 |
After researching the case and then the book, I've come to find out that the book Fatal Vision is written on a biased account of the author and intends to make the subject of the book look and sound guilty. Because of this I have decided not to read the book after all and decided to find the book that tells the whole story. Fatal Justice. I don't need help drawing my own conclusions. Once I read Fatal Justice I will let you know what I have concluded if you are interested. Till then, I suppose this book will just collect dust or serve as a paper weight. In stating this, I'm sure it's not difficult to tell that I will not be viewing the movie/mini series based on the book. I think Dr. MacDonald has quite enough people as it is against him and out to make him seem guilty without the help of this book or the mini series that came out a while back.Read full review
One hell of a book, I could barely put it down and the next thing I know, I had almost finished reading it. This case always intrigued me from the start; the possibility of " drug-crazed hippies " in the Manson era committing the crime. I can't believe I didn't pick up a copy sooner than I did. McGinniss introduces us not only into the mind and world of Jeff MacDonald, but outlines his mental disease explaining the " boundless repressed rage " lying just beneath the surface. It's fascinating how we learn that Jeff MacDonald was a time bomb with a long fuse, not a quick trigger. The events that led to the slaughter of his own family were forseeable and well-documented in psychiatric literature. The general public, with the emergence of 24-hour news, is now more educated regarding sociopathy, psychopathy, and narcissism. These terms were mostly alien to the American public prior to the events of February 1970. MacDonald was a true " pathological narcissist " living a polished facade with " rage, envy, fantasies of wealth, beauty, and omnipotence," of which the combination would culminate in one the most horrific crimes known to the American public. My doubts about his guilt have been overwhelmed with evidence proving his guilt beyond any doubt. The book explains just how a person who is polished, accomplished, successful, intelligent, and a " family man " can, in an instant, turn into a homicidal killing machine and butcher his own wife, including his children with a club, knife, and ice pick. McGinniss subtly points to MacDonald's narcissism by telling us " Jeffrey MacDonald's condominium was quite comfortable, once I got used to all the mirrors." The point being MacDonald was constantly looking at himself and reinforcing his self-created image. He had, as one psychiatrist/psychologist who examined him stated, " homicidal tendencies, " and needed constant observation. I highly recommend the book by all means. The author lived with MacDonald for a period of time and eventually became convinced of his guilt. Once you get past the facade, the monster will reveal itself. This tends to happen without the subject himself ever knowing it. I remember a quote " One may smile and smile and be a villain." Jeff MacDonald is truly a villain, a modern day Jeckyll and Hyde with all the charm of a Hollywood film star with beaming smile, beautiful wife, fit physique, and personal distinction. The reader only needs a glimpse of the autopsy photos to truly see what a psychopath is capable of. I saw them and almost became physically ill. Jeff MacDonald can butcher without remorse and view himself as the one being persecuted, no matter how horrific his crimes are. People like him live among us, and we learn of their crimes, sadly, on a 24-hour a day basis. Unfortunately, there will be more.Read full review
Joe McGinnis has written his acccount of the murder case against Captain Jeffrey MacDonald, a Green Beret accused of murdering his pregnant wife and two small daughters in their home on the Ft. Bragg army base in North Carolina. Initially hired to write a book that would assist in proving Captain MacDonald's innocence, McGinniss spends three years following the conclusion of the 1979 trial examining the materials that he collected, much of while living with Macdonald, and compiles the information into an interesting and engaging collection of interviews, comments, facts, details, and opinions that gently guide the reader away from any preconceived notion of guilt or innocence--data that leaves the reader with enough information to form his/her own genuine opinion. This read conjures memories of the made for television movie that accompanied this story, as well as the rebuttal book that has since been written to discredit some of the information in McGinniss' book. True crime lovers will enjoy the simplistic, straight forward language and the overflow of information that is presented in an organized, easy-to-follow manner. Additional enjoyment comes from the book's unique dual personality: It reads like a mystery novel meshed with a biography. McGinnis has also taken a sort of journalistic approach to the story, which keeps the reader enthralled, page after page. This book is VERY difficult to come by, but worth every penny! It may be considered a long read by some (684 pages), but contains 8 pages of photos, including family, crime scene, and funeral photos, which add tremendously to the reader's ability to connect. This story was major news during its time, and serves to connect new true crime fans with a more than 25-year-old event that is just as engrossing today as it was when first reported.Read full review
I had seen the movie version back in the eighties and it was superb! I had always wanted to read the book so when I saw it was available on Ebay I Bought it. The book of course goes into a lot more detail than the movie. I especially like the author's point of view and how he came to his decision that Mcdonald was indeed guilty of the murders. Highly recommend this book if you are into true crime, it is compelling reading.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Great book, so well written. One of the best books on this subject. No local libraries had Fatal Vision so I had to buy it. Highly recommend.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
