recepuludere

This book was by no means perfect: The two main stories didn't really connect very much, the transitions between them were lazy (merely alternating chapters instead of actually weaving the content together - and then finally throwing in the whole denouement of the murder plot line at the end b/c the timeline fell after the fair), and the details were occasionally too much/too dry. However, despite all of that, I still really liked it! The content was mostly fascinating, and it was clearly REALLY well researched, which I really liked. It was great knowing that everything in the book was true history, and he effectively makes it feel like such an important part of history that I, apparently like many others, constantly wondered how I could not have already known about it all. In the beginning, I liked the parts about the murderer best, but by the end, I think I appreciated the cultural history more. Even though many people (including those quoted on the back of the book) said it reads like fiction, I don't necessarily agree. I've read a lot of other non-fiction that read more like a novel than this one (Civil Action, In Cold Blood). However, though I read this one somewhat slower as a result, I didn't mind b/c as I said above, I really appreciated knowing how accurate it all was. He's clearly a great researcher. I'd definitely recommend this to others, with the caveat that while I constantly did find myself wanting to return to reading it, it's still not exactly a page-turner. It requires a bit of time and investment. I thought it was worth it. PS The murder story reminded me of Clark Rockefeller. It is scary that the profile of these psychopaths doesn't change!

2023-06-16 16:57