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329 reviews for:
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst
Jeffrey Toobin
3.83 AVERAGE
329 reviews for:
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst
Jeffrey Toobin
3.83 AVERAGE
I took me a bit to get into the story and I didn't think it was a particularly fast moving story, but it was interesting.
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
I was very pleased by how entertaining this was, while still being incredibly detailed and informative. True crime seems to get bogged down in all the details (some that matter, some that don't), but this book was fascinating in all the best ways. Fantastic writing by Toobin.
Toobin is no Capote. I respect the research and multi-faceted approach to the story. It is already a compelling story and his style held me in suspend.
He neither vilifies or celebrates, presenting instead narratives of people who got caught up in ideas and plans that got away from them. I was also really compelled by the way he talks of Hearst as this sort of magnet - that she has this ability to attract and magnetize those in her life, even after (though he slips a few times in approaching the Wolfe relationship saying at first it is rape and then referencing her attraction to him later as if their relationship WAS consensual).
I also hate the ending line "She turned into her mother" which regardless of how neutral her mother comes across is also a highly coded dig (especially since it is made clear Hearst did not want to be her mother) - it just comes off a bit smug.
Also, one of the most surprising things to learn was John Wayne was a Patty Hearst supporter.
He neither vilifies or celebrates, presenting instead narratives of people who got caught up in ideas and plans that got away from them. I was also really compelled by the way he talks of Hearst as this sort of magnet - that she has this ability to attract and magnetize those in her life, even after (though he slips a few times in approaching the Wolfe relationship saying at first it is rape and then referencing her attraction to him later as if their relationship WAS consensual).
I also hate the ending line "She turned into her mother" which regardless of how neutral her mother comes across is also a highly coded dig (especially since it is made clear Hearst did not want to be her mother) - it just comes off a bit smug.
Also, one of the most surprising things to learn was John Wayne was a Patty Hearst supporter.
I received a free copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I thought this was a very well-written and well researched book with a ton of great new information that I didn't know previously regarding Patty Hearst. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five was because I thought the few beginning chapters on the SLA could have been condensed a little it made the book start off a little slow and made it kind of hard to get into at first. Other than that this was a great read that you don't want to put down.
The author did a lot of research and it shows. He gives details about everyone and everything related to Patty Hearst. And he really makes you reconsider your viewpoint about whether she was a victim or criminal (I think in the end that she was both - she started out a victim and ended up a criminal.) But the larger point made is that she was treated differently because she was from a wealthy family with lots of connections, something we see continuing in the world today. I really enjoyed the book. I learned a lot and found it incredibly well-done. My only complaint is that there might have been too many details because there were times it dragged.
Interesting, but maybe because this case has been a life long area of interest for me. Having visited San Simeon on multiple occasions, I’ve always found the Hearst family fascinating; one of our earliest versions of American royalty. Toobin’s book was well researched, well paced and told a balanced version of events. Nothing earth shattering or mind changing really, but a sold bit of nonfiction. Narration by Paul Michael was good.
THE LAST LINE OF THIS BOOK IS SO VICIOUS IT’S LIKE HEARST WAS NEVER PARDONED
This book really taught me that the 70s were crazy.
Two beefs with Toobin's writing. It is very anti-Hearst, so maybe select a different book about her if you don't want something biased. Second, he seemed to take great pleasure in writing some of the "action" scenes like we were watching an action movie--quickly cutting back and forth between points of view. It was annoying and doesn't work in a book.
A third beef. He wouldn't shut up about DeFreeze's penchant for plum wine. There was literally a sentence that said something like "DeFreeze drank a beer that night, probably because there was no plum wine." smh
Two beefs with Toobin's writing. It is very anti-Hearst, so maybe select a different book about her if you don't want something biased. Second, he seemed to take great pleasure in writing some of the "action" scenes like we were watching an action movie--quickly cutting back and forth between points of view. It was annoying and doesn't work in a book.
A third beef. He wouldn't shut up about DeFreeze's penchant for plum wine. There was literally a sentence that said something like "DeFreeze drank a beer that night, probably because there was no plum wine." smh
This true story is unique and revealing about the American culture in the 1970's and individual humans. This book was well researched and seemingly objective. The whole story has been told, and years have passed allowing for reflection. Yet, I finish this story with more questions than answers. Albeit through no fault of the author; it is the perplexing story itself that leaves me feeling uneasy.
Why does anyone ever choose to do what they do? And why do some people have to pay for their mistakes while others do not? I'm perturbed that different people with equal involvement to each other in these crimes paid different penalties. One got life in prison, while another was acquitted, and the best politically connected & financed achieved a pardon after a full & unmitigated criminal conviction.
This is one of those times where I just shake my head and wonder how it is possible that these crazy events actually took place. Again, some of these raging youths paid for their rebellion with the loss of their lives, others lost their freedom, and still some walked away from the destruction they caused and started fresh new lives as if nothing had ever happened. I feel like I need to talk this out...
One thing is for sure: the 1970's American culture & counter culture were outrageous.
Why does anyone ever choose to do what they do? And why do some people have to pay for their mistakes while others do not? I'm perturbed that different people with equal involvement to each other in these crimes paid different penalties. One got life in prison, while another was acquitted, and the best politically connected & financed achieved a pardon after a full & unmitigated criminal conviction.
This is one of those times where I just shake my head and wonder how it is possible that these crazy events actually took place. Again, some of these raging youths paid for their rebellion with the loss of their lives, others lost their freedom, and still some walked away from the destruction they caused and started fresh new lives as if nothing had ever happened. I feel like I need to talk this out...
One thing is for sure: the 1970's American culture & counter culture were outrageous.
I didn't know much about this story. I found the topic interesting, but the writing style wasn't for me. The narration didn't quite keep my interest, but overall the book was fine.