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Justice : Crimes, Trials, and Punishments

Justice : Crimes, Trials, and Punishments

List Price: $14.00
Your Price: $10.50
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: VERY DISAPPOINTING: LAZY WRITING, NOT WORTHY OF THIS AUTHOR
Review: I've been a fan of Dominick Dunne's works, both fiction and non-fiction, for many years, but he's about to lose me as a reader. The last two titles by Dunne which I purchased were ANOTHER CITY, NOT MY OWN and this book, JUSTICE. The former was a very disappointing reading experience, the first time I'd been "underwhelmed" by a Dunne book. I wholeheartedly agree with another reviewer of JUSTICE that the constant litany of name-dropping becomes tiresome and annoying, and ANOTHER CITY was also replete with this device. JUSTICE is even worse in this regard because it is peppered with italicized inserts of catty, inane, and in many cases utterly irrelevant (to the text into which they've been dropped) remarks by the luminaries whose peer and confidante Mr. Dunne lets us know over and again he is privileged to be. To the author: *Please* return to writing the wonderful books you are capable of, books like AN INCONVENIENT WOMAN and your masterpiece, A SEASON IN PURGATORY. I realize that both those novels had their basis in actual events, but the writing was wonderful, the dialogue brilliantly constructed, and the characters well developed and believable. On the other hand, these last two books, ANOTHER CITY and JUSTICE, did not hold my interest. I felt I'd thrown my money away...especially in the case of JUSTICE, in which the author filled up several chapters rehashing a great deal of the material from ANOTHER CITY. I would definitely not recommend this book to anyone; on the contrary I would discourage anyone who might be considering buying it. I will not buy another book by Dominick Dunne without checking it out more thoroughly beforehand, and even if I decide to try again I'll be inclined to wait for the paperback version.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This book is so brilliant in its writing
Review: In my opinion, D. Dunne is an absolutely genius writer with a flare for bringing to light the super-obvious which seems to always be hidden.

Get this book, buy this book, read this book. Truly this is one of his most compelling books!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: MONEY, POWER AND FAME...AND THEIR INDISCRETIONS!
Review: The lives of the "rich and famous" are probably not a lot different from yours or mine except we generally do not get the international media attention when something extraordinary happens in our lives - thank goodness! There is an old saying, "People do not care what you do as long as they know all about it." Anyone who has lived in a small town can probably relate to that, but it also applies to celebrities and the rich and powerful legends of our time. It is human nature to be fascinated by the indescretions of those we view as role models and super heros. It is not that we wish them ill will; we simply feel a sense of commonality when we realize that for all their wealth and power, they are somehow just as fallible as we are.

While many of the stories which unfold in this book have probably appeared in print in one form or another, from tabloid to newspapers, not everyone has followed them to any great degree. This author has a straight-forward approach that the reader will either like or dislike. Dunne's writing ability may not win acclaim for his literary ability but his adeptness at telling a story "like it is" makes this book a pleasure to read. Dunne is obviously a man who makes a point of being in the right place at the right time or else relies heavily on luck. As we see through the pages of this book, the author's connections have opened the doors into the lives of some very fascinating people. "Justice" makes for an interesting read and is written by a man who can weave a story with brimstone fire and passion.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Cautiously enraptured
Review: If you've read anything else by Mr Dunne (books, magazine articles, etc), this book will definitely match your expectations. There are clear insights into the machinations of the justice system and the information given to us as potential "jurors." Detail run aplenty, however, some of the cases run through four or five chapters....just a tad excessive. The reader needs to remember that the bulk of this book is taken from letters/articles written for another medium, consequently the book often doesn't read like a "novel", but as something much more intimate. If you've never read Dunne before, don't start with this book....try one of the earlier ones and then return here.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: JUST AS I EXPECTED
Review: I am halfway through this book...I can (as always) picture the characters Mr. Dunne writes about. I am loving this book! I await new books from him, and although it takes a tragedy for him to write one, we get the behind the scenes scoop as well as what the media decides to show us.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Book - Great Read
Review: Dunne's new book is fascinating and difficult to put down. It is a collection of stories he wrote for Vanity Fair, covering the trials of O.J. Simpson, the Menendez brothers, and other cases.

My only complaint -maybe "suggestion" is a better word since the book was so good- is that he should have included a timeline and synopsis of each case. The stories make sense only if you really followed the case.

I think everyone would not have a problem with the OJ chapters, but I got lost on some of the other cases while reading his stories. He should have put the dates his stories appeared, so the reader can see where in the timeline of events the story fits.

Other than that, I thought it was a great book. Dominick Dunne is eminently interesting, and I love the way he writes. He would be a great dinner guest!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Meeting Dominck Dunne
Review: I have long been a fan of Mr. Dunne's through his previous works and column in Vanity Fair. So.. when I heard he would appear for a book signing at Bookends in Ridgewood I was first in line to see him. Gracious, funny with murderous tales of people "we know", the rich and famous, celebrities that pervade our lives daily, the audience was on the edge of their seats. Crimes, Trials and Punishments is a fascinating book. And it could only be written by Mr.Dunne whose curiousity and fascination with this subject is larger than life. My favorite was "The women who knew too little". In this chapter he truly captures the essence of these charactors and their miserable lives. Buy this book!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Review: I am a fan of Mr. Dunne. Now that has been established, I gave this book one star because approximately half of it is about O.J. Simpson, and I've heard it all before, watched the trial....old news!

There are fantastic stories in this book, but I kept getting the feeling that Mr. Dunne was grandstanding a bit. He mentioned every expensive restaurant in LA and NYC where he'd dined with this person and that person. Who cares?

When I heard Larry King talk about this book, I thought it was for the most part a book about the Menendez brothers. I have not read much about their story, so I ordered it on that assumption. Well, we all know what ASSUME will do to us. So I will take my share of the blame. I ended up skipping the last half of the O.J. extravaganza because of boredom, and went onto a great story from much earlier that I liked. It was new news!

I hate to give any author one star, especially one of Mr. Dunne's ability. There was just too much O.J.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Un Dunne
Review: I have limited time to read and am fairly selective about the books that I choose. My interest in the author's perspective compelled me to purchase this book. I was disappointed to find that the description of criminal events was, at best, public knowledge. Further, I was exasperated by the continuous name dropping that added little to the content. In spite of Mr. Dunne's impressive list of famous friends and acquaintences, his brushes with the elite provide no better insight into the criminal activities about which he writes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Ultimate Book of Murder Mysteries
Review: This is a fascinating book told from an insider's perspective about some of the most high-profile cases ever. At times, Dunne is scathing in his criticism of the so-called justice handed out for some of the crimes committed. It opens with the poignant, at times heart-rending account of his own daughter's murder and my attention was absolutely rivetted.

This book reads like the ultimate murder mystery short-story collection. All the more disturbing because they actually happened. Dunne has a compelling style that drew me in and urged me to read on, and on, and on.


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