Catherine Pelonero

An exceedingly thorough yet never boring look at this famous murder. While it has always been submitted that people 'saw' what was happening and did nothing (something like 37 people), the book makes much clearer why this occurred (not "not wanting to get involved" but not understanding what they were seeing or hearing....really only one man could have perhaps saved Kitty, a neighbor, who was too afraid to even call the police until he called another friend for advice on what to do. Such a show more sad event and ending of a promising life. show less

Pelonero has written a captivating and extremely well-researched book about a crime that could have should have ended differently. 1964 and Kitty Genovese is a young woman with a family who loved her, a job she enjoyed, and a love in her life. She died a torturous death while 38 people bore witness in one way or another. The events leading up to her death are told but the main thrust of the book is the lack of caring of the fairly well-to-do neighborhood.
- Fear- Sleepiness- She staggered so show more she must have been drunk- She shouldn't have been out so late- Someone else will call the police- Didn't want to get involved-
We'd all like to think that WE'D be different. WE'd have done,and would do something! Would we? Or is that a sense of false bravado? Hopefully no one will have to prove themselves ,but one should think about it...and act if necessary.
Kitty was attacked, she escaped, she was attacked again. And died a horrid death. Windows and doors were opened ... and closed...and nothing was done to help Kitty. NOT. A. THING.
A true story of pathetic apathy. An agony ignored. show less

I have been super interested in this case since I first learned about it in college, some 30 years ago. This book is very detailed in the re-telling of the events, the trial, and the aftermath. I still can't believe the people who witnessed this horror did nothing to come to her aid. Just a tragic tale of the selfishness of the human condition.

What a sad, sad, situation. Even sadder is the fact that this doesn't surprise or shock me. I think what did surprise me was more the summary 20-30 years later and the way events were allowed to change and become a myth. That was almost even more disturbing to think that as something becomes history people refuse to believe it happened if they didn't like it. They remember it differently and that becomes the truth.