Crime Album Stories: Paris 1886-1902

by Eugenia Parry, Alphonse Bertillon

Book by Parry, Eugenia

Genres: True Crime, Photography, Nonfiction, History, France, Crime

319 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2000

Reviews

[Ezgi]

Bu sene okuduğum en ilginç kitap olabilir. Yazarın yaptığı iş çok benzersiz. Parry ünlü bir sanat tarihçisiymiş. 1970’lerde Paris’te bir kitapçıda bir albüm görüyor. Ünlü kriminal fotoğrafçı Alphonse Bertillon’un olay yeri fotoğraflarından oluşan bir albüm. Parry giriş yazısında bu albüme bir tür takıntı geliştirdiğini anlatıyor. Onlara hayran olup aynı zamanda da hasta ettiklerini söylüyor. Parry Paris’e her gittiğinde albümü ziyaret ediyor. Bu takıntısı sonucunda albümü ediniyor. Neyse ki bununla sınırlı kalmayarak her fotoğraf için yazılar yazmış. Her bölümde bir fotoğrafı anlatıyor. Olayın kayıtlardaki gerçek bilgilerini kurguyla karışık veriyor. Adresler ve kurbanların kimlikleri her şeyi bölüm başında belirtiyor. Anlattığı kısımlarda kurgu ve gerçek nerede birleşip ayrılıyor bilemiyoruz. Okurken epey etkilendim. Suç öyküleri olmasının yanında bir koleksiyonun da öyküsü çünkü.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to rate this, who I would recommend it to, or what I think of it. When I first saw this books page, having seen it on a friends updates, I was.... interested I guess you could say.
I've always been a fan of true crime and I'm always sort of leaned towards the wanting to see real crime photos and such. I've always been interested in the fictional t.v. shows like Law & Order, NYPD Blue, and CSI.
I ordered this, instead of waiting like I usually do, fairly soon after first seeing it. And then I tried to get into it. I failed. I found it incredibly boring to say the least. Some of the photos are downright shocking but I found the stories that accompany them not to my liking. I stuck it on a shelf and promptly forgot about it.
Since that time I've read another one or two books which include crime scene photos, although none have had fictional stories along with the pictures. I picked this up again by chance and found that I was immediately engaged. The only thing I can think of was that I wasn't in the right mood the first time around.
This isn't a long book by any means but I finished in in about three days. Parry's writing never bored me once the second time around. Some of the stories are more "exciting" than others. 'Two Waiters' and 'The Child Martyr' are two that come to mind right away. In the first Parry's description of the shirts, near the end of the story, is amazing. What's more amazing is how many people will probably not see the beauty in it. I thought it was wonderful.
There are a few pictures in the front and back of the book, not pertaining to any crimes. The ones in the front are of the cupboards where the criminal files were kept, the photography "studio" which can hardly be called a studio by todays standards, and how eye color and feet measurements were taken. In the back of the book one photo each of Cochefert and Bertillon are included and I always appreciate that, "seeing" the person/people I'm reading about almost always makes the experience better in my opinion.
I do wish Parry had included more about her own father, who the book is dedicated to. In the one photo included of her father he's 10 years old, newly arrived in the States and is seated at work. Apparently some 60 years later he murdered an old Greek friend of his. I would have liked to have learned more about this. Certainly more is known. It would be easy enough to find out on my own I suppose, or to at least try, but I'm lazy when it comes to Googling and I would have liked it in the book.
Nevertheless, the book is worth reading if you're into this sort of thing. The photos themselves do need to be mentioned. I would think anyone thinking about reading this type of book wouldn't be the squeamish sort but one never knows. Some of the photos are very tame, others are.... I'm not sure what word to even use. There are a few childrens pictures although these, for the most part, don't show much brutalization. This is mostly in the text. Be aware.
It's interesting how Parry weaved her stories about the photos and I'd love to know how much came from where.....

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very unique and remarkable book, and not for the weak of heart or stomach. It's shocking without being inappropriate, if that makes sense. Author Eugenia Parry came across the police crime scene photos (many of which were taken by famed criminalist Alphonse Bertillon) that form the basis of this book in a shop in Paris in the 1970's. "They're beautiful. They make me sick," she says of the photos. Parry returned to visit the album in the bookshop regularly for years before being able to acquire it. The author, a noted art historian and critic, devotes a chapter to each photograph and weaves a tale around each that is a mixture of true crime and fiction in fin de siecle Paris. The placement of the dedication at the end of the book (don't peek) may seem peculiar to some, but it makes sense in this case, and it makes for the perfect ending.

[MKF · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was okay but it is the photographs that stand out. Some of them disturbing and sick and almost surreal.

[Kathleen Conklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of a kind! Eugenia Parry, a well-known art historian, discovered many photos taken by a French police photographer, and created short stories to go along with the photos. Powerful and beautifully written stories, and a book that you will never forget.

[Lindsay Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love being horrified.

[Nicolette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly original and fascinating work.