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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
dark
informative
medium-paced
Caroline Fraser's Murderland is an exceptionally well researched nonfiction text that investigates the link between lead exposure (primarily due to smelting) and the prevalence of serial killers in the 1970s-80s. A scathing condemnation of corporate America and the tendency of those in power to sacrifice community health and safety for monetary gain, this book was both shocking and sadly unsurprising given what is known about wealthy corporations. I found much of the book to be unputdownable, though Fraser did get a little in the weeds when going into detail about some of the specific murder cases. While I would have been open to reading about the individual victims, I wasn't particularly interested in the graphic and violent details surrounding their deaths. Still, this was a worthwhile and interesting read and one that I would recommend if you're interested in the intersection of true crime, politics, and anthropology.
dark
informative
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dark
informative
medium-paced
I was really curious about the author's theory that the abundance of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest is tied to brain damage caused by pollution from sources like lead. However, the writing itself was so pretentious and revolting that I couldn't continue.
Fraser starts her history of the PNW with the glacial period in some serious detail, before skipping ahead right to 1940. Huh? She constantly jumps around like this, to the point where I had trouble keeping a timeline in my head. But what did me in was the very strange and upsetting way she phrased things. I knew I had to put the book down when she speculated if the conception of a particular, famous serial killer was consensual or not - already a pretty awful thing to ruminate on - but she phrased it as "willing tryst or a forcible deflowering?" What a disgusting way to talk about a hypothetical rape! There is no way I could count on her to talk about the real victims in this history in a respectful manner after that. Awful.
Fraser starts her history of the PNW with the glacial period in some serious detail, before skipping ahead right to 1940. Huh? She constantly jumps around like this, to the point where I had trouble keeping a timeline in my head. But what did me in was the very strange and upsetting way she phrased things. I knew I had to put the book down when she speculated if the conception of a particular, famous serial killer was consensual or not - already a pretty awful thing to ruminate on - but she phrased it as "willing tryst or a forcible deflowering?" What a disgusting way to talk about a hypothetical rape! There is no way I could count on her to talk about the real victims in this history in a respectful manner after that. Awful.
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
This is a true crime book that details the atrocities of both serial killers and corporations. The author does not sensationalize the crimes of either group, but the facts presented are deeply disturbing in their own right. This is not like the popular feel good true crime podcasts that balance the telling of gruesome crimes with the back and forth conversation of friends. This is not a criticism of the author Caroline Fraser. While at times I was frustrated by the author's writing style/voice, she established a severe and serious tone to the book (which is merited) and maintains it throughout. My frustrations stem from my desire for more statistics and facts throughout the book, so it would read more like a research paper. I will note that the author has meticulous notes and references that do provide the additional "data" to satisfy my wishes. Another frustration, the author has a personal connection to the region and intersperses her own experience at times, which I did not typically care for. These interludes are related to the "core" of the book and not totally out of place, it's just my personal preference. The information she shares is compelling to say the least and has provided me many threads that I intend to learn more about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
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challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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medium-paced
DNF about 1/3 of the way through. I'm not a big True Crime reader despite reading plenty of horror because of the <i>true</i> part, but I thought Murderland would be okay because it's more about theories. Even the brief descriptions felt wrong to me-- I'm not sure there's a proper way to write about the victims but this still wasn't it.
Fraser does her research, and the lead/arsenic/environmental theory is interesting to be sure. But you can't make a case for something without making a case against something else, and I'm not sure the Pacific Northwest was as unique as Fraser makes it out to be. Did any children raised in the fifties and sixties make it out unscathed? And yet most still didn't become killers.
Fraser does her research, and the lead/arsenic/environmental theory is interesting to be sure. But you can't make a case for something without making a case against something else, and I'm not sure the Pacific Northwest was as unique as Fraser makes it out to be. Did any children raised in the fifties and sixties make it out unscathed? And yet most still didn't become killers.