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what i'm reading wednesday 11/12/2024
I have been so busy that I haven't read all that much for the past week and change, but here's what's been going on with me:
What I finished:
+ The Devil at His Elbow by Valerie Bauerlein.
For those of you who haven't encountered the story (which I imagine is most people, although there was a Netflix documentary and a zillion People magazine cover stories about it), the Murdaughs are a family of lawyers who dominated the power structure in a rural South Carolina county for a century. I won't go into the details of how they managed it, but it's dire. These people had tons of money, social esteem, and literal political/judicial power, and they probably would have continued having it and abusing it if the main member of fourth generation hadn't started screwing up so dramatically. That screwing up included fraud and embezzlement (especially from people who were already poor), drugs, boat accidents, teen alcoholism, and murder. (Just how much murder remains a mystery.)
This story dominated the news in the US south for several years from the time of the murder of two of the Murdaugh family to another's huge trial. You can understand why: it's almost unbelievably dramatic and full of the kind of details that you can't make up (for several decades, Hampton County had a literal fence all the way around the county, necessitating anyone going in or out to get out of their car and open a gate, drive through, then close the gate behind them. Like, that is almost too on-the-nose).
I thought this book was incredibly well done. I'm always leery of reading books about the south, particular the rural south, by outsiders, and the writer works for the Wall Street Journal. However, she's also from the south and got her start down here, and I think you can really tell. She communicates the fact that this story is actually bat-shit insane while not being one of those drop-in "Can you believe these stupid hicks?" type of writers. She seemed level-headed and compassionate to all of the Murdaugh's victims--she doesn't leave them out, but makes them an integral part of the story. You never forget that this family hurt people, incredibly vulnerable people.
Anyway, if that sounds intriguing to you, I definitely recommend the book. It ends, thankfully, with more justice than you might expect (though obviously never enough).
What I'm reading:
+ The new Emma Lion book is out!!!! I just started it and haven't gotten far yet but I'm so happy. What a perfect way to head into the darkest part of the year.
+ Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs by my dude Mo Rocca. This is exactly the kind of audiobook I like to listen to and while I'm taking a leisurely stroll through it, I'm enjoying it very much. Did I cry in the car on the way home from work yesterday? You betcha! Definitely more on this after I finish it.
What I finished:
+ The Devil at His Elbow by Valerie Bauerlein.
For those of you who haven't encountered the story (which I imagine is most people, although there was a Netflix documentary and a zillion People magazine cover stories about it), the Murdaughs are a family of lawyers who dominated the power structure in a rural South Carolina county for a century. I won't go into the details of how they managed it, but it's dire. These people had tons of money, social esteem, and literal political/judicial power, and they probably would have continued having it and abusing it if the main member of fourth generation hadn't started screwing up so dramatically. That screwing up included fraud and embezzlement (especially from people who were already poor), drugs, boat accidents, teen alcoholism, and murder. (Just how much murder remains a mystery.)
This story dominated the news in the US south for several years from the time of the murder of two of the Murdaugh family to another's huge trial. You can understand why: it's almost unbelievably dramatic and full of the kind of details that you can't make up (for several decades, Hampton County had a literal fence all the way around the county, necessitating anyone going in or out to get out of their car and open a gate, drive through, then close the gate behind them. Like, that is almost too on-the-nose).
I thought this book was incredibly well done. I'm always leery of reading books about the south, particular the rural south, by outsiders, and the writer works for the Wall Street Journal. However, she's also from the south and got her start down here, and I think you can really tell. She communicates the fact that this story is actually bat-shit insane while not being one of those drop-in "Can you believe these stupid hicks?" type of writers. She seemed level-headed and compassionate to all of the Murdaugh's victims--she doesn't leave them out, but makes them an integral part of the story. You never forget that this family hurt people, incredibly vulnerable people.
Anyway, if that sounds intriguing to you, I definitely recommend the book. It ends, thankfully, with more justice than you might expect (though obviously never enough).
What I'm reading:
+ The new Emma Lion book is out!!!! I just started it and haven't gotten far yet but I'm so happy. What a perfect way to head into the darkest part of the year.
+ Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs by my dude Mo Rocca. This is exactly the kind of audiobook I like to listen to and while I'm taking a leisurely stroll through it, I'm enjoying it very much. Did I cry in the car on the way home from work yesterday? You betcha! Definitely more on this after I finish it.
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