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jerkstore62782's review
4.0
I find it very hard not to have hate for Breivik, if only for the reason that I don't believe he was or is "insane." No, it's obvious to me that he's very rationally chosen his politics and determined what he's willing to do in the name of his belief system, and he genuinely believes it was a necessary action to take.
In my opinion, only a fraction of what he did might be attributable to his being pathetic; a loser looking for a way to give his boring existence meaning and purpose, a way to feel important or interesting. What's more relevant to why he did it is truly unknowable. A chaotic mind in a chaotic world? Then why don't we all commit atrocities? Pure evil? That's too easy! There has got to be an explanation somewhere. For the families of those most affected by this, there should be some unambiguous reason that this happened.
I had to look up images of Simon Saebo. What a handsome young man with such immense potential. He exudes goodness straight through the screen and then fills you with sadness that his life abruptly came to an end.
Bano's youthful spirit and all the things she had been looking forward to, all the joy she had yet to experience, and just cut off from time that way, it's just so sad. The way it must have destroyed her family....this book just really had an effect on me.
I really hate that creep for doing that.
In my opinion, only a fraction of what he did might be attributable to his being pathetic; a loser looking for a way to give his boring existence meaning and purpose, a way to feel important or interesting. What's more relevant to why he did it is truly unknowable. A chaotic mind in a chaotic world? Then why don't we all commit atrocities? Pure evil? That's too easy! There has got to be an explanation somewhere. For the families of those most affected by this, there should be some unambiguous reason that this happened.
I had to look up images of Simon Saebo. What a handsome young man with such immense potential. He exudes goodness straight through the screen and then fills you with sadness that his life abruptly came to an end.
Bano's youthful spirit and all the things she had been looking forward to, all the joy she had yet to experience, and just cut off from time that way, it's just so sad. The way it must have destroyed her family....this book just really had an effect on me.
I really hate that creep for doing that.
vaia_the_reader's review
Doesn't live up to the incredible standard set by Dave Cullen's 'Columbine,' but still adds in depth journalism to contextualize this horror. Too long and in need of more editing. Seemed a bit too simplistic at times and then a forced humanizing of the perpetrator to overcompensate that was not so believable. Perhaps this can be blamed on the translation.
michalhaman's review against another edition
5.0
Vynikajúco vyrozprávaný príbeh Breivika. Od jeho narodenia až po vraždenie na Utoji a následný súdny proces. Paralelne s jeho príbehom sú zachytené aj životy niekoľkých obetí a neskôr pocity ich rodičov. Faktické, ale zároveň veľmi emotívne čítanie a podľa mňa úspešná snaha vsadiť príbeh do kontextu doby a politiky v Nórsku.
lizasarris's review
3.0
Very informative book, very sad story. A little hard to read at times, too much information that wasn't necessary, all in all still a good novel and true story.
itsalexjackman's review against another edition
5.0
This was honestly one of the most masterful books I've ever read. Seierstad has investigative skills that could rival any seasoned detective, writing skills that place her in the upper echelon of journalists worldwide, and the compassion needed to deliver a 500+ page book on the killing of 77 people, mostly children and young adults. One of Us is dark and dense and painful and fully worth reading.
The author dives into the 2011 tragedy on Utoya on a granular level, using many of her 500+ pages to introduce and honor the young victims and their families. The other half of the book takes you inside the mind, message, and process of Anders Breivik - the unstable racist narcissist who, alone, planned and executed the tragedy at hand. Seierstad does an incredible job presenting Breivik, his life, and plans with depth and insight but without sympathy.
The true heart of this book are the victims of this tragedy, the casualties, survivors, and families of both groups. The care taken to provide a complete picture of incomplete lives, many of which were destined for amazing things, is heartwrenching and allows the reader to feel a fraction of the scope of this tragedy. By the time the book takes you to the morning of, you're familiar with almost every young person on the island. The literal shot-by-shot account will wreck you.
From the planning, to the crime, to the following trial, to the book's tender examination of grief in the final chapter(s), One Of Us sets the bar for what a book about crime, and its causes and implications, can be.
The author dives into the 2011 tragedy on Utoya on a granular level, using many of her 500+ pages to introduce and honor the young victims and their families. The other half of the book takes you inside the mind, message, and process of Anders Breivik - the unstable racist narcissist who, alone, planned and executed the tragedy at hand. Seierstad does an incredible job presenting Breivik, his life, and plans with depth and insight but without sympathy.
The true heart of this book are the victims of this tragedy, the casualties, survivors, and families of both groups. The care taken to provide a complete picture of incomplete lives, many of which were destined for amazing things, is heartwrenching and allows the reader to feel a fraction of the scope of this tragedy. By the time the book takes you to the morning of, you're familiar with almost every young person on the island. The literal shot-by-shot account will wreck you.
From the planning, to the crime, to the following trial, to the book's tender examination of grief in the final chapter(s), One Of Us sets the bar for what a book about crime, and its causes and implications, can be.