If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer by The Goldman Family Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer
Book Review: A "hypothetical confession" recorded by a meticulous ghostwriter. Bravo to the Goldmans for releasing this.
Summary: 5 Stars
O.J. Simpson's 2007 hypothetical murder confession is worth your attention, not as a confession, but as a glimpse inside the man who is O.J. Simpson, the celebrity who flaunted getting away with murder. IF I DID IT: CONFESSIONS OF THE KILLER provides a new perspective on the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. As published, this book is truly the story of the Goldman family. The family wrote the forward, explaining their reasons for publishing the manuscript; the afterword was written by renowned crime journalist and close Goldman family friend Dominick Dunne. The eight-chapter story of the Brown-Simpson marriage and year preceding Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman's murders constitutes the bulk of this text, but that narrative is best read in the context provided by this publication.
Simpson's version of events places blame on Nicole Brown Simpson, who is portrayed herein as an emotionally unstable drug addict. He describes the two famous 911 calls during their seventeen-year marriage as isolated incidents for which both parties were responsible. He adamantly denies being an abuser; in Simpson's portrayal of the marriage, he is the stable, responsible one who reacted to Nicole's mood swings. A classic wife abuser, Simpson blames the victim, an unstable woman who drove him to extremes. The pair separated two years before the murders but had been in reconciliation discussions for the last year. By Simpson's description, Nicole was prone to violent mood swings and changed her mind about reconciliation on a daily basis.
Co-author Pablo Fenjves, a Brentwood neighbor of O.J. Simpson and witness at the murder trial, interviewed Simpson over a matter of weeks to ghostwrite the confession. The sports star was forthcoming about his marital troubles and opinions on Nicole's cocaine-using friends, but froze when it came to the material for "Chapter 6: The Night in Question." Fenjves claims that Simpson wanted to exclude that material from the book, despite the fact that Simpson's handlers had promised publisher Judith Regan that this would be a confession in every manner. When the project came to light, Simpson attempted to distance himself from the actual confession, but Fenjves is adamant that he has included only the words and sentiments of the man himself, and Simpson did sign off on the final manuscript.
O.J. Simpson's hypothetical confession to the Simpson-Goldman murders reveals details that only the killer could know. It is worthwhile to note that the hypothetical confession never contradicts any of the case evidence, and in fact, it explains several discrepancies which existed in the prosecution's theory of the murder. O.J. reveals that after leaving his ex-wife's house, he stripped and wrapped his clothes in a ball, which would explain the lack of blood evidence in the vehicle he was driving. He also discloses that his point of entry was a broken rear gate to the mansion and that he had an encounter with Goldman outside the house before confronting Nicole.
The Simpson camp conceived IF I DID IT as a retirement project, a way to profit off murder despite the civil judgment the Goldman and Brown families received in their wrongful death and battery suit against Simpson. After being found liable for the murders in his 1997 civil trial, Simpson was able to avoid paying damages to the Goldman and Brown families through the use of bankruptcy court and sham corporations set up in his children's names. For IF I DID IT, he received an advance of just under one million dollars, none of which the Goldmans or Browns saw, and he expected to receive lifelong payments in his children's names. When the project came to light, causing public outcry, HarperCollins dissolved its ReganBooks imprint, which had sponsored the project, and Simpson wound up in court over the rights to the manuscript. In bankruptcy court, the manuscript was considered an asset, and as such it needed to be liquidated (published) so that Simpson's creditors could be paid. In the foreward, the Goldman family explains how, after reading the book's contents, they decided to publish the confession themselves and control the income from the project.
With the publication of IF I DID IT, America has received one more chapter on its most infamous celebrity murder trial, and the Goldman family has finally imposed punitive damages on the man they believe is responsible for the murder of their son. The manuscript was improved by the addition of the Goldman preface, comments from writer Pablo F. Fenjves about the confession process, and Dominick Dunne's conclusion about the rights of victim's families. If I Did It is a strange piece of justice for the Goldman family and a fascinating read for the public who was gripped by the televised circus of the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
Book Review: I read the entire book last night.
Summary: 5 Stars
I found OJ's account bizarre and chilling. I was overwhelmed with his narcissistic rantings and beliefs. Absolutely worth reading. What a strange book, a confession and yet our courts cannot do one thing about it? Sad, sad, sad.Book Review: Riveting and enlightening
Summary: 5 Stars
I begrudgingly agreed to read the book after my mother insisted it was well written and riveting. Initially, I was embarassed to be seen on the beach with the book; however, after reading the touching prologue by the Goldman Family, it became clear why they HAD TO publish the book.
I've read countless novels that involve murder (Patricia Cornell, John Grisham, et al) but none have come close to this two-part horrible tragedy. The first tragedies were the murders and the second tragedy was the failure of our criminal justice system to find Simpson guilty.
You may also find Mark Fuhrman's book "Murder in Brentwood" a great read. He's a prolific writer and shows humility and courage in telling his story.
Book Review: UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
I received this book as a gift and i can tell you it was one of the best gifts ever!!! The detail in it is unbelievable!!!! The way he describes every single detail makes you feel like you were right there when everything was happeneing, like you are a part of their lives. If you get this book you will not put it down!!! Book Review: Haunting and Challenges Perceptions
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered the book after watching a particular episode of Oprah and completed it within 2 hours... It's definitely a haunting read, not a book to be read leisurely for sure. One's perceptions of truth, morality, right and wrong will most definitely be challenged and questioned and ultimately, perhaps such a 'quest' for the 'truth' would prove futile... We are relegated and intepellated to the position of spectator... There will always be various perspectives and takes on any one issue and I personally feel we provide value judgments and no more... No one human is omniscient enough to assert who is right and wrong.. I think the most important lesson learnt for me after reading the (fiction/non-fiction?)book is to ask myself what I can do to help victims and prevent such brutalities. I will certainly look up on how I can provide assistance to the various foundations provided at the end of the book... I would recommend it to the critical reader.