Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bennysbooks's Reviews (668)
Fascinating and hard to read in equal measure. I wanted to read this less as a true crime account (I skimmed the murder bits; what happened to Brenda and Erica is worth knowing, but I didn't feel like I needed details), but for an insight into the way religious fundamentalism tilts toward violence. As such, I was pleasantly surprised by how much of the focus was on Mormon history, and I've added many of the books Krakauer referenced to my tbr list. It was interesting to read in light of some of the recent abuses related to LDS/FLDS groups (the Daybells, Franke, etc) but also as someone paying acute attention to the rise in Christofascism, esp. in the US. And what a day to have finished the book...
"It's amazing how gullible people are," DeLoy continues. "But you have to remember what a huge comfort religion is. It provides all the answers. It makes life simple...and that's a real big part of what holds this religion together: it's not having to make those critical decisions that many of us have to make, and be responsible for your decisions."
Temporary DNF - I think I'd like to return after reading her novels (which I've been meaning to do anyway). The first essay was riveting, but I felt like I would be getting more from it having read the works Roy discusses.
I wrote a long review for this, and then my child closed all my apps when I got up to get them a water... so here are my basic thoughts instead:
- Characters bland (I couldn't tell you anything about Veris except a list of what happened to her on page)
- World does not feel real (and not in a cool magical/fairytale way, but as in I can't picture it in my mind beyond the events of the book)
- The writing felt a little utilitarian, like reading an article or maybe a blog post. Wasn't bad per se, it just didn't pull me in.
- The pacing was whiplashy - it's possible some of the above issues could have been resolved if we ever had a time to sit with characters/moments. It needed to be either shorter (and more fairytale like) or longer (and more developed) than it was
- As a result of all of the above, I couldn't get invested in the kind of basic plot of there's something spooky in the forest, save the children
If you're just looking for a basic read to give you the spooky vibes and atmosphere of the season, or you're more of a plot reader than a character-driven reader, this might work fine for you.
Delightfully horrid.
"I am tired of submitting my will to the Caprices of others - of resigning my own Judgement in deference to those, to whom I owe no Duty, and for whom I feel no respect..."
...she means her daughter, her in-laws, her recently deceased husband, the wife of the man she was stringing along. Lady Susan would be the kind of person to share pithy wellness lines, completely divorced from context, to encourage her own bad behaviour. Austen had these women pegged before they could tell on themselves online.
