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cassidyserhienko's review against another edition
5.0
This book is essential reading. Even if you closely followed the Harvey Weinstein story as it broke and Ronan Farrow’s own reporting you do not know the whole story. Catch and Kill is at once enraging, sad, and inspiring. Enraging and sad because of the viciousness and entitlement of men like Weinstein and Lauer, the culture of silence they created, and the apathy or dismissal from those who allowed or helped it happen. Inspiring because of the courage, resilience, and compassion of women, the support of their families and partners, and the dedication of reporters like Farrow who tread on despite the immense roadblocks placed in their path by predators and the ones who cover for them.
They aren’t lying when they say that Catch and Kill reads like a spy novel. For the majority of us who do not live in a world where private investigators are hired to follow, intimidate, and manipulate our supposed enemies, the measures that Weinstein and those around him went to to protect decades of systematic predation and abuse is shocking and alarming. Farrow does not need to be a master storyteller to keep you riveted and invested, though he is. He knows exactly how to interject his own voice, humour, struggles, and concerns and then fade away to let the women he worked with tell their own stories and claim their own space.
It would be hard to describe this book as hopeful, even though it ends with the exposure and downfall of criminals and predators. Catch and Kill exposes how power and access often allow corruption to build and build and build until it seems colossal and untouchable. But it also shows how the voices of women, helped by a reporter like Farrow, can break it until it all comes crumbling down.
“In the end, the courage of women can’t be stamped out. And stories — the big ones, the true ones — can be caught but never killed.”
They aren’t lying when they say that Catch and Kill reads like a spy novel. For the majority of us who do not live in a world where private investigators are hired to follow, intimidate, and manipulate our supposed enemies, the measures that Weinstein and those around him went to to protect decades of systematic predation and abuse is shocking and alarming. Farrow does not need to be a master storyteller to keep you riveted and invested, though he is. He knows exactly how to interject his own voice, humour, struggles, and concerns and then fade away to let the women he worked with tell their own stories and claim their own space.
It would be hard to describe this book as hopeful, even though it ends with the exposure and downfall of criminals and predators. Catch and Kill exposes how power and access often allow corruption to build and build and build until it seems colossal and untouchable. But it also shows how the voices of women, helped by a reporter like Farrow, can break it until it all comes crumbling down.
“In the end, the courage of women can’t be stamped out. And stories — the big ones, the true ones — can be caught but never killed.”
beckeal's review against another edition
5.0
So I thought this was going to be all about the story, and the writing would just be a flavourless conveyor of the narrative, but it was super well done! Farrow’s writing style is smooth and suspense-y and sympathetic in all the right ways. Must admit there were some kinda corny bits, and he takes pains to paint all the right people with just the right brush (including himself) in a way that alllmost undermines the credibility here and there, but not quite. So still, 5 stars.
Also, I ‘read’ this on audiobook, and I wasn’t excited to read that he did the voice work himself, but darned if he wasn’t awesome at it. So I was doubly surprised by how impressively and expressively he narrates his own work! Better than a lot of ‘talent’ specifically paid for the service??
A super engaging read for sure.
Also, I ‘read’ this on audiobook, and I wasn’t excited to read that he did the voice work himself, but darned if he wasn’t awesome at it. So I was doubly surprised by how impressively and expressively he narrates his own work! Better than a lot of ‘talent’ specifically paid for the service??
A super engaging read for sure.
jenmangler's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating read about the frustrating systems that protect powerful men from the consequences of their actions.
caseyaonso's review against another edition
4.0
the layers to this were crazy. such an interesting look into everything going on behind the scenes and in farrow’s head leading up to and after dropping his article. on an unserious note, Jackie (2016) continually catching strays throughout this entire book was sending me
the_escape_artist_'s review against another edition
5.0
This is really excellent and important book. Farrow does a wonderful job of explaining the nuance of workplace sexual harassment and assault. He also expertly demonstrates why woman don’t report and aren’t believed and why powerful predators rarely face accountability.
Additionally, while this story told through the lense of Farrow and his experience reporting on Weinstein he does not centre himself in the story, and manages to highlight how any bravery he had in reporting pales in comparison to the women who reported.
Farrow’s unique lived experience of being a Hollywood insider and his own family’s experience with high profile abuse allegations made him particularly qualified to tell this story, and likely gave him access no other writer would have had.
This book was well worth the read. I did listen to it on audible, and if I have any criticism it is that Farrow should have avoided doing accents/different voices as they were honestly bad and sometimes distracting. Better to hire voice actors or just speak normally.
Additionally, while this story told through the lense of Farrow and his experience reporting on Weinstein he does not centre himself in the story, and manages to highlight how any bravery he had in reporting pales in comparison to the women who reported.
Farrow’s unique lived experience of being a Hollywood insider and his own family’s experience with high profile abuse allegations made him particularly qualified to tell this story, and likely gave him access no other writer would have had.
This book was well worth the read. I did listen to it on audible, and if I have any criticism it is that Farrow should have avoided doing accents/different voices as they were honestly bad and sometimes distracting. Better to hire voice actors or just speak normally.
amydarcy's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
monsters are real, and they take the shape of sexual predators like harvey weinstein. ronan farrow does a phenomenal job of exposing not only the cylical nature of weinstein’s violence, but the unbelievable lengths people went to in order to protect this pathetic excuse for a human. farrow’s work was instrumental in tackling the culture of silence surrounding sexual violence and the media’s complicity in covering up these crimes - truly a masterclass in journalism. i cannot recommend this book enough, i have never been so close to tears reading nonfiction.
and to harvey weinstein, i sincerely hope you rot in hell for all eternity
cunt <3
and to harvey weinstein, i sincerely hope you rot in hell for all eternity
cunt <3
spookyoh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Fun Score: -5 (3)
Critical Score: 4
Critical Score: 4