The Crimes of Paris by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler - Book Report/Review Example

Criminals had always existed in history, even going back to Biblical times. What has changed over the years is the nature of the crime (how it was perpetrated, the tools used, schemes employed, accomplices recruited, etc.) and the authorities tasked to solve it had also evolved their own methods when trying to catch the criminal and bring them to justice. In their book The Crimes of Paris written by Thomas and Dorothy Hoobler, the authors portrayed a city at the turn of the century that was at once vibrant, exciting, and electrified (both literally and figuratively, as electricity as a new invention or discovery was first used in the city of Paris extensively to light the World Fair and hence earned for it the everlasting nickname of “The City of Light”) was in many ways always had a darker side to it. Paris reeked with a number of criminals enticed into it by the rapid changes that modern technology had introduced and considered the city a fair game. English writer and philosopher G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton (1874-1936) once said that “the criminal is the creative artist and the detective only the critic.” This is the book’s theme.
Discussion
The husband-and-wife team of Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler are impressive writers as they had written or ghostwritten some 90 books so far to their credit. In this regard, they each have a master’s degree with Dorothy Law Hoobler in history while Thomas William Hoobler has his in education which made them both eminent and well-qualified writers. Their books are cited by the New York Public Library several times for excellence as reading material for teenagers (Gabert, 2009). It was only recently they ventured into the adult genre in books and these had met with the same warm welcome from readers including their 2009 The Crimes of Paris.
One point in which I agree with the authors is their observation that a big city like Paris is bound to have its share of brilliant criminals who are attracted to the rich pickings they can have due to the presence of rich individuals and wealthy families who are their potential victims. It is therefore not surprising to find these witty criminals in Paris at the turn of the century and more so with the great number of people who lived in the city and those who drop by for a visit as domestic and foreign tourists. Paris enjoyed the benefits of the Belle Epoque (beautiful time) at the turn of the century and was considered the cultural center of France and of the world too (Hoobler, 2009, p. 9) such that its collected treasures in museums, universities, libraries, and its archives served as a powerful magnet for would-be criminals who can gain a lot if they succeed.
One point which I disagree with is the unresolved claim if there was only one man involved in the theft of the Mona Lisa or two or several men. Considering the total weight of the painting of about 200 pounds (including the reinforcements added to protect it such as the glass frame and the massive wooden brace) it is physically impossible for one man alone to carry it behind the door of the staircase where it was stripped bare without being noticed or helped by someone else. So in this regard, there must be an accomplice at least who helped carry the massive object. Read More