This was a nicely written book about an interesting criminal but I didn’t feel it was stylistically innovative or particularly insightful about the muThis was a nicely written book about an interesting criminal but I didn’t feel it was stylistically innovative or particularly insightful about the murderer’s motivations. What is worse, it seemed to have very little to say about the victims or their families. We are nowhere near the triumph of In Cold Blood or Executioner’s Song or Strange Piece of Paradise or My Dark Places. ...more
I appreciate everything I’ve read by Nelson so far. She’s unfailingly honest and intelligent and sophisticated. But this book seemed less original thaI appreciate everything I’ve read by Nelson so far. She’s unfailingly honest and intelligent and sophisticated. But this book seemed less original than it’s prequel, and less necessary. ...more
I thought this was a very original approach to true crime. By quoting extensively from her murdered aunt’s beautiful journal entries, Nelson keeps theI thought this was a very original approach to true crime. By quoting extensively from her murdered aunt’s beautiful journal entries, Nelson keeps the reader’s attention squarely focused on the victim’s life, vitality, and humanity.
The journal entries reminded me that even a short life can be well lived.
On a personal note, the book reminded me that I once felt extremely sorry for myself after my mother died. I was 14 when it happened. She was 45. I grieved for myself. I still do that sometime. But I also grieved for her, thinking she hadn’t really had the chance to live a full life.
But one day I found a picture of my mom at age three. She was happy and radiant. Until that discovery I hadn’t been able to imagine her many moment of joy even within a relatively short life.
Like that picture, the book reminded how well even a short life can be lived.
Nelson’s lovely poetry makes the book original as well....more
Addictive genre true crime. Rule strives for accuracy and avoids gothic embellishment. I don’t know what is so compelling about true crime. I think itAddictive genre true crime. Rule strives for accuracy and avoids gothic embellishment. I don’t know what is so compelling about true crime. I think it reminds us of minor tragedies we’ve survived. It must also make us more pleased with the joys of our quotidian lives. Perhaps it is a necessary reminder of mortality in a secular age. Perhaps it’s a pathology. Perhaps it signifies nothing....more
I tend to like true crime when the author has skin in the game, both literally and figuratively. Ellroy’s My Dark Places, in which the author investigI tend to like true crime when the author has skin in the game, both literally and figuratively. Ellroy’s My Dark Places, in which the author investigates his own mother’s murder, is a small masterpiece of self-examination. Capote’s book does something similar since he becomes emotionally entangled in the story he tells. Strange Piece of Paradise expertly examines a crime and its impact on the author and another victim. The Fact of a Body tries to do something similar by analyzing two crimes, one of which happened to the author. Unfortunately, the author doesn’t really do a great job of analyzing either crime in depth. I mean, it’s well written. It fails to deliver either great genre true crime or great literary true crime....more
This book taught me a lot about parenting, adolescent crime, mental health, denial, empathy, murder-suicide, bullying, resilience, and grace. I’m so vThis book taught me a lot about parenting, adolescent crime, mental health, denial, empathy, murder-suicide, bullying, resilience, and grace. I’m so very impressed with the author, and many of the people who helped her keep going. I was also amazed that some of the survivors of columbine, or the families of the dead, were able to extend some level of empathy to the parents of a killer. The only thing with which I can compare it is Stalin’s daughter’s two compassionate memoirs, which I also highly recommend....more
A powerful work of true crime in which the author investigated his own mother’s murder. The book’s poetry lies in the fact that the author’s purpose iA powerful work of true crime in which the author investigated his own mother’s murder. The book’s poetry lies in the fact that the author’s purpose is to investigate a decades-old crime as well as the impact of that crime on his own adolescent development. The shock of the book is not merely the murder. Rather, it is that the murder seems to have stunted the author’s growth and undermined his ability to fend off various forms of toxic masculinity. The book also seems to suggest the general difficulty we all have in seeing the past clearly, and without mythologies of gender. The writing is often crude but the simple, honest, and recursive prose seems appropriate. If we want to be honest about painful things, artistry and style are perhaps self-defeating conceits....more
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