Friday
Jul162004
BOOKS: Guilty Pleasures
Friday, July 16, 2004 at 07:28AM
I could barely put my book down to write the review this week--it's that good!
I am a long-time Dominick Dunne fan, from way back when he was writing thinly-veiled "fiction" about fascinating people, lavish lifestyles and intriguing situations--pure, unadulterated "guilty pleasure" found between the soft covers of mass-market paperback novels, perfect for the beach or travel.
I crossed the line (fiction to non-fiction) several years ago, when he did, with Another City, Not My Own: A Novel in the form of a Memoir, which is actually about the O.J. Simpson Trial in Los Angeles. Believe me, I am over the whole O.J. thing too, and while all the intimate detail, inside gossip and background about the murders and the trial is interesting, what makes this book absolutely riveting--hands-down one of the best books I've ever read--is the subtext, the story behind-the-story, a barely-there "fiction" about the writer following the trial and his background, insights and experiences. Except for the surprising and haunting twist at the end of the book, that writer is Dominick Dunne.
I didn't realize until I read Another City that Dominick Dunne is the father of Dominique Dunne, the actress who played the older sister in the first Poltergeist movie, and who, in real life, was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend stalker in 1982. Since that time, Dominick Dunne has become famous for writing man-on-the-scene essays and opinions on justice and injustice, high-profile crime and trial reporting for Vanity Fair Magazine. Mr. Dunne is gutsy: You always know exactly where he stands regarding guilt or innocence, which shows admirable courage for a writer--to actually have an opinion and put it out there.
JUSTICE: Crimes, Trials, and Punishments is a compilation of his Vanity Fair articles--more O.J., but also fascinating anecdotes and opinion on nearly every high-profile crime over the last twenty years, including his daughter's murder, Claus von Bulow, Martha Moxley, the Menendez Brothers and the William Kennedy Smith rape trial. I can't put it down--in fact, I'm going back to it right now!
The Rebel Housewife: Dominick Dunne Recommendations:
I am a long-time Dominick Dunne fan, from way back when he was writing thinly-veiled "fiction" about fascinating people, lavish lifestyles and intriguing situations--pure, unadulterated "guilty pleasure" found between the soft covers of mass-market paperback novels, perfect for the beach or travel.
I crossed the line (fiction to non-fiction) several years ago, when he did, with Another City, Not My Own: A Novel in the form of a Memoir, which is actually about the O.J. Simpson Trial in Los Angeles. Believe me, I am over the whole O.J. thing too, and while all the intimate detail, inside gossip and background about the murders and the trial is interesting, what makes this book absolutely riveting--hands-down one of the best books I've ever read--is the subtext, the story behind-the-story, a barely-there "fiction" about the writer following the trial and his background, insights and experiences. Except for the surprising and haunting twist at the end of the book, that writer is Dominick Dunne.
I didn't realize until I read Another City that Dominick Dunne is the father of Dominique Dunne, the actress who played the older sister in the first Poltergeist movie, and who, in real life, was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend stalker in 1982. Since that time, Dominick Dunne has become famous for writing man-on-the-scene essays and opinions on justice and injustice, high-profile crime and trial reporting for Vanity Fair Magazine. Mr. Dunne is gutsy: You always know exactly where he stands regarding guilt or innocence, which shows admirable courage for a writer--to actually have an opinion and put it out there.
JUSTICE: Crimes, Trials, and Punishments is a compilation of his Vanity Fair articles--more O.J., but also fascinating anecdotes and opinion on nearly every high-profile crime over the last twenty years, including his daughter's murder, Claus von Bulow, Martha Moxley, the Menendez Brothers and the William Kennedy Smith rape trial. I can't put it down--in fact, I'm going back to it right now!