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A review by jiao_li
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
4.25
"Empire of Pain" is a meticulously researched biography, no wonder it won the Best History and Biography at Goodreads Awards. Rather than telling the history of Purdue Pharma or OxyContin, this book is more focused on the Sackler family. It will take you back far, starting from Isaac Sackler, the father of the three original Sackler family members.
I just finished "House of Gucci" not long ago, and it kinda gave me the same vibes as this book. Although I like this book more because Keefe's storytelling is really good. And the fact that the Sacklers are smarter (they're doctors after all) than the Guccis makes their story more interesting. Keefe's writing successfully portrays the Sacklers as intelligent but cunning figures.
The book's structure especially makes the reading more enjoyable, and it made the story flow seamlessly. I think Keefe's ability to evoke emotion is plausible. I like that he writes the Sacklers as greedy people who made people addicted to drugs because they were addicted to money.
I just finished "House of Gucci" not long ago, and it kinda gave me the same vibes as this book. Although I like this book more because Keefe's storytelling is really good. And the fact that the Sacklers are smarter (they're doctors after all) than the Guccis makes their story more interesting. Keefe's writing successfully portrays the Sacklers as intelligent but cunning figures.
The book's structure especially makes the reading more enjoyable, and it made the story flow seamlessly. I think Keefe's ability to evoke emotion is plausible. I like that he writes the Sacklers as greedy people who made people addicted to drugs because they were addicted to money.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Suicide