Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jul 08, 2015 Ashley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: women-s-studies, work-public-health

What a difficult, infuriating book to read. After the fiasco that was the "Rolling Stone" article, I went into "Missoula" unsure of how Krakauer would report the story, what his policy would be on pseudonyms, and how much detail he would provide about individual cases. While he's helped by the fact that at least some of these cases went to trial and have public records, many of the people he spoke with are given pseudonyms and provide essentially unverifiable information. The book does NOT suffe What a difficult, infuriating book to read. After the fiasco that was the "Rolling Stone" article, I went into "Missoula" unsure of how Krakauer would report the story, what his policy would be on pseudonyms, and how much detail he would provide about individual cases. While he's helped by the fact that at least some of these cases went to trial and have public records, many of the people he spoke with are given pseudonyms and provide essentially unverifiable information. The book does NOT suffer from this, however. Krakauer is clear about facts and policy. His writing doesn't shy away from the horror of these crimes or the complexity of proving rape in court v. a college disciplinary hearing. I'm giving it 4 instead of 5 stars because, at times, Krakauer quotes extensively from passages of newspaper articles, research papers, testimony, and other items. There were so many block quotes that it was, at times, distracting. It's a style issue but I found that it actually broke up the power of his prose and argument.

I left this book infuriated with the justice system, the education system, rape culture, and football culture. I finished this book amazed that, as a people, we doubt what women say about rape. I also feel like there's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women... You'll know who I'm talking about when you've read "Missoula." That said, I think the book also does a great job outlining why using Title IX to adjudicate rape claims in an educational context is deeply problematic. While I don't have an alternative, I do worry about systems of punishment shrouded in secrecy and without representation. Not worried enough to suggest we ought to get rid of Title IX, but sympathetic to arguments about how Title IX is woefully inappropriate for this kind of thing.

In all, I'm glad I read "Missoula." It's a book that, obviously, should have all the trigger warnings attached to it. Still, it's an important investigation into rape, rape culture, and justice in the United States. It's also an important corrective to the "Rolling Stone" piece.
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Aug 23, 2015 Abby Johnson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, audio, grownup_books

This is a really powerful and important book. It was not an easy read - there are many graphic descriptions of sexual assaults - but I think a necessary one. I am impressed that a man noticed this issue, educated himself to learn about it, and wrote a powerful book about it.

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Jan 26, 2016 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Well, that was heavy.

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Sep 06, 2015 Linda Parker rated it liked it · review of another edition

"Acquaintance rape is a crime like no other. Unlike burglary or embezzlement or any other felony, the victim often comes under more suspicion than the alleged perpetrator. This is especially true if the victim is sexually active; if she had been drinking prior to the assault — and if the man she accuses plays on a popular sports team"- quote from the book. This summarizes the best point the book makes.
This book was really interesting and I learned a lot, but it's just one small snapshot in one s ...more

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Jun 08, 2015 Marcy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm not a nonfiction fan, so I can't measure this against the genre. It is gripping, though, and serves as a useful entry point to the issue of campus rape and the challenges to prosecuting rapes and carrying out the campus disciplinary process, including heartbreaking examples of victim-blaming and misunderstanding of consent. ...more

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May 02, 2015 Clinton rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Hard but compelling. The rape problem at American universities is appalling.

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May 18, 2015 Ally rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-challenge

This book is intense. Maybe it's because I went to college pre-social media or maybe I was just very lucky, but I never had any of the experiences detailed in this book. Krakauer is at his best when breaking down complex arguments and putting them in layman's terms and at his worst when he gets preachy and/or dismissive. I appreciated his zeal for the victims but a more neutral tone (especially towards the end of the book) might have been a better choice. Either way, read this and hug a loved on ...more

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