to the point quite quickly where I skipped most of each chapter aefter the first few pages. They were interesting though.
April 21, 2012
Well crafted structurally: the mystery of the family poisoning is drawn out cleverly through various fascinating digressions and case studies. Poetic and literary in places. An unusual non-fiction read.
July 9, 2019
The book did not pique my interest much beyond the first few chapters, but I did give it a fair go until page 86...
A bit too jumbled with facts and stories for my liking.
I'm sure many others will enjoy - just not for me.
A bit too jumbled with facts and stories for my liking.
I'm sure many others will enjoy - just not for me.
Want to read
December 29, 2008recommended by Terry Pratchett.
March 31, 2010
Fascinating tell (not tail) of a pharmacist's family history with poisons.You've heard of pyromaniac fireman...how about a serial killing apothecary?
April 19, 2012
I've registered this book at www.bookcrossing.com with the following Id:505-4843249
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