5 comments about Justice: Crimes, Trials, and Punishments.

1. Most of these pieces appeared in Vanity Fair, and the overlap in some of them about the O.J. Simpson trial is left in. About 10 minutes worth of editing could have solved that problem. Otherwise, this is a passionate account of Dunne's view of several of the high profile cases he's made a career of covering since exiting the movie business. The most interesting is the case of his own daughter's murderer, but the Menendez stories and the Michael Skakel case make fascinating prose. Definitely worth reading, even now, long after these trials ended.



2. A fascinating book into how high priced lawyers can convince any jury your Mother is worse than a serial killer. Essentially that is the conclusion I got from the book.
   
   Some of the stories are too long and complicated with lots of names, so that is why I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars. It also was not clear to me what exactly happened in some of the murders, particularly the last one on Safre.



3. The man cannot string two words together without name dropping. It is disgusting and so is he.



4. Briefly interesting, but after awhile it begins to read like a syrupy tabloid. Also, as the narrative went through the murder account and trial of Dominick Dunne's daughter, I couldn't help but think, why didn't the author do more to keep his daughter away from this convicted criminal? Maybe I missed something, but he was in the know that his daughter was involved with a convicted abuser: why didn't he do everything in his power to bring his daughter back away from this creep?
   Anyhow, as for the rest of the book, I really couldn't care less about individuals like Claus von Bülow, so the text tended to drag.



5. Yes, he is gossipy but in many ways that raises him above others. Any one who likes true crime will love his work. I think that he has experienced such things he speaks with the a personal insight that only the person who has experienced the pain knows ho to convey that in written form

5 comments about If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.

1. After reading the reviews, I picked up the book at a local library. I didn't purchase the book for two reasons: 1) While I understand that the profits were going to the Goldman Family, I didn't understand their need to publish the book and 2) I didn't want to add to the profits of a book that glorified a horrific crime, regardless of the reason it was published.
   
   As a victim of a violent crime myself, I took part in what I thought was a cathartic experience of retelling my story in book about rape many years ago. My words were later turned into something that I never meant to say after the book was edited and published. I keep a copy of the book to remind myself that what is written and published is not always what people mean to say. For this reason, I was skeptical that a ghostwriter could accurately portray what O.J. Simpson wanted to say.
   
   Don't misunderstand me. I'm not an O.J. Simpson fan. However, I don't pass judgment on a situation I know nothing about. I didn't sit for days and watch the trial on television. The most I remember about the trial was the glove incident. I suppose for personal reasons, I just couldn't stomach watching a murder trial become a statement on the racial inequality of the criminal justice system. It should have been about two people being killed and a person who was suspected of their murder.
   
   However, after reading this book in less than 24 hours, I now understand the difference between my experience as a victim and the perpetrators of violence. As a victim, I am constantly aware that perpetrators walk the streets without paying the price for their crimes. The audacity of a person to recite such a story, in even a "hypothetical" way, is appalling. It glorifies the pain of those of us who live with trauma of the memories of crime everyday of our lives.
   
   Furthermore, although I thoroughly understand why the Goldmans felt the need to usurp the publishing rights of Simpson and use part of the profits to help their own foundation, it still doesn't add closure to their pain. Their pain will never go away. Reading an admission of how someone brutally and carelessly murdered their beloved son doesn't remove pain that will stay with them. However, as I read, I was reminded constantly that if we don't remember the mistakes of history accurately we are doomed to repeat it.
   
   The quality of the book was as best as can be expected for a person ghostwriting for a football player. Fenjves captured the inflection of how I've heard O.J. Simpson express himself through interviews and denials of his crimes. It was truly captivating.
   
   However, what I felt was most compelling was the Afterword written by Dominick Dunne. Dunne captured the soul of what the circus of the "trial of the century" was about: pain. The pain of two sets of parents that lost their children too early. The pain of two children who will never live a normal life again. Perhaps everyone needs to think of those two aspects before discussing the "trial of the century" or publishing books about how the killer did it.



2. I ordered the book after watching a particular episode of Oprah and completed it within 2 hours... It's definitely a haunting read, not a book to be read leisurely for sure. One's perceptions of truth, morality, right and wrong will most definitely be challenged and questioned and ultimately, perhaps such a 'quest' for the 'truth' would prove futile... We are relegated and intepellated to the position of spectator... There will always be various perspectives and takes on any one issue and I personally feel we provide value judgments and no more... No one human is omniscient enough to assert who is right and wrong.. I think the most important lesson learnt for me after reading the (fiction/non-fiction?)book is to ask myself what I can do to help victims and prevent such brutalities. I will certainly look up on how I can provide assistance to the various foundations provided at the end of the book... I would recommend it to the critical reader.



3. I received this book as a gift and i can tell you it was one of the best gifts ever!!! The detail in it is unbelievable!!!! The way he describes every single detail makes you feel like you were right there when everything was happeneing, like you are a part of their lives. If you get this book you will not put it down!!!



4. I begrudgingly agreed to read the book after my mother insisted it was well written and riveting. Initially, I was embarassed to be seen on the beach with the book; however, after reading the touching prologue by the Goldman Family, it became clear why they HAD TO publish the book.
   
   I've read countless novels that involve murder (Patricia Cornell, John Grisham, et al) but none have come close to this two-part horrible tragedy. The first tragedies were the murders and the second tragedy was the failure of our criminal justice system to find Simpson guilty.
   
   You may also find Mark Fuhrman's book "Murder in Brentwood" a great read. He's a prolific writer and shows humility and courage in telling his story.



5. I found OJ's account bizarre and chilling. I was overwhelmed with his narcissistic rantings and beliefs. Absolutely worth reading. What a strange book, a confession and yet our courts cannot do one thing about it? Sad, sad, sad.