The Fatal Gift of Beauty - Nina Burleigh

The Fatal Gift of Beauty

By Nina Burleigh

  • Release Date: 2011-08-02
  • Genre: True Crime
Score: 3.5
3.5
From 37 Ratings
$14.99 On itunes Buy on Amazon

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A compelling true-crime tale” (Elle) from an award–winning journalist about a murder in Italy and the controversial prosecution, conviction, and twenty-six-year sentencing of Amanda Knox—featuring a new epilogue
 
“Clear-eyed, sweeping, honest, and tough . . . This is what long-form journalism is all about.”—Tim Egan, author of The Worst Hard Time
 
The sexually violent murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, became a media sensation when Kercher’s housemate, Seattle native Amanda Knox, and her Italian boyfriend were arrested and charged with the murder. The story drew an international cult obsessed with “Foxy Knoxy,” a pretty honor student on a junior year abroad, who either woke up one morning into a nightmare of superstition and misogyny—the dark side of Italy—or participated in something unspeakable. 
 
The Fatal Gift of Beauty is Nina Burleigh’s literary investigation of the murder, the prosecution, and the conviction and twenty-six-year sentence of Knox. But it is also a thoughtful, compelling examination of an enduring mystery, an ancient, storied place, and a disquieting facet of Italian culture: an obsession with female sexuality.

Reviews

  • Decent

    3
    By MeekUno
    While Burleigh provides a decent narrative of the case of Amanda Knox, there are a few mistakes regarding Italian culture. At times, Burleigh seems to make suppositions about Italian culture that may be different from region to region.

  • Exhaustively researched, well-written account

    5
    By DDR53
    I’ve never been sure what to think about the murder of Meredith Kercher. I didn’t want to believe that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, little more than children themselves, could be guilty of such a heinous crime, but they were convicted, so I had to think it possible. The came appeals, acquittals, new trials, reinstated convictions and now, finally, Italy’s supreme court giving a definitive acquital that ends the case, once and for all. If you want to know how all of that is possible, Nina Burleigh’s exhaustively researched, well-written account will take you through things, at least to the first overturning of the conviction, in detail. She attended the trial, read transcripts, watched video archives, consulted experts, contacted key figures in the case, by letter or in person-to-person interviews. Hers is a rational account of what happened and why, and should be of interest to anyone who wants to understand this terribly tragic case

  • Excellent coverage of Kercher Murder

    5
    By ZeeBonnBonn
    Finally, someone wrote a book that doesn't just toe the line for the prosecution. Burleigh does some leg work and real reporting here, shining light into dark corners. She gives a much needed look into the life of the only person who can actually be placed at the scene of the crime. She takes an objective look at all the players in this case, allowing the reader to form her own opinion as to guilt or innocence. Since the book was written, the two students involved have been released from prison. Thank you Nina Burleigh for doing some actual reporting and being objective about it. I learned a lot reading this book.

  • Excellent read

    5
    By Nolewitz
    An excellent portrayal of the evidence and the Italian judicial system. After hearing so much about the case over the last few years, it was great to see the facts in a cohesive, unbiased book. Whether or not you accept Amanda's version of the facts, or the prosectors, this book allows you to understand how Amanda was manipulated in the days following the murder and how lucky we are in America to have a judicial system, although not perfect, but with checks and balances that would have prevented this travesty from happening.

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