Book Pub

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Another City Not My Own

Ab-SO-lute-ly fascinating. Another City Not My Own
by Dominick Dunne was so interesting that once I
sat down to read it, I couldn't put it down until the
ending page.

If you thought you knew everything there
was to know about the hoopla and background
surrounding the murders of Ron Goldman,
Nicole Simpson and the trial of Orenthal Simpson,
you just might not.

Some of the tidbits Dunne presents aren't the
kind that were presented on nightly television,
and that those who don't frequent the madcap
California lifestyle or tabloids wouldn't have had
any inkling of.

Many around the world, entranced, watched hours
of the television court room proceedings, tv
media pundits expounding upon the case as well as
reading print articles and listening to radio shows
about the case. Obsession set in. People couldn't
get enough information.

Dominick Dunne was there. He also became
obsessed with this case. Through his
his connections throughout the many
varied layers of Hollywood/Los Angeles society,
a whole different level of overlapping layers
to this case are exposed in this book.

Dominick Dunne has always made it
clear publicly or in media, that he has
no sympathy for those who murder
or those who cover it up.

Having had his own personal experience
with the murder of his actress daughter,
and the injustice of her killer walking free
with an inappropriately short sentence
and a totally incompetent media hungry
judge in that case, Dunne is quite aware
of the nuances that occur in and around
families and courtooms in murder cases.

Since this book is as proclaimed on the front
cover, "A Novel in the form of a Memoir" I
had wondered why Dominick Dunne had
utilized a character, Gus Bailey in the role
of himself, especially since the names of
those he wrote about are all truly named
and the events from his life, many he'd written
about, are touched upon.

However, this morning, after having as they
say "slept on it." I now realize why. At least
I think I have, it's my impression anyway.

As himself writing, using the first person "I,"
he could not have worked in the ending that he
used.

With "Gus Bailey" as his principal character, based
upon himself, he could work into the overall
story, a thread, in the form of a person, who
was introduced to, and present through some of
Dominick Dunne's socializing in Los Angeles and
Hollywood during the long trial.

That person subsequently went on to
do serial murders, in particular on another
well known society personality.

Posted by Patsy :: 11:26 AM :: 2 comments

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Dominick Dunne

I've just finished reading Dominick Dunne's book
"The Mansions of Limbo." The book is a collection
of articles Dunne authored for Vanity Fair Magazine.

In these articles, Dominick chronicles the ups and tawdry
downs of high/low society, the famous and infamous.
Embedded among stories of the misbehaving hijinks of
the want to be, the rich, the extremely rich, Dominick
Dunne sheds a new light upon the people involved
directly or peripherally within society.

Dominick Dunne was present at the sale of the late
Duchess of Windsor's jewels and regales the reader
with the hoopla preceding the sale, the bidding, the
bidders, along with descriptions of the jewelry and the
people who surrounded the late Duke and Duchess
of Windsor during their lives.

My two favorite articles in this collection are those
that were a departure from the misbehaving lore.
They are an interview with Jane Wyman, the
actress, and an encounter with Jordan's King Hussein
and Queen Noor, as well as subsequent interviews with
her majesty.

With those interviews, Dunne shows that his interest
is genuine, his heart/ear are sympathetic, and his
stories worth reading.

"Another City, Not My Own" A Novel in the form of
a Memoir also by Dominick Dunne is my current reading
material.

Dominick Dunne creates a character who moves through
Los Angeles and the trial of O.J. Simpson.

From the book inside cover "Using real names
and places Dunne interweaves the story of the trial
with the personal trials Gus endures as he faces his
own mortality." "This book illuminates the meaning
of guilt and innocence in America today."

Posted by Patsy :: 5:18 PM :: 0 comments

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Season Greetings!

Posted by Patsy :: 2:01 AM :: 0 comments