C.M P. (selkie) reviewed on + 418 more book reviews
This book can only be critiqued each part at a time, since each contributors style is so different. [The introduction] One can understand why the Goldman's reason for wanting to explain why they allowed the book to be published after they had so violently opposed it. One can only try to understand their anger & frustration of their son being brutally murdered, & injustice of having the killer walk free. But why they chose to express their anger in such venomous language used in the introduction to the book is difficult to understand. It took away from focusing on the facts, their explanation, & unfortunately, to some extent, sympathy for them. To have someone close to you die, especially in the prime of their life hurts, but by adding hate one is hurting themselves even more. In Dunnes afterword he expresses admiration for Fred Goldman & how articulate he was when he stood before the news cameras. It is too bad that it did not carry over to the written word. [The prologue] The prologue is very well written, perhaps the best written part of the book. The editor even states that he did not even believe that O.J was innocent based on how he had stated certain things or reacted to certain questions while his story was being taped. But one cannot help but wonder what would have been said if the editor had been one of the few that had not believed O.J Simpson was guilty, especially if they were to change their mind after hearing the confession. How much more interesting would that have been? [The Confession] For someone who was supposed to be considered a sports hero at one time, he sure whines a lot about how his marriage was, & how much Nicole was to blame for the marriage not having worked out better. In most relationships it seems that the one doing the most complaining is the one that has the least to complain about. Of course, there are always two sides to a story, & we can never know Nicoles side of it since little has been revealed besides the 911 calls. In Oscar Wilde's "De Profundis", he wrote: "Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation, and conversation must have a common basis, and between two people of widely different culture the only common basis possible is the lowest level. Being from two different cultures, experiences, & different stages of life, the marriage of O.J & Nicole could have only have been on that lowest level which ultimately brings despair &/or destruction to both people. None of this is discussed in the book, however. Their relationship is only described as great, fine, or bad. Great, or fine, when everything went smooth, & bad when things did not go as he wished. Almost every page states a complaint about her moodiness, but based on the language Simpson uses to describe the incidents it is difficult to believe that he had not contributed to bring it about in any way. The best example of this takes place the night of the murder. He automatically assumes Goldman is there for a lovers tryst, rather than just to return some glasses. She could just as easily been waiting for someone else to visit, & Goldman might just as easily been there to just return the glasses before her actual date arrived. Who would know? How much of Charlies talk could have been just hearsay? What woman hasnt had the same stories told about her before she even lost her virginity? Leora Tanenbaums best-selling book is based on the subject, & expresses it best that It's amazing but true: Even today a common way to damage a woman's credibility is to call her a slut. Not only was this part disappointing for the reasons stated above, it was also disappointing due to the lack of details involving the actual murder After all, in a confession that is to be expected. But Simpson claims to have blacked out during the killing. Even though the book is viewed as his confession, perhaps he was afraid to bring something up that had happened but highly publicized? [The afterword] This is Dunnes brief reflection on his job &his interaction with the bereaved during the time of the trial. Having been through similar experiences himself, he was able to be one of the few media people that could [to some extent] comfort, rather than aggravate their grief.
