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So I'm loving the Jan Jordan books at the moment, this woman is amazing. This book details the paths through the justice system of several of Malcom Rewa's victims, from their attacks through to verdicts, support systems and final convictions.
The thing I liked most about this book was the way it focused solely on the victims, apart from an appendix at the end there was very little about Malcom Rewa, he was also referred to as 'MR' throughout the book which seemed to make him something less than the women who's lives who ruined. In so many books about serial killers/rapists or other criminals, so much focus is put on the perpetrator and almost none on the victims who survived or died. It was nice to finally read a book that focused on the victim rather than just the profile of the criminal.
The interviews are done remarkably well, and I truly think this book is one that so many people could identify with. I remember while I was reading it I kept almost bursting into tears from similarities to my own thoughts and experiences, she interviewed enough women so that there were a range of perspectives about each part of the process and it acted as a good measure of how they were treated by the police as well more widely as a whole.
It was also useful in the way that it detailed about how the women of certain ages were more or less affected by the rape compared to the attack as a whole. As well as detailing what were and weren't helpful responses by friends and families which I think is a very useful tool for anyone that knows or is close to a rape survivor, there are so many reactions that while in some opinions may seem helpful at the time can actually further victimisation.
It also served as an indicator of how our justice system can put a victim on trial rather than a perpetrator. The adversarial justice system which is used here can often cause a lot of trauma for the victim even beyond the attack, a lot of the women in the book remarked they detested the defense attorney almost as much or more than they did Rewa. It opens up a forum for discussion about whether an adversarial system is helpful for victims and whether perhaps there should be some sort of inquiry into whether this system should be universal or whether something could be changed around to help the victims. As a survivor of PTSD myself, I know how hard it can be to go through everything again even after the event. It also analysed in detail the work of victim support agencies and counselors. It was helpful to discover again what helped and what didn't and the way even though some women did not like their first counselor, they found the second one a lot better. It also helped to show how common rape and sexual assault are with several of the women commenting that many people came forward and told them about their own experiences.
Obviously this book is unique in New Zealand and also rare over the world, so many people do not realise that rape and sexual assaults are almost always not just an attack but something that feels like it's drained you of life and you still have to go on living. This book portrayed that so well. The whole time I was reading it, I was amazed by the amount of knowledge anyone would gain from reading this.
I would recommend it to anyone: victims, friends of victims, police, lawyers, judges, politicians, would-be rapists, etc.
Truly amazing book, best non-fiction book I have ever read
Next up: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
This book is actually my dad's, he did a Treaty of Waitangi course run by this guy a few years ago, and must have decided this book was worth a read. It's split into two parts: firstly addressing the grievances of New Zealand and other countries and their colonial histories and secondly looking at ways of healing these past grievances and moving on. This book did strike a note with me, especially in the parts about education. I remember in primary school, around the 6th of February every year, we would learn about the Treaty of Waitangi and I got soooo bored. However, after learning about it at university, I am now extremely interested in it, and have a far greater understanding than I did about both Maori and Pakeha grievances and attitudes towards the Treaty. The only parts I have to complain about was the recount of Wi Parata v Bishop of Wellington where it said the grant was for a church when it was actually for a school.
The second part of the book dealt with "healing the history" or rather treating the grievances with respect and moving on. It dealt with the now widespread Waitangi Workshops which Robert Consedine oversaw, and the reasons for them being usually culturally split and how this affected the running of the groups. It effectively showed how these groups can change opinions about our history at an executive level and continue to address grievances. Unfortunately this book was published before thet Foreshore and Seabead Act 2004 was passed, so was unable to address the grievances encapsulated in this law.
The book was also written effectively with anecdotes at the beginning of every chapter and life experiences such as the death of his daughter with circumstances to how he dealt with the unfairness in which she died and made amends with those who caused the distress for the family and the further investigations. The book is also written with help from his other daughter, Joanna, but it is not quite clear how she has contributed, as most of the chapters have his name at the beginning and his experiences as being a part Irish New Zealander who has fully researched the effects which the Treaty of Waitangi have had in our history. It also addresses situations in similar countries and their experiences with indigenous people and how they dealt with customary land rights. It holds information on Canada, Australia and Ireland and their different colonial histories.
I think this is a very useful resource, but not paticularly for information about the Treaty, since it doesn't include a lot of information but as a resource for government representatives and other people with influence to consider, firstly the repercussions of our history and secondly, how we can go about restoring cultural relationships.
Next up: Serial Survivors: Women's Narratives of Surviving Rape by Jan Jordan
This book was recommended to me by the lecturer in a course I am currently taking at Victoria University: POLS238/PUBL206 Power and Bureaucracy.
This book was first published in 1962, following the much publicised trial of Adolf Eichmann for crimes against the Jewish people in relation to World War II. The book is by no means set out as a documentary of the easiness of evil in bureaucratic organisations, but rather an account of firstly the trial and various parts of The Final Solution and Eichmann's contribution. It only really explains the idea of "the banality of evil" nearer the end of the book.
There has always been an expectation or even a hope among society that anyone involved in atrocities such as the Holocaust must be psychopathic, sociopathic or generally without any sort of conscience. Truthfully, this is often not the case. Bureaucracy is structured in such a way that it is often possible for someone to direct the killing of millions of people by replacing moral responsibility with technical. In the case of Eichmann, although he admitted to his position within the bureaucracy of the Third Reich, he pleaded that he had never murdered anyone or given orders for anyone to be murdered. While he organised the transport of many European Jews to the death camps of the 'final solution', he claimed that he had never ordered the murder of anyone.
Arendt's account of the trial in this book was released to widespread controversy, I feel this is mainly due to the subtitle "A Report on the Banality of Evil", the idea that anyone could think this man just normal was unbelievable to too many people. After reading this however, I think much of the body of the book was not about his normality, or rather lack of craziness. It accounted historical facts of the different solutions adopted by the top-level bureaucrats and the initial introduction and implementation of "The Final Solution".
The main complaint I would have about this account is that it has become such an important historical work, but to the layman is very difficult to understand. At times Arendt goes into depth over historical contexts which had no bearing or Eichmann, while also using Latin, German and French terminology which to the unskilled historian is impossible to understand or translate, there was no index either from which to understand these terms, in particular the Latin legal terms. If this book had firstly stayed a little more on topic and a little more explanatory on the terms which were used in the trial. It is possible however that this was at first intended as a work from a scholar aimed at scholars who would probably understand this terminology more. The title of the book ensure however that it would be of interest and controversy to the general public.
The subtitle was really not addressed whatsoever in the main body of the book. It covered the first 'solution' of forced emigration followed by deportations in firstly Germany and then following in Italy, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Slovakia, Serbia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece and Rumania. It outlined the involvements Eichmann had in each of these deportations to the main death camps. It also dealt with his reactions to see the violence directed at Jews close-up (a sickness and disgust followed by a refusal to view such things again). Contrary to Arendt's belief in apparent normality, I believe the fact that he was faced with the outcomes of his bureaucratic organisation meant he either knew exactly what he was doing and dealt forever afterward with his conscience, or that he was unable to fuse the technical and moral parts of his personality, possibly the most dangerous part of being a member of a bureaucratic organisation. Especially one as horrific as the Third Reich.
The afterword, added after first publication goes into more depth on the idea of normality and banality in the face of what seemed to the public such uncomparable evilness helped Arendt's argument to no end. However, if I had read the book without the afterword I would have been confused at to the subtitle.
This is by no stretch of the imagination an easy book to read, it holds an interesting historical perspective, but is not like the non-fiction books of today which promote interest through easy terminology. This book, as I said before seems aimed at the scholarly population which was why I thought perhaps the title was a bit controversial to remain just for that segment of the population. It is definitely interesting, providing a lot more about the fate of all European Jews rather than just German Jews, it provided me with a lot more information than I previously had. It also gave insight into how much involvement Eichmann had, it is by no measure undermining anything he did but promoting the awful truth that one does not have tobe crazy to participate in this.
It is definitely an interesting read and I would recommend it, if just to say, it is not simple in terminology and prompting a lot of googling of certain terms by me.
Next up: Healing Our History: The Challenge of the Treaty of Waitangi by Robert Consedine and Joanna Consedine
The introduction to this book provided the clear case that it much of Kerouac's work was autobiographical, based on both his own experiences and those of his friends. This book serves as a journey of self discovery for the main character, Ray as he becomes familiar with a changed life under the multicoloured aura of Zen Buddhism.
When I first started reading this I thought it would be very full of facts about Buddhism, as I have never read Kerouac before. Although it did give a lot of insight into the philosophies surrounding it, the book itself was about the joys that immersing yourself in nature can bring you. The prose in this book is absolutely amazing, akin to that of Virginia Woolf, very visual, very powerful and wholly beautiful. Looking around my surroundings after reading some passages from this book really makes you realise the beauty that the main character, Ray is able to find within himself, his friends and the world around him.
Keeping in mind the autobiographical stance of (apparently) most of Kerouac's work, the only thing I didn't like in this book is the way women were treated. It may be a signal of the time in which it was set, or of Kerouac's beliefs and I'm not well read enough to say which one. His fellow traveler Japhy comments at one point in the book about having to get someone drunk before she'll give up and have sex with him, all the females in the book are used by the men, although it gives a reason of women being celebrated, it didn't quite sit right with my inner feminist.
The book explored very well the experience of solitude. At one stage, Ray climbs up to Desolation Peak and spends too months there by himself, something that preceding his own spiritual journey throughout the book he would have found very difficult. His experience of this complete solitude is very well mastered in this book, through the poetic style of writing and the clear enjoyment (although not at first) of Ray's experience.
The character of Ray is also evolved brilliantly, describing himself as old at the beginning you soon forget this as he travels the country, enjoying every minute and discovering who he really is and what sort of life he wants to lead. The issue of suicide is also taken into account, and the possible reasons behind it as well as the utter distress of the people involved.
I would recommend this book, definitely, it was a beautiful read and it really did make me look at things a little differently.
NEXT: Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt.
This book, Smith's first weaves the stories of two families in England who come into contact by the most unlikely of circumstances. Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal meet during the war, and become best friends for life. Samad dreams of good ancestry and honour from war while Archie battles grim depression after he splits up with his wife. Eventually the story follows on to Archie marrying a much younger, Jamaican woman and Samad marrying a woman of young age as well as of his race (Bengali). The story then begins to weave the stories with the many different perspectives of children of the two couples as well as friends of them.
This book has received both rave reviews and bad reviews. I personally think it is spectacular, although there are a lot of plot lines as it spans many years, it tells of the traumas and celebrations of both families with a bit of humour thrown in as well.
You can tell the author has great intellect and observation skills from her accurate portrayal of life in a middle class environment, with the ups and downs of being an ethnic minority and how it affects the choices of both Samad and his two twin boys who are brought up in different countries and also Archie and Clara and their daughter Irie who battles her own demons throughout the book.
It also battles the issue of the boredom of perfection when the Chalfen family is introduced, it speaks of Joyce Chalfen, the perfect housewife with the perfect successful husband and perfectly behaved children who have high aspirations. With the introduction of both Irie and Millat (one of Samad's sons) into the Chalfen life, it shows how she instantly takes Millat, the 'troubled' boy under her wing, as if suddenly she needs a new project. The issue of genetic engineering and cloning also plays a part as the father of the Chalfen family, Marcus who creates the 'FutureMouse', which will live ten years and has genes designed to further examine causes of cancer in humans. With the introduction of Millat, Irie and later Magid (Millat's brother) into the Chalfen way of life, this seemingly ordinary British family is thrown completely into disarray and it's very skilfully and believably done.
There are so many issues that this book battles so well, it is astounding that this was only Zadie Smith's first work. It is also something I would like to read again, because I know I've already forgotten some of the wonderful scenarios brought up in this book. It has been criticised as being too quick from one scenario to the next with too many plot-lines, however, I believe this is only a further demonstration of the complexities of family life, and although there it was a case of nearing the end of the book and it mentioning something and me having to read back to recap what it was, it definitely worked for the mood and the spirit of the book.
The one complaint I did have about the book is that I would have enjoyed a further exploration of the characters Clara and Magid. Understandable though as the book was already long and it would be impossible to take it in from every perspective. For Magid especially it also served as an illustration of his return confusing the characters as well, because he had been away for so long.
I definitely think this is a must-read and I would be keen to read more of Smith's work.
Sorry I have been a bit slack lately with university starting and everything, I actually finished this book like a week ago...I think.
I quite enjoyed this book, some of it was a little too radical for my liking but it was written quite unusually which really gave it a sort of character of itself. For me, it spent a bit too much time going on about the wonderfulness of masturbation, but that isn't any judgment on the book itself, more on me (I hate sex and most near things to it). So maybe I should have taken it in more, or something but it didn't quite convince me. Again probably not a reflection on the book itself, I should probably be more open about such things.
It started with a reflection of the transformation of the word 'cunt' from sacred honour to expletive which was incredibly informative.
It was definitely a book that was quite enjoyable to read, it covered most aspects of being a female and had some interesting tips about avoiding medical abortions and using more homey sort of 'remedies' which I found quite educational. It speaks of the way abortion patients were treated, when she had abortions anyway which says quite a lot about the shame that still surrounds it, even in this day and age. Women are still being given very little recovery time at the place where it takes place, and in my opinion this is mainly because of the negative regard a lot of people still hold in abortions. The presence of both anecdotes and factual evidence was useful as well.
I did like the way she challenged the status quo and actually came up with solutions, didn't just complain and whine like some books like this do. She also deliberately didn't make it solely about how women are treated in relationships and rape, domestic violence etc. It is nice to read a book that's not fully critical of men (although suggesting we throw bloody tampons at them is a bit much for me).
I would recommend this book however, it was a definite educational experience and it encourages us all to be the 'cuntlovin' ruler of her sexual universe', quite a good motto if you ask me.
Next up: White Teeth by Zadie Smith
The first time I heard of this woman was when the trial of three police officers for an historic rape resulted in three not guilty verdicts. The trial was huge in New Zealand, Louise Nicholas, the alleged victim was ripped to shreds on the stand, and her character was severely judged and stated upon by the defence, while at the time there were suppression orders on the rape convictions of two of the three police officers involved. Most of Wellington seemed to know about this, I heard separately from my father and my mother, the entire law school was aware of it as well. Jan Jordan was interviewed on Close Up at 7, a current affairs show. She managed to get across the unfairness of the case, comment on the fact that prior convictions weren't brought up, while not breaking the suppression orders. At the time I remember thinking, wow that woman is awesome I want to be taught by her one day!
Then my awesome ex-crim tutor made me aware of this book (you have excellent taste in books Laura).
The book begins with an introduction 'The Credibility Conundrum' detailing the historical belief which to an extent still exists today that all women lie and the attempt to disarm this belief. It also includes excerpts from current books speaking of how women cry rape whenever they are unhappy with sex, a notion I'm sure our criminal justice system does not need. Jordan also introduces readers to the gaining of rapport with the people she interviewed in the course of this book. The introduction both gives reasons for why this book needed to be written, current beliefs about the word of a woman and the dynamic of the interviewing and privilege of voices over others in this set of studies.
She then attempts to define rape in a modern context both legally and morally while featuring what several members of the criminal justice system define as rape as well as historic definitions and punishments for woman who had been raped. This highlights the need for a better legal definition within the justice system.
The next chapter assesses how the criminal justice system in New Zealand views rape: how lawyers defend it, how juries view it, how it is administered through the courts and how for a lot of victims, the system becomes something that treats them as more victimised than they were before.
The first study she undertakes is an in-depth analysis on a year worth of rape files, Jordan separates these into 'Genuine Cases', "Possibly True/Possibly False Cases", "Cases which the Police said were false" and "Cases which the complainant said were false" and gives examples of cases within each set with details about why they were believed or not believed. This study is done very well, she remains objective through the whole thing presenting each section with cases that both match the title or show police inconsistency. It showed how the combination of certain factors which lead to certain beliefs such as drunkenness, time elapsed before it is reported and previous consensual sex with the alleged perpetrator. It also showed that evidence of violence often makes certain cases more believable.
The study following this is about police investigations of rape cases. It features interviews with police officers who are specialised in rape and abuse investigations and their opinions on false complaints, what constitutes real rape etc. I probably found this chapter the most shocking, seeing an interview where an officer says that in fact, only stranger rape constitutes real rape and that other is just 'non consensual sex'. Jordan obviously has a particular skill with interviewing, because she has managed to be completely impartial to some pretty shocking comments and to continue the interviews without insulting anyone involved. The way she has structured these interviews and carried them out and the way they have been presented in the book shows she must have an extreme talent to stay impartial to get them to tell her the truth. I feel there is always a danger with these sorts of interviews that they will tell you what you want to hear, in this case she has done extremely well and a wide range of opinions is showed.
The last chapter is devoted to interviewing of the victims of Malcom Rewa a serial rapist. Jordan comments that these rapes are (almost) all 'stranger rapes' and show large amounts of violence and are therefore the most believable to police. She interviews them about their experiences over the course of the eventual identification of Rewa and consequently the prosecution and court case. It's fascinating again the amount of women she is able to interview about something so traumatic. She says and rightly so that at times she was emotionally exhausted after interviews, and if she hadn't been it would have been a worry.
I feel the studies in this book are in New Zealand anyway largely unprecedented and are an available aid to the police on attitudes which can sometimes prevent people form coming forward, and what attitudes are helpful. I found it covered both good and bad aspects of this area of policing so was not just a large manifesto. It showed what works, why it works and how certain attitudes can be incorporated. This book is amazing. I think anyone with even a passing interest in criminology would find it interesting and informative.
I saw this book while at the library one day and was curious to read it. I have read Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by the same author, pretty much my favourite memoir of all that I have read. This is her first and so far only fictional novel release so I didn't know if it would be good or bad, luckily for me I got a pleasant surprise.
The novel details a family which has every chance of falling apart after a father kills himself, his wife must come to terms with the incident, his 12 year old son has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years and his 6 year old daughter is desperately trying to hold her family together. It is written in their three different viewpoints and Hornbacher manages to capture both their ages and their statuses within the family beautifully. At first I thought it was going to be a really depressing book but it really said a lot about the feeling of grief, the disbelief, the sadness, the falling and the picking back up again.
Hornbacher also seems to understand mental illness very well, I was to find out it is actually because she suffers from bipolar disorder herself. She didn't also do what a lot of memoir-switched-fiction writers do: she didn't include her own experiences so much that the book was sort of like a biography even if it wasn't one but still managed to make the family realistic and heartwarming. Her writing reminds me of a cross between Margaret Atwood and someone else, not quite as literary as Atwood I suppose but beautiful all the same.
I give this book my highest 5-star recommendation.
I was recommended this book by a friend of mine, it came out in 1899, and was immediately banned in most bookshops and libraries in the USA and brought an early end to Kate Chopin's career as an author. The fact that it survived although she never got to see a good review of it pays testament to its literary brilliance an underlying themes.
It weaves the story of Edna, a wife, a mother and a woman who has not found herself and is confused in upper-class American society in the 1890s, when she finally does find herself she is not what she is expected to be and the book comes to a shattering but brilliant end.
The book is not a normal novel, it doesn't follow a destined plot, it is a slice of life, and important slice of life book. The journey of self discovery is not made totally obvious but is more hinted at in every chapter and exposed in the final chapter. It is sad, but it is also beautiful and amazing that Chopin had the guts to publish something this scandalous in 1899. Its themes feature female relationships, marital affairs, women's rights, depression and a woman's quest to find out what she truly wants from life and how she goes about finding it. It is written beautifully, the chapters are separated out more by strains of though and remembrance than by particular subject matter which makes it all the more delightful to read and more enticing to the reader as well.
Edna is surrounded by people all through the book, that exist in a society quite peacefully that she can not seem to happily make peace with. Women in this society are happy to stay at home and receive guests, to obey their husbands, to cherish their children and not want anymore from life than domestic bliss. Chopin challenges this expectation brilliantly, and the ending made so much sense although in other ways it made very little sense.
It is definitely a product of its time. Like any other pre-20th century novel you have to put yourself to a certain extent in the shoes of the author.
Please read this book, it is brilliant!
