So this book just didn't sit well with me in a few ways. I think the spiritual side of things is clear: don't fuck around with the negatively supernatural in any way shape or form. That being said - the content, composition, and context of this book were all poorly rendered for a complicated reading experience that I don't think I cared for. I struggled to suspend my disbelief for this one, for sure.
Content: Inside of this book is a strange story - it is full of scares and graphic descriptions of supernatural and preternatural events that are claimed to be factual and recorded in images and audial formats. But my issue with the content is the mix of internal character monologue, and third person emotional acknowledgement, combined with out of body, third person, highly critical and detailed accounts of questionably (or unquestionably, depending on how you are swayed) true events. I think the reason this bothered me is not that the content was poorly written, but rather that it felt like an emotional take on some events that are then described emotionlessly. The book felt sterile in some parts, and then emotionally charged in others, and there was little balance.
This leads me to the Composition side of things: This book was meant to be - overall - addressing the issue of Arne during the Case Proceedings while his team attempted to argue that Arne was innocent by reason of possession. 90% of this book ended up being about all of the haunting events surrounding his family friend's involvement with "The Beast." I would have rather liked a book that focused on the murder and the following Prosecution and Defense Cases, or even a book with all it contained and more - but it felt as though it fell rather short. Perhaps this is because it was written while Arne was still incarcerated - but even then - I wanted more from this book, as it felt lacking in terms of the compiling of documents and whatever evidence they provided.
Lastly, the Context: This book focuses almost purely on the possession and haunting in the family home. I wanted to know more about where this family came from and more about all of the individuals in more ways than a few sentences. Maybe I'm just that type of reader, but I want to know my characters and perspectives between them as I'm chugging along in the book. That being said - I also wanted to know more details regarding the court proceedings and evidence produced in order to defend or prosecute.
This book really missed the mark for me, and the film, based on this book and court case, also seemed to fall short of any serious look at the court case. It was mentioned, and partially addressed, but in NO WAY was it directly confronted for what it was - one of the most interesting Defense Claims that has ever graced a courtroom.
3/5 Stars
Until next time
-B
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