Engrossing, horrible, wonderfully told

filled star filled star filled star filled star filled star
emilyp Avatar

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I'm not normally the best at reading real-life stories, perhaps something about the style in which they are written, I'm not sure. I often find them much more challenging to read than fiction. However, this book completely blew me away. I couldn't stop turning the pages, desperate to find out what happened and by the end of the book, I spent time researching the Richard Glossip case and reading up about Sister Helen Prejean.

The writing style was brilliant, engaging, thought-provoking and easy-to-read. I also felt that I learned a lot by reading it about the american justice system, the death penalty and the moves both for and against it. I can't quite put into words how I felt about the story itself - it made me both angry and sad (that the death penalty still exists, that people can be sentenced to die so easily with no real evidence, that an obviously messed up police enquiry and the testimony of one person who was the actual murderer can be used as proof that someone was involved). It also made me want to be more involved in the anti-death penalty movement, it was always something that I felt was wrong I would often use the Tolkein line, 'Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.' as an argument against it. But this reinforced those feelings multiple times. The whole process is so inhumane, cruel and barbaric.

The amount of work that Ian Woods had put into finding out about the story, helping to bring it to international attention alone would make it a worthy read. The fact that it tries to give as balanced a viewpoint as is possible - speaking to different people who were involved and trying to take on board their views. He leaves the reader to make up their own minds while stating his opinions on it all. I ultimately feel like it was a compelling story, one that needed to be told. Perhaps one that yet again the people that most need to read never will do. By bringing it to light and hopefully gaining more momentum behind the campaigns (both for Glossip and against the death penalty as a wider goal), he has achieved a lot. I only hope, like he says at the end of the book that Glossip never has to see the inside of a death chamber. Even if he was in some way involved, which cannot be proven (and why would you insist on your innocence for years knowing you could escape death if you admitted it if you were guilty is beyond me), then he does not deserve to die. Moreover, if he is innocent and does get killed then how can anyone involved in the case, the jurors who sent him to death, the judges who were involved ever live with themselves?

Essentially, it was brilliant. It has made me value all that I have and how lucky I am and even appreciate our government (which I nearly always disagree with) for not being barbaric enough to still allow the death penalty in the UK. I recommend it to anyone.