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tiffmas's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
2.0
mayabentley's review
I only got about 20 pages in or so, but I felt it was offensive / offputting the way the author was discussing race.
clairejefferies's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway (thank you, what a great read!); following is my unbiased review.
I don't really know much about the author, John Safran, but I guess he's something of a celebrity in his home country of Australia, known for being a bit of a rabble-rouser and a rebel. "God'll Cut You Down" is the true story of the gruesome murder of a white supremacist in rural Mississippi by his young black neighbor. There are so many layers here that I can only begin to unravel them in this review, but Safran attempts to discover the truth behind the crime: should we believe the rumors that Barrett was a closet homosexual who only has a thing for black men? Did Barrett attempt to rape Vincent, the black murderer - and was this the reason for the crime? Was Vincent his long time lover who one day snapped? Or did sex even play a part in this crime at all - was that just an excuse to deflect from the racial issues still at play in Mississippi, or from the evil nature that lurks in all of us, that could cause us to snap and react with our most primal instincts when tested?
This book is of special interest to me because I spent the first part of my childhood in the Mississippi Delta, perhaps the most poverty-stricken area in the entire United States. The average annual family income in the Delta is $6,000. Although I was ten when we moved away, I remember Mississippi well, and I remember it fondly, but it's a confusing nostalgia because you can't ignore the racism and injustice that is so engrained in MS society. The fact that politicians are still using these tactics (not only in Mississippi, but all throughout the southern US) to keep blacks disenfranchised is disheartening, disgusting, and criminal. It's so clear in Safran's reporting that the Ku Klux Klan still has a hold on politics in the south, that the criminal justice system is set up to exploit blacks and poor people, and that anyone can buy "justice" with the right amount of money and political influence.
For true crime lovers, and those interested in southern history and politics, I can't recommend this enough. And although it sounds super heavy and depressing, Safran's tone is often humorous and the clean, clear writing keeps this book from sinking under the weight of these issues.
I don't really know much about the author, John Safran, but I guess he's something of a celebrity in his home country of Australia, known for being a bit of a rabble-rouser and a rebel. "God'll Cut You Down" is the true story of the gruesome murder of a white supremacist in rural Mississippi by his young black neighbor. There are so many layers here that I can only begin to unravel them in this review, but Safran attempts to discover the truth behind the crime: should we believe the rumors that Barrett was a closet homosexual who only has a thing for black men? Did Barrett attempt to rape Vincent, the black murderer - and was this the reason for the crime? Was Vincent his long time lover who one day snapped? Or did sex even play a part in this crime at all - was that just an excuse to deflect from the racial issues still at play in Mississippi, or from the evil nature that lurks in all of us, that could cause us to snap and react with our most primal instincts when tested?
This book is of special interest to me because I spent the first part of my childhood in the Mississippi Delta, perhaps the most poverty-stricken area in the entire United States. The average annual family income in the Delta is $6,000. Although I was ten when we moved away, I remember Mississippi well, and I remember it fondly, but it's a confusing nostalgia because you can't ignore the racism and injustice that is so engrained in MS society. The fact that politicians are still using these tactics (not only in Mississippi, but all throughout the southern US) to keep blacks disenfranchised is disheartening, disgusting, and criminal. It's so clear in Safran's reporting that the Ku Klux Klan still has a hold on politics in the south, that the criminal justice system is set up to exploit blacks and poor people, and that anyone can buy "justice" with the right amount of money and political influence.
For true crime lovers, and those interested in southern history and politics, I can't recommend this enough. And although it sounds super heavy and depressing, Safran's tone is often humorous and the clean, clear writing keeps this book from sinking under the weight of these issues.
8little_paws's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED this! So much fun to read. Did you like Serial? If so, pick this up right away! A true crime story of a white supremacist killed by a black man, where the author learns that this isn't the story he initially thought he was getting into. Lots of twists and turns regarding race, sexuality, the criminal justice system, politics, poverty, being a foreigner in a strange country. I found the people all fascinating.
restlessunicorn's review
3.0
I hadn't heard of [author:John Safran|5015835] before reading this book but he seems like an interesting and witty guy. That being said, I'm not sure this 'true crime' novel ever gets close the level he envisioned - most certainly not in the same league as [book:In Cold Blood|168642] or [book:Mississippi Burning|634118].
I do think the book succeeds as an exploration of lingering racism in Mississippi. Every time I think we're in a post-racial world I get a stark reminder such as the story relayed by Safran. Richard Barrett is an avowed white supremacist - yet has predominantly black neighbors, many of whom he befriends and helps in times of need. This man is full of hate and contradictions, including a possible romantic attraction to his eventual killer, Vincent McGee. Did Vincent kill him over a financial dispute? Was it a lover's quarrel? Was it a violent reaction to suppressed homosexuality and an attempt to protect a masculine image on the street? Who knows...
Safran tries valiantly to get to the truth of the matter but Barrett's past is shrouded in mystery and McGee is not particularly consistent in his stories. The author eventually becomes a part of the tale but it doesn't seem to add a lot, except to expose Vincent's manipulative ways and quick temper.
A sad story of the south...entertaining...but nothing spectacular.
I do think the book succeeds as an exploration of lingering racism in Mississippi. Every time I think we're in a post-racial world I get a stark reminder such as the story relayed by Safran. Richard Barrett is an avowed white supremacist - yet has predominantly black neighbors, many of whom he befriends and helps in times of need. This man is full of hate and contradictions, including a possible romantic attraction to his eventual killer, Vincent McGee. Did Vincent kill him over a financial dispute? Was it a lover's quarrel? Was it a violent reaction to suppressed homosexuality and an attempt to protect a masculine image on the street? Who knows...
Safran tries valiantly to get to the truth of the matter but Barrett's past is shrouded in mystery and McGee is not particularly consistent in his stories. The author eventually becomes a part of the tale but it doesn't seem to add a lot, except to expose Vincent's manipulative ways and quick temper.
A sad story of the south...entertaining...but nothing spectacular.
rosseroo's review
3.0
This true-crime story is bound to frustrate quite a lot of its readers -- the murder and people it revolves around is fascinating, but the author isn't the person most people would pick to tell it. Safran isn't a journalist, he's an Australian comedian-prankster-TV content producer more in the vein of Sasha Baron Cohen than Truman Capote. The story begins with his 2008 trip to Mississippi to prank a white supremacist at an annual event for his Australian TV"Race Relations" show. That prank is entirely dishonest and lame, and lands kind of flatly.
Several years later, Safran discovers that the middle-aged white supremacist he pranked was murdered by a young African-American man who lived nearby. As he learned more, the situation sounded very strange, so Safran decided to travel to Mississippi to investigate and try and write this book. To be sure -- it is a very bizarre story with lots of outsized characters and unexplained threads. The problem is that Safran isn't a journalist, he's a TV personality, and so the story is told in TV-segment-length snippets, with him in the forefront throughout. And while there's some interesting aspects to his "fish-out-of-water" status as an Australian Jew in the American deep south, a lot of it is pretty condescending and played for laughs. So -- one's enjoyment of the book is going to depend very heavily on whether or not you find him good company.
There are so many interesting aspects to the story: race, class, sexuality (a key question in the case is whether or not one or both parties was bi or homosexual), history, politics, media, etc... Safran engages with all this, but not in a particularly structured or comprehensive way, and his cos-play version of investigative reporting is pretty tepid (notably dubious is his paying the murderer for his side of the story). At the end of it all, I just wanted an actual journalist or team to do the research and tell the full story. True-crime fans should definitely pick it up and give it a try -- you'll know in the first twenty pages whether or not you're going to want to stick with it.
Several years later, Safran discovers that the middle-aged white supremacist he pranked was murdered by a young African-American man who lived nearby. As he learned more, the situation sounded very strange, so Safran decided to travel to Mississippi to investigate and try and write this book. To be sure -- it is a very bizarre story with lots of outsized characters and unexplained threads. The problem is that Safran isn't a journalist, he's a TV personality, and so the story is told in TV-segment-length snippets, with him in the forefront throughout. And while there's some interesting aspects to his "fish-out-of-water" status as an Australian Jew in the American deep south, a lot of it is pretty condescending and played for laughs. So -- one's enjoyment of the book is going to depend very heavily on whether or not you find him good company.
There are so many interesting aspects to the story: race, class, sexuality (a key question in the case is whether or not one or both parties was bi or homosexual), history, politics, media, etc... Safran engages with all this, but not in a particularly structured or comprehensive way, and his cos-play version of investigative reporting is pretty tepid (notably dubious is his paying the murderer for his side of the story). At the end of it all, I just wanted an actual journalist or team to do the research and tell the full story. True-crime fans should definitely pick it up and give it a try -- you'll know in the first twenty pages whether or not you're going to want to stick with it.
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