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Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
2 reviews
samarakroeger's review
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.75
read in conjunction with watching the show as it came out. It was interesting to see how the book was adapted to be told in a different format - and I’m glad they did adapt the narrative frame to suit the media style. The book includes a much more detailed history of the LDS Church than the show can cover, so I’m glad I read the book at the same time for context. The show’s “flashbacks” were not nearly as effective as the rest of the show, in my opinion.
I am absolutely terrified of true crime and had previously read the prologue and been so freaked out I set the book aside. I’m so glad I came back to it because most of the book isn’t directly about that horrific double murder case, but instead dives into the history of the founding of the LDS Church and more recent history pertaining to Fundamentalist sects and their devotion to polygamy. All of it will make you uneasy, because violence, pedophilia, and child rape are difficult topics to read about.
I think this is Krakauer at his best. He is a very consistently solid author for me throughout the four books of his I’ve read so far.
If you are fascinated by how people can possibly believe in ludicrous-sounding religions, this is a great book for you. My fascination and curiosity with the LDS Church has been further nurtured by this book.
I am absolutely terrified of true crime and had previously read the prologue and been so freaked out I set the book aside. I’m so glad I came back to it because most of the book isn’t directly about that horrific double murder case, but instead dives into the history of the founding of the LDS Church and more recent history pertaining to Fundamentalist sects and their devotion to polygamy. All of it will make you uneasy, because violence, pedophilia, and child rape are difficult topics to read about.
I think this is Krakauer at his best. He is a very consistently solid author for me throughout the four books of his I’ve read so far.
If you are fascinated by how people can possibly believe in ludicrous-sounding religions, this is a great book for you. My fascination and curiosity with the LDS Church has been further nurtured by this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Genocide, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Homophobia, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexism
caitlin_bookchats's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
2.0
Krakauer mentions in his author's note that this book wasn't what he set down to write but was the narrative that jumped out while he was doing the research for his original idea. Unfortunately, I think I might have found the original idea more interesting and cohesive.
This book suffers from being simultaneously too focused and not focused enough. The long tangents about the history of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and the early LDS church isn't tied in well enough to the stories of religious extremism and the FLDS and so remain tangential in feeling. Meanwhile, Krakauer doesn't manage to connect the extremism he examines in detail here with other religious violence outside of the FLDS and other sects purporting to follow Joseph Smith.
Overall it was a disappointing, often dull read I found myself easily distracted from. Especially compared to Krakauer's other work.
This book suffers from being simultaneously too focused and not focused enough. The long tangents about the history of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and the early LDS church isn't tied in well enough to the stories of religious extremism and the FLDS and so remain tangential in feeling. Meanwhile, Krakauer doesn't manage to connect the extremism he examines in detail here with other religious violence outside of the FLDS and other sects purporting to follow Joseph Smith.
Overall it was a disappointing, often dull read I found myself easily distracted from. Especially compared to Krakauer's other work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Incest, Gore, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Abandonment and Kidnapping
This book describes in detail the murder of a woman and her 18 month-old. It also describes several instances of "marriage" between children and adult men and describes religious/spiritual abuse. It does not glorify any of these things but does describe them, often in detail.
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