Five Chimneys

Five Chimneys: A Woman Survivor's True Story of Auschwitz by Olga Lengyel

Paperback, 232 pages

Published 30th August 2005 by Academy Chicago Publishers

(First published 1947)

Shelves:  books-i-own, historical, lasting-impression, memoirs-biographies-etc, read, read-in-2021, non-fiction, translated, ww2

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
 
Description via Goodreads:

Olga Lengyel tells, frankly and without compromise, one of the most horrifying stories of all time. This true, documented chronicle is the intimate, day-to-day record of a beautiful woman who survived the nightmare of Auschwitz and Birkenau. 

Having lost her husband, her parents, and her two young sons to the Nazi exterminators, Olga Lengyel had little to live for during her seven-month internment in Auschwitz. Only Lengyel's work in the prisoners' underground resistance and the need to tell this story kept her fighting for survival. She survived by her wit and incredible strength. 

Despite her horrifying closeness to the subject, Five Chimneys does not retreat into self-pity or sensationalism. When first published (two years after World War 2 ended), Albert Einstein was so moved by her story that he wrote a personal letter to Lengyel, thanking her for her "very frank, very well written book".

This book is a necessary reminder of one of the ugliest chapters in the history of human civilization. It was a shocking experience. It is a shocking book.

Five Chimneys is one of the most formidable memoirs that I have ever, or will ever, read. This is a no-holds-barred portrayal of life in the Holocaust's largest extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, vividly remembered by a Hungarian woman, Olga Lengyel, who endured seven long months there. 

This is a book that needs to be read in order to fully appreciate the true intensity of both the experiences that Lengyel faced and the true horrors of the Holocaust in general. It is impossible to put this across in a review. The book was more factual rather than reflecting on Lengyel's emotions, but, thankfully, this didn't detract from the effectiveness of the book. The author's ability to submerse the reader in the depressing, intimidating atmosphere of the camp and to really make you feel as though you're there is as impressive as it is disturbing. The honesty and authenticity of the book is both uncomfortable and necessary. Though the book is not very long at just over 230 pages, it took me a significantly long time to read due to the content. I had to stop reading several times as the information was just so graphic and impactful. This is not a negative - it is important that we are told the true, unfiltered horrors of this period of history. 

Many topics are covered in this memoir, particularly the everyday experiences in the camp including Lengyel's medical work in the women's camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau. This part of this book which will be particularly interesting and informative to those who have read the fictional books 'The Child of Auschwitz' by Lily  Graham and 'Cilka's Journey' by Heather Morris. We also hear of Lengyel's experiences with other people in the camp, an assortment of other prisoners - and more well-known historical figures such as Dr Josef Mengele and the infamous Irma Grese. 

It is difficult to criticise any memoir, especially one from a Holocaust survivor, but there was one particular issue in this book that did bother me. The author repeatedly refers to 'homosexuals and other perverts' and criticises the 'feeble-minded' which I found very difficult to stomach. The book is a reflection on the impact of hatred and persecution against others, yet the author then perpetuates this by being discriminative herself. I understand that the book was originally published in 1947, but I was still disappointed by this.

Overall, this book was vivid, disturbing and one of the most effective pieces of writing concerning experiences at Auschwitz-Birkenau. This is a book that is certainly not enjoyable but it is educational and it is so important. I would highly recommend this book to any adult looking for more information about the Holocaust. 

Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood

Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julie Gregory

Paperback, 320 pages

Published 30th September 2004 by Arrow

(First published 2003)

Shelves:  abuse, books-i-own, currently-reading, let-down, medical-conditions, memoirs-biographies-etc, mental-health, misery-lit, read-in-2021

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

A young girl is perched on the cold chrome of yet another doctor’s examining table, missing yet another day of school. Just twelve, she’s tall, skinny, and weak. It’s four o’clock, and she hasn’t been allowed to eat anything all day. Her mother, on the other hand, seems curiously excited. She's about to suggest open-heart surgery on her child to "get to the bottom of this." She checks her teeth for lipstick and, as the doctor enters, shoots the girl a warning glance. This child will not ruin her plans.

From early childhood, Julie Gregory was continually X-rayed, medicated, and operated on—in the vain pursuit of an illness that was created in her mother’s mind. Munchausen by proxy (MBP) is the world’s most hidden and dangerous form of child abuse, in which the caretaker—almost always the mother—invents or induces symptoms in her child because she craves the attention of medical professionals. Many MBP children die, but Julie Gregory not only survived, she escaped the powerful orbit of her mother's madness and rebuilt her identity as a vibrant, healthy young woman.

Punctuated with Julie's actual medical records, Sickened re-creates the bizarre cocoon of her family's isolated double-wide trailer, their wild shopping sprees and gun-waving confrontations, the astonishing naïveté of medical professionals and social workers. It also exposes the twisted bonds of terror and love that roped Julie's family together—including the love that made a child willing to sacrifice herself to win her mother's happiness.

The realization that the sickness lay in her mother, not in herself, would not come to Julie until adulthood. But when it did, it would strike like lightning. Through her painful metamorphosis, she discovered the courage to save her own life—and, ultimately, the life of the girl her mother had found to replace her. Sickened takes us to new places in the human heart and spirit. It is an unforgettable story, unforgettably told.

Sickened is a very well-known memoir that I have been wanting to read for a very long time. I am very interested by mental health and I was extremely intrigued try the thought of reading a book about the rare but highly interesting condition called Munchausen By Proxy (now known as Factitious Disorder by Proxy). Gregory certainly was very successful in bringing awareness to this illness.

Sickened is the memoir of Julie Gregory, a woman brought up by a mother who has  Munchausen by Proxy and has abused her since childhood. This book tells us about her childhood, often spent seeking out different medical specialists and being subjected to numerous unnecessary drugs and procedures. There were some more interesting and shocking scenes described in the book but I often wished there was more depth to them - I felt the book often focused on the negatives of Sandy, Julie's mother, rather than the true impact of her abhorrent actions. The memoir has copies of Gregory's medical records interspersed throughout. I found reading the medical documents to be the most interesting parts of the book.

Despite the fascinating subject matter, I have to be honest and say that I unfortunately just didn't find this book compelling. This book should have been gripping but I really just couldn't connect with it and as a result, I felt more apathetic towards it than I should have. This may partially be to the overly verbose writing style which I really didn't enjoy. Naturally, I felt both sympathy and a sense of respect for Julie but, mainly, I held a strong disdain towards her mother and father.

Unfortunately I can't say that the book had a great impact on me. I think that this may have actually been better portrayed if the Gregory had worked alongside a more experienced writer in order to tell her story. This is one of those books that I do feel bad for criticising due to the sensitive content, but in all honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. I will, however, continue to look for both more stories and factual information about the very important and destructive Factitious Disorder by Proxy. 

The Brothers of Auschwitz

The Brothers of Auschwitz by Malka Adler (Translated by Noel Canon)

Paperback, 433 pages

Published 1st September 2020 by One More Chapter

Shelves:  books-i-own, historical, lasting-impression, memoirs-biographies-etc, non-fiction, read, read-in-2021, ww2

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

An extraordinary novel of hope and heartbreak, this is a story about a family separated by the Holocaust and their harrowing journey back to each other.

My brother’s tears left a delicate, clean line on his face. I stroked his cheek, whispered, it’s really you…

Dov and Yitzhak live in a small village in the mountains of Hungary, isolated both from the world and from the horrors of the war. But one day in 1944, everything changes. The Nazis storm the homes of the Jewish villagers and inform them they have one hour. One hour before the train will take them to Auschwitz.

Six decades later, from the safety of their living rooms at home in Israel, the brothers finally break their silence to a friend who will never let their stories be forgotten.

It's incredibly difficult for me to know where to even start when reviewing this book as it left me speechless. As you've probably determined from my other reviews, I try to consume as many books about the Holocaust (and Auschwitz in particular) as I can and, so far, this has to be the best book that I've read regarding the subject. 

The book is a work of historical fiction which is strongly based on the true stories of two young brothers. The Brothers of Auschwitz follows the story of characters Dov and Yitzhak after they have been expelled from their home in Hungary during the Holocaust and follows their journey all the way up to modern day. The story is intertwined with present-day chapters of the author's journey through Israel. Despite the title, a relatively short amount of this book is actually set in the Auschwitz camp itself and around half way through we begin to learn about the start of the death march and destruction the camp. I found this very interesting and enlightening - we even get to see the long-term effects of all of the events and how it affects the brothers sixty years on. 

It took me a short while to really get into this book due to the distinct lack of punctuation (particularly speech marks), but once I become immersed in the story I was absolutely captivated. This book certainly isn't for the lighthearted but that's actually one of the things that makes it so extradordinary - the descriptions of the emotions and experiences are so visceral, so raw and really do take your breath away. I literally had to put the book down and take a break on several occasions. The honesty and detail in the writing which portrays some of the most abhorrent behaviour of humankind is absolutely jaw-dropping. I have read some books which are more sanitised versions of real events and whilst I can understand why authors do that, I think that this book makes such an impact because of the unadulterated, often sickening descriptions. The honesty is heart wrenching. 

Overall, this is a book that will stay with me for a very, very long time and it's certainly a book that had one of the biggest impacts on me. I would recommend this to anybody who is interested in the the Second World War and wants a raw, no holds barred story about the events and impact of the Holocaust.

The Saboteur of Auschwitz

The Saboteur of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a British soldier held prisoner in Auschwitz by Colin Rushton

Paperback, 288 pages

Published 1st October 2019 by Summersdale Publishers

Shelves:  historical, memoirs-biographies-etc, non-fiction, read, read-in-2020, ww2

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

In 1942, young British soldier Arthur Dodd was taken prisoner by the German Army and transported to Oswiecim in Polish Upper Silesia. The Germans gave it another name, now synonymous with mankind’s darkest hours. They called it Auschwitz. 

Forced to do hard labour, starved and savagely beaten, Arthur thought his life would end in Auschwitz. Determined to go down fighting, he sabotaged Nazi industrial work, risked his life to alleviate the suffering of the Jewish prisoners and aided a partisan group planning a mass break-out. 

This shocking true story sheds new light on the operations at the camp, exposes a hierarchy of prisoner treatment by the SS and presents the largely unknown story of the military POWs held there.

I love both reading and educating myself about the Holocaust, in particular, about Auschwitz-Birkenau and most often I've found that, understandably, most memoirs regarding the camp are written by Jewish and Polish prisoners. Of course, there were several categories of prisoners held at the camp and it was very interesting to read this memoir from a different perspective. 

The Saboteur of Auschwitz tells us the story of Arthur Dodd, a British prisoner of war. It is very fascinating to see this different side of the camp and to read more about the treatment of British prisoners. Dodd certainly lives up to the title of this book as we hear about his experience, most notably telling us how he mainly worked to sabotage the forced work that he had to do in the camp. There is also good explanations of day-to-day activities of the camp as well as some portrayal of the remarkable effect that seeing other prisoners in the camp had on Dodd. 

There is no doubt that Dodd made a huge effort to fight his hardest in such restricted and dangerous circumstances and he is certainly an inspiring man, but for me this book was unfortunately not as personal as I would have liked it to have been. The book is mainly fact based which is certainly a positive as it allows us to learn but, as a memoir, I would have loved to have been able to connect more to Dodd emotionally and to have known more about him as an individual - this  would have significantly increased my interest and enjoyment of this book.

There is a section consisting of letters in the latter part of the book which satisfied my need for a more emotional connection to people who had similar experiences and I found this to be the most interesting, compelling section to read. Though it was significantly more distressing than the rest of the book, the letters simply felt a lot more personal than the author's writing. 

Overall, it was an enlightening and interesting opportunity to read about the experience of a British POW based in Auschwitz and I am very glad to have widened my knowledge by reading this book. I am privileged to get to know the story of Arthur Dodd and finished the book feeling both gratitude and awe. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to broaden their knowledge of this period of history. 

Killing for Company

Killing For Company by Brian Masters

Paperback, 368 pages

Published 17th September 2020 by Arrow

(First Published 1985) 

Shelves: arc-or-review, adult-fiction, arc-or-review, books-i-own, contemporary, currently-reading, death, historical, mythology, read-in-2020, realistic-fiction
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Dennis Nilsen, who died in May 2018, murdered at least 15 people before his arrest in 1983. This groundbreaking criminal study of his killings was written with Nilsen's full cooperation, resulting in a fascinating - and horrifying - portrait of the man who worshipped death.

On February 9th 1983 Dennis Nilsen was arrested at his Muswell Hill home, after human remains had been identified as the cause of blocked drains.

'Are we talking about one body or two,' a detective asked. Nilsen replied 'Fifteen or sixteen, since 1978. I'll tell you everything.'

Within days he had confessed to fifteen gruesome murders over a period of four years. His victims, all young homosexual men, had never been missed. Brian Masters, with Nilsen's full cooperation, has produced a unique study of a murderer's mind, essential reading for true crime aficionados.

After watching ITV's latest hit drama starring David Tennant, Des, I just knew that I had to get my hands on a copy of the book it was based on - Killing for Company. This impressive and important book is a thorough and superbly written case study of the late Dennis Nilsen, one of the most infamous serial killers and necrophiles of the UK. 

When I started reading Killing for Company, it didn't take me long to recognise that I was reading a very important and significant book. This is an evaluation of Nilsen by the author, Masters, a man with no formal experience of psychology but a clear talent for writing and analysis. This is the full story of Nilsen from childhood to conviction, featuring a compilation of thoughts from both Masters and the killer himself. For anyone who is interested in Dennis Nilsen and his history, this is the go-to book and it's understandable why - it feels as though Masters leaves no stone unturned - however disturbing it may be. 

Masters doesn't hold back with any details in this book and so Killing for Company contains several in-depth accounts of murder and necrophilia from Nilsen himself. Whilst being obviously horrific, it's also extremely rare, morbidly intriguing and important to hear from the killer as to what he was thinking and feeling during the most disturbing times of his life. However, the biggest significance of the book was Nilsen's post-murder writings, his inner contemplations which gave a glimpse into his mind and his thoughts. It was not the murders themselves that I found most interesting - it was Nilsen's mind, one which was clearly searching for the answer as to why he did what he chose to do and who he really was. Perhaps most disturbingly, there are clear moments in the book where Nilsen seems like a common man - someone you may know, someone you live beside or work with, he was someone who enjoyed music, someone who had a sense of humour, someone who cared for his pets. The juxtaposition between his repulsive acts and his fragments of 'normality' is effective and jarring. This book shows how loneliness, isolation

I felt that Masters did a sterling job of commenting on Nilsen's actions, never dramatising or glorifying him and trying to really understand his actions and behaviours. Impressively, I think Masters remained fair throughout the whole of the book and whilst he did mention his personal relationship with Nilsen and subtly voice some personal opinions, it always felt that he was looking at the whole situation in an unbiased manner, which I can only give him credit for. Whilst it's always dangerous for someone with no experience of psychiatry to perform psychoanalysis, Masters has truly impressed with his analysis and this has only been reaffirmed with the republishing, support, TV adaptation and the true success of this book - a truly thought provoking read with a heck of a lot to think about. I also found the inclusion of photographs and images, in particular, Nilsen's collection of 'Sad Sketches' to be very interesting and shocking.

When reading True Crime books, it goes unsaid that you're likely not in for an 'easy-read' and you certainly won't find that with this book, however you will more than likely find it to be an unexpected page turner which you will devour. Whilst I did notice some outdated terms, there were few and this book really has stood the test of time, being just as significant now as it was back in the 80's. For anybody who is looking to expand their knowledge about true crime or has even a fleeting interest in psychology, Des or his crimes, this is a must-read. This is certainly the best and most engaging true crime book that I've read so far.

Death Row: The Final Minutes

Death Row: The Final Minutes by Michelle Lyons

Paperback, 304 pages

Published 3rd May 2018 by Blink Publishing

Shelves: crime-thriller-mystery, death, non-fiction, read, read-in-2020, series-or-companions, title-appeal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

IN 12 YEARS, MICHELLE LYONS WITNESSED NEARLY 300 EXECUTIONS.

First as a reporter and then as a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Michelle was a frequent visitor to Huntsville's Walls Unit, where she recorded and relayed the final moments of death row inmates' lives before they were put to death by the state.

Michelle was in the death chamber as some of the United States' most notorious criminals, including serial killers, child murderers and rapists, spoke their last words on earth, while a cocktail of lethal drugs surged through their veins.

Michelle supported the death penalty, before misgivings began to set in as the executions mounted. During her time in the prison system, and together with her dear friend and colleague, Larry Fitzgerald, she came to know and like some of the condemned men and women she saw die. She began to query the arbitrary nature of the death penalty and ask the question: do executions make victims of all of us?

An incredibly powerful and unique look at the complex story of capital punishment, as told by those whose lives have been shaped by it, Death Row: The Final Minutes is an important take on crime and punishment at a fascinating point in America's political history.

This was one of those books that I picked up as soon as I saw it - the title told me that this was something that I would find extremely interesting. Despite this, I also have to admit that I was slightly doubtful that it would give me a fresh, new insight into what is a deeply emotive, complex and controversial subject. Thankfully, this book and author surprised me with the openness and honesty they held. 

Death Row: The Final Minutes is a book about both the final minutes of several Death Row inmates and also the story of the author, Michelle Lyons  and her late colleague Larry Fitzgerald. 

I think that you will either love or hate Michelle which could be problematic for readers, but I like to think that if I knew her in 'real life', we'd be friends. Lyons was incessantly passionate about her job - at points quite fiercely so as seen in her retorts to anybody who disagreed with her or the death penalty. I can understand and admire her passion but I don't think that the two opposing views on the death penalty were addressed as much as they could have been and sometimes it felt that she was so stuck in her own way of thinking that she couldn't consider  opposing thoughts. Michelle continuously tells us that the majority of executions that she watched didn't affect her, but it soon becomes clear that, unsurprisingly, they did. I admire Lyons refreshing honesty in this book and her recognition that her stoic front didn't completely reflect what was really going on inside her head.

The book gives us great insight into Death Row and its workings, using both transcripts of voice notes and diary entries from Lyons as reference points. These are the true highlight points of the book - getting to learn what it is really like in the death chamber - how the prisoners, executioners and observers all react in their own, unique ways.  We get to learn about both the build-up to execution and the details of the execution itself. For me, whilst reading about the prisoners last words were moving and often profound I found the most interesting and harrowing part hearing about the observers, or often lack of, in the chamber - particularly the mothers of both the victims and the perpetrators. 

It was of course very interesting to read about the last words and requests of the Death Row inmates and it's something that I think most people will find very emotive and thought provoking. You can easily go online and find prisoners last words and their last meal requests, but nonetheless I thought there was a good, genuine, selection shared in this book. I really enjoyed reading about Michelle and Larry's interactions with the prisoners but I wish there was more of this interaction included - though perhaps i'm just greedy for more information! 

Overall this was an interesting read and I think it will appeal to anybody who is interested in true crime, criminology or forensic psychology. Death Row: The Final Minutes offers an honest and unique view on execution and how it affects those who have to witness it. 

I'll Be Gone In The Dark

I'll Be Gone In The Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

Paperback, 344 pages

Published 28th February 2019 by Faber & Faber

Shelves: arc-or-review, books-i-own, crime-thriller-mystery, desperate-to-read, historical, lasting-impression, memoirs-biographies-etc, movies-or-tv, non-fiction, rape, read, read-in-2020, title-appeal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

The masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer - the serial rapist turned murderer who terrorised California for over a decade - from the late Michelle McNamara. I'll Be Gone in the Dark offers a unique snapshot of suburban West Coast America in the 1980s, and a chilling account of the wreckage left behind by a criminal mastermind. It is also a portrait of one woman's obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth, three decades later, in spite of the personal cost. Updated with material which takes in the extraordinary events that followed its initial publication, Michelle McNamara's first and last book is a contemporary classic - humane, haunting and heroic.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark is a book unlike any other that I've read. The book is beautifully written whilst describing a real-life horror story. This is the story of the late Michelle McNamara's obsessive search for an elusive monster. This is the story of the known attacks of The Golden State Killer, also known as The East Area Rapist, The Original Night Stalker, The Visalia Ransacker, The Diamond Knot Killer, and only more recently, Joseph James DeAngelo. 

It is difficult to review this book and it's difficult to read too, which is part of its success. Quotes on the book cover state that this is a book that you can't put down, it's something to read in one-sitting, but for me it was completely the opposite. The writing is indeed gripping and compulsive, but also frighteningly vivid. It can be a difficult book to digest due to the content and it's important to take breaks in order to really appreciate  exactly what you've just read, to absorb the impact that the events of the book had on the victims and the wider community of California. Whilst I was gripped by the crimes and mystery - as I was and I am - this is a book that I had to consciously keep putting down in order to reflect upon whilst still eager to get back to. 

McNamara's prose is surprisingly beautiful despite often describing such violent content. This is a book that is so well written, the crimes so clearly portrayed that it is guaranteed to have a lasting effect on any reader. The Golden State Killer stalked, burglarised, bound, raped, psychologically tortured and tormented his victims before going on to murder some. McNamara uses all of her collected evidence and investigative skills to bring these crimes to life on paper, not being afraid to share small, intimate details whilst still never overstating and always showing respect to the victims. This entire book is a fantastic piece of investigative journalism, but for me, the stand-out part was Michelle's final piece of writing that was included, entitled "Letter to an Old Man" - her imagination of the Golden State Killer's eventual arrest, where it's almost as though she foreshadowed his eventual capture.

Admittedly, the book does seem a little disjointed at places, both due to the fact that it's not written chronologically and that it was partially written/edited posthumously, but this doesn't distract from McNamara's apparent talent for writing, her brilliant investigative and journalistic skills as well as her sheer dedication and determination. I also enjoyed seeing how she gained the trust of detectives and police departments. Her untimely sudden death only adds more sadness to the whole story. The fact that she didn't finally get to discover the GSK's true identity is heartbreaking and I truly wish that she had been able to watch Joseph DeAngelo's arrest and sentencing. Thankfully, her main wish did however come true and we now know exactly who the Golden State Killer is - that is partially with thanks to Michelle's hard work, relentless research and her publicity of the case.

Before reading this book, I did have some general knowledge about The Golden State Killer, learned from the documentary series Unmasking a Killer and some internet searches. Here in the UK, he is not well known and the known crimes were committed before I was born - I first heard about him after his arrest. I read I'll Be Gone In The Dark in the week during DeAngelo's sentencing, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment. I really feel like I have watched, and now have read, an important piece of criminal history. 

This is a book and a case that will stay with me for a long time and that I will continue to follow. I highly recommend I'll Be Gone In The Dark to anybody who is interested in true crime, criminology, forensic science or investigative journalism. It has really made me see not only the Golden State Killer, but all undiscovered serious criminals, in a new perspective. 

The TV adaptation of I'll Be Gone in the Dark, produced by HBO, is available to watch in the UK from today (30th August) on the Sky Crime Channel, but be sure to read the book first! 

My Life With Murderers

My Life With Murderers: Behind Bars With the World's Most Violent Men by David Wilson

Hardback, 272 pages

Published 21st March 2019 by Sphere

Shelves: crime-thriller-mystery, memoirs-biographies-etc, mental-health, non-fiction, read, read-in-2020

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Professor David Wilson has spent his professional life working with violent men - especially men who have committed murder. Aged twenty-nine he became, at that time, the UK's youngest ever prison Governor in charge of a jail and his career since then has seen him sat across a table with all sorts of killers: sometimes in a tense interview; sometimes sharing a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); sometimes looking them in the eye to tell them that they are a psychopath.

Some of these men became David's friends; others would still love to kill him.

My Life with Murderers tells the story of David's journey from idealistic prison governor to expert criminologist and professor. With experience unlike any other, David's story is a fascinating and compelling study of human nature.

Professor David Wilson is a relatively well known criminologist here in the UK and if you're interested in true crime, its quite likely that you've seen a documentary or two that he has featured in. I have enjoyed several of his documentaries and so that, alongside my true crime-fascination, inspired me to pick up this book. I'm glad I did!

Although there's nothing particularly groundbreaking or any new revelations in this book, it's a very interesting and worthwhile read. The book covers numerous issues relating to criminology and holds a lot of focus on the prison system and rehabilitation, particularly focusing on how Wilson thinks that the system could improve in order to help prisoners. His insights and opinions seemed fair and well thought through and I respect that he has had a lot of experience in that sector. 

What I found more interesting though was hearing about his experiences with criminals. I was a little disappointed that he didn't, or couldn't, go into more depth with each case, but I found that the little he did reveal quite interesting, if not sometimes surprisingly boastful in tone.

Disappointingly, I found that the book was more about the crimes that these people committed rather than his connection or communication with them - information that I'd imagine would be easy to find online or in other  books or documentaries. I found the book to be more about his research than his actual personal experiences with these people. 

Nonetheless, it was still interesting to read through several different criminal cases and I did keep wanting to read on to find out more. There were also some different aspects of murders and crime that were covered which I haven't read about before, such as analysing 'contract killing' which I found particularly interesting and surprising. 

Overall, this will be an informative and easily accessible read for those who have a fresh interest in true crime. The book covers quite a lot of topics without going into too much depth, allowing the way for the reader to choose their most interesting topics to research in depth later. It was a page turner at points and kept me interested with the diversity of subjects discussed. 

Cries Unheard: The Story of Mary Bell

Cries Unheard: The Story of Mary Bell by Gitta Sereny

Hardback, 416 pages

Published 13th April 1999 by Macmillan

Shelves: abuse, books-i-own, crime-thriller-mystery, memoirs-biographies-etc, mental-health, non-fiction, read, read-in-2020

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:In 1968, at the age of eleven, Mary Bell was tried, and convicted, of manslaughter after the death of two small boys in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Her friend, and neighbour, thirteen-year-old, Norma Bell, no relation, was acquitted. Gitta Sereny attended the trial, and spent the next two years researching, and writing, what has become a classic study, The Case of Mary Bell. Over the years, however, she came to realize that if we are ever to understand the pressures which bring a child to commit serious crimes, only they, when adult, can tell us.

Twenty-seven years after her conviction, and her sentence of detention for life, after her mother's death, Mary Bell agreed to talk about her harrowing childhood, her two terrible acts nine weeks apart, her public trial, and her twelve years of detention - seven of them, beginning when she was sixteen, in a maximum security women's prison.

Nothing she said in the five months of intensive talks with Gitta Sereny was intended, or can be taken, as an excuse for her crimes: she herself rejects all mitigation. But the story of her life forces the reader to ponder society's responsibility for children at breaking point. It challenges our willingness to commit ourselves to the prevention of violent acts such as Mary committed. It is a clarion call to review our system of justice, and punishment, as it applies to the most needy amongst us - our children at risk.

Cries Unheard is a brilliant tour de force, meticulously piecing together the terribly damaged life of Mary Bell, who only as an adult, and loving parent herself, grew to realize the moral enormity of her crimes. But it is not an isolated tragedy. There are thousands of children in prison across Europe, and in America. And in Britain, where punitive justice for children is most formalized, recent cases such as the murder of James Bulger show the urgency for our attention, our compassion, and our action.

Cries Unheard tells the story of Mary Bell, a girl who was only eleven years old when she was convicted of murdering two boys - aged 3 and 4. Most of my knowledge about Mary Bell comes from my grandmother who lived in the same area as Bell at the time of her crimes and knew both Bell and the victims families. The other knowledge comes from one TV documentary and the small amount of information about the case which is on the internet. Due to the locality of the case, I'm always wanting to learn more about it and this seems to be the most comprehensive book available about Bell. I have also been told that this book caused quite the stir in my hometown of Newcastle Upon Tyne. 

This is the second book that Gitta Sereny has written about Mary Bell, the first being The Case of Mary Bell: A Portrait of a Child who Murdered, which is referenced throughout this one. 

Quite honestly, the first book seems referenced a little too much - despite thankfully including all necessary information to the case and even including some excerpts. I did briefly consider reading the first book but in all honesty, after reading this one, I don't feel the need to - it doesn't seem like there's much more to learn. The book contains a lot of information about Mary Bell both before, during and, mostly, after her conviction which was good - I felt like we got a good insight into all aspects of her life. The book did have a good amount of information and I am glad I read it as I did find it interesting and I learnt a lot about Mary's life, the murders, the court trial and what happened afterwards. I am fairly confident I now have a good firm knowledge of the case, but of course, I can't  be sure that everything that I read was true. I am pleased that there were conversations with more reputable sources mentioned in the book - such as Bell's psychologist and mentors - which I am much more inclined to believe. 

This is somewhat of a biography of Bell, written by Sereny but interspersed with direct quotes from conversations with Bell after her release. The purely factual parts of the book and the information about Newcastle in the late 60's seems accurate and interesting. I think Sereny did a great job of setting the scene of the murders in the first half of the book and was especially good at describing what working class life in Scotswood was like.  The first section of the book was a useful, informative account of the crime.

In the second half of the book, it was certainly interesting to get insight about Mary and her life from the woman herself, to see how she communicates and thinks, but the problem about that is that she seems to be a prolific liar - something that is made clear in the book and can actually become quite frustrating. We read pages and pages of Bell's recollections, only for them to often then be quickly disproven by people that have been responsible for her care. It was very hard to understand what to believe about Mary and to be honest, the author didn't help. Despite her brief protestations, I also often felt like she seemed overly sympathetic to Bell and had been somewhat 'drawn in' by her. Sereny offers a lot of opinions on Bell's psychological state, none of which seem significant due to the sense of bias and the fact that Sereny is purely a journalist - not a psychiatrist, psychologist or criminologist. 

My main issue with this book was that, at points, it felt very disjointed. Although there is some sort of intended chronology in the book, the author has a tendency to jump around the timescale. I was particularly bewildered as to why Sereny decided to address Bell's early life at the end of the book - it would have made far more sense to include it at the beginning and it would've really helped to develop an understanding of Mary's actions and personality. I actually believe that I may have seen the whole situation in a different perspective if she had included that information at the beginning. 

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with several aspects of Cries Unheard but as aforementioned, I did also find it interesting and gained a lot of knowledge about Mary Bell and her life so far - I am glad that I read it despite its faults. If you're particularly interested in this case or are interested in what happens after a child is convicted of murder in the UK, this is worth a read.