Helpful Score: 4
The true case of the Austrian man who locked up his daughter in his cellar for 27 years and had 7 children by her. The rest of his family lived upstairs, completely unaware of what was going on below. Very scary, a true horror story. Upsetting, but hard to put down.
Helpful Score: 2
Truth can indeed be stranger, more horrific, evil and terrifying than fiction .... if this had not been a true crime then I would have passed it off as fiction.
Helpful Score: 2
Quick but informational read for true crime buffs.
Helpful Score: 2
Really bizarre, hard to believe. A good book about endurance, perseverance and survival.
I had to keep reading until the end.
I had to keep reading until the end.
Helpful Score: 1
One of the most incredible true stories I have ever read. I received it in the morning, started it in the afternoon, was finished the next afternoon. Although the setting is not the US, John Glatt writes so well, it keeps you captive. (no pun intended) This story will break your heart. It almost seems too bizarre to be true.
honestly can't rate this book. I want to give it at least 4 stars, but at the same time I feel that I'd be saying "good job" to Josef Fritzl, since this book would not have ever been written had it not been for his actions.
My mind still can't really grasp that a human being could be so cruel and heartless and egoistic to do the things he did to his own daughter, Elisabeth, to her children (who are his children as well). I am boggled that for over 20 years noone noticed anything out of the ordinary in that house.
As far as the writing itself, the book is mediocre. The author, John Glatt, makes you believe that everything you read is the truth: Josef's childhood, his prior murders/rapes, the things he said and/or did. Only towards the end of the book, you realize that a lot of those things were simply assumed, not much about Fritzl's past can be proven. The book is quite repetitive. At first, it's the account from the outsider's point of view. Then we hear the same story (and many times even the same sentences are used) when Elisabeth is telling it to the police. And finally, we hear it all over again from Josef. Therefore, the last few chapters were really a drag. It was clear that the author had really no "inside" knowledge of what was really going on with the treatment of all family members and how everyone is dealing with it. All of his information came from the tabloid magazines and newspapers.
My mind still can't really grasp that a human being could be so cruel and heartless and egoistic to do the things he did to his own daughter, Elisabeth, to her children (who are his children as well). I am boggled that for over 20 years noone noticed anything out of the ordinary in that house.
As far as the writing itself, the book is mediocre. The author, John Glatt, makes you believe that everything you read is the truth: Josef's childhood, his prior murders/rapes, the things he said and/or did. Only towards the end of the book, you realize that a lot of those things were simply assumed, not much about Fritzl's past can be proven. The book is quite repetitive. At first, it's the account from the outsider's point of view. Then we hear the same story (and many times even the same sentences are used) when Elisabeth is telling it to the police. And finally, we hear it all over again from Josef. Therefore, the last few chapters were really a drag. It was clear that the author had really no "inside" knowledge of what was really going on with the treatment of all family members and how everyone is dealing with it. All of his information came from the tabloid magazines and newspapers.
Very well written true crime. Hard to believe but true, the abuse/torture for years and years. I read numerous articles in the news but still found a lot more information from the book.
Very good book. Very disturbing, you do not want to put it down.
A true story that is so very disturbing to anyone who reads it. I found the whole legal system that was in place sadly lacking in teeth to do anything about the situation as it was being done.
Compelling and so heartwrenching for the family that they had this monster to live with. Makes you want to watch your neighbors more closely.
Compelling and so heartwrenching for the family that they had this monster to live with. Makes you want to watch your neighbors more closely.
This book was excellent! I read it in a day and could not put it down. Fritzl is disgusting and should be tormented like he tormented his daughter and family.
An horrendous story about incest. I found this book to be redundant in many Chapters.
This true story is horrifying and since I remember it happening I was glad to see this book come out. It was a very quick read but I felt the writing was somewhat choppy. The author tended to flit around and back and forth. I feel deeply for Elizabeth and her children and hope they have made a full recovery but since the book doesn't tell us that or what sentence her monster father received I felt a bit let down when the book ended...and that is pretty much what it did..it just ended.
Quick read about a very sick man named Josef Fritzl. For twenty seven years Josef keep his daughter Elisabeth in a basement dungeon as a sex slave. Very vile story.
