The Sleep of Reason: The James Bulger Case
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Book Overview
For fans of Serial, Making a Murderer and The Keepers "Dramatic and disturbing . . . his evidence, used judiciously and presented without comment but with an undertone of urgency, is a damning indictment." - Anita Brookner, Observer Friday, 12th February, 1993. Two outwardly unremarkable ten-year-old boys began the day by playing truant and ended it running an errand for the local video shop. In between they abducted and killed a two-year-old boy, James Bulger. In search of an explanation, award-winning journalist David James Smith looks behind the misinformation, misunderstanding, and sensational reporting to an exact account of the events of that day. A sensitive and definitive account, The Sleep of Reason achieves a unique understanding of the James Bulger case, and comes as close as may ever be possible to explaining how two ten-year-olds could kill. Originally published in 1994, this new edition features a new preface which considers the release and rearrest of one of the convicted.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0571340563
ISBN13:9780571340569
Release Date:April 2018
Publisher:Faber & Faber
Length:264 Pages
Weight:0.52 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.0" x 7.7"
Customer Reviews
4 ratings
Saddest thing I've ever read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I am 17 years old and almost every page of that book brought me to tears. How anyone even a child could commit such a murder is beyond me. In the beginning of the book the Author recounts all the killings throughout Europes history that were committed by Children and I never thought such things were possible. That book made me want to become a Lawyer so that I could put people like that away. When you are 10 years old you know what your doing you just act innocent and pretend you dont-believe me I know. The last thing I could find on the killers was an article in 1999 about how they had an "unfair" trial because it was public and if they are released they will be given new names,new identities,new social security numbers, and so on, in my opinion that is WRONG. It's wrong to the family of James Bulgar and it's wrong to the people of Europe...
Very disturbing indeed
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
In Australia, this book was tiled "The Sleep Of Reason," and yes, that is what reason did on the fateful afternoon of 12 February 1993 - it slept, and it slept very soundly indeed, leaving us profoundly disturbed and scratching our heads and asking the perennial "Why? questions that can never be answered. Are, or were these boys evil? Nobody can answer that for sure. Surely a child of 10 knows that when you throw a brick at someone and it hits them, it will hurt. Surely they knew that when you beat someone, blood will be shed. And surely they must realise that when you attack someone and cause them to sustain the grievous injuries sustained by little James Bulger, a likely outcome is death? So, my personal analysis leads me to the conclusion of evil, but that fact is really only for the sociologists and Sigmund Freuds among us to debate.Totally unbiased, this is reporting at its highest level. Smith describes the atmosphere in which the offenders were bred, their lives before they committed the crime, and the fatal cynergism between them which resulted in a brutal death for a 3 year old boy and a lifetime of grief for his anguished parents.
Do not miss this one
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
This is one of the saddest books I have ever read.I don't know of anyone who could read it and not cry for poor little Jamie and his family.I hope the murderers themselves get all the help they need,they are after all only children.A very graphic account of a very sad event.Keep your tissues handy.
journalism at its best
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
Excellent and thorough book about the terrible tragedy in England. Not to be missed for the true crime buff. The boys who killed were children and the story is basically unbelieveable, but it DID happen and will probably happen again given the same circumstances of the parents lifestyles and "two of a kind" together at the right (wrong) time and the right (wrong) place.
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