Columbine
by Dave Cullen
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dave CullenEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-04-06
ISBN: 0446546933
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Twelve
Book Reviews of Columbine
Book Review: "Good wombs have borne bad sons"-a metaphor for Columbine
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this book with much anticipation, as I have heard it described as the best true crime book of 2009. After reading the above book, I agree with that description and more.
Two recent events stand out in my mind as a 38 year old. The first, the tragedy of the failed bombing/shooting of Columbine school, that I repeatedly saw on the news. Watching the footage of Columbine showed repeatedly on television drove me to tears. The second was the bombing of the Towers on September 11, 2001, six weeks after the birth of my oldest son. That event made me realize what a dangerous world I had just brought my beautiful son into, and how I could only protect him from so much of it.
The book Columbine debuncts many myths that I have held true over the years. I firmly beleived in the Cassie Bernall story (known as the girl who said yes when asked by one of the killers to the question "Do you beleive in God?") and had no idea that it actually happened to a survivor of the Columbine massacre. I also beleived that both boys were severely bullied. Evidence supports that they were the bullies, and not the other way around. I also thought that the killers were members of the Trench Coat Maffia, when in fact the future killers Dylan and Eric wore trenchcoats to hide the weapons that day.
The stories of the victims of the shootings, and the family members of the victims, were particularly touching to me. The story of Patrick Ireland-severely injured in Columbine, but who recovered and became valedictorian of Columbine-particularly touched me. Also, the story of Linda Sanders-the wife of the teacher Dave Sanders, who heroically tried to save students, and was shot and bled to death in Columbine, was particularly touching.
I also felt tremendous anger. Eric Harris had been on the police radar for months, had had juvenile charges, and was reported again and again by one family as being threatening to them yet a search warrant was never taken out on the Harris house. There was a police coverup on knowledge of Eric's activities (pipe bombs, a threatening website that named a person he wanted to kill) that could have put Eric Harris (really the ringleader for Columbine) behind bars before Columbine ever happened. That part of the book was very difficult for me to read and to understand.
Reading the transcript of the video tapes that were left behind by Dylan and Eric were riveting. Reading the violent, disgusting and narcissitic tapes fueled by rage really upset me, but helped me understand the motivation of the killers. The quote of this book review was said by Eric in one of the tapes and is from Shakespere. He quoted it as if to absolve his parents of all responsibilities from the upcoming massacre.
Emotionally, I felt drained as I read and completed this book. To me, the sign of a truly artistic work is that it makes you feel emotion as you experience it, which is what this work does. If you only read one true crime book a year, definately read this one, as it will make you think long after you finish reading it.
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