Just Revenge

Rating:
Summary: RESPONSE TO N.Y. OBSERVER REVIEW
Review: Alan Dershowitz's "Just Revenge" is a masterfully crafted story that challanges its readers to question their most basic instincts and ethics. The issues, dilemmas and solutions are presented through a thrilling and haunting story that keeps you from putting this book down, while at all times trying to put yourself in the shoes of the main character "Max Menuchen". Upon completeing this first-rate novel I was left compelled to ask myself who, at the NY Observer, chose to write a reveiw, and just what book had they actually read. Not only does the NY Observer reviewer totally miss the mark, but they completely betray their ignorance by trying to imply plagerized material from the wonderful Elie Wiesel book "Night". After re-reading "Night" I could find no similarity in the scenes referred to by the Observer and was left to wonder if this reviewer had some other agenda in what was nothing more than an outrageous attempt to slander Mr. Dershowitz. In fact, on the rear jacket of "Just Revenge", Elie Wiesel himself gives the book a glowing endorsement. Read this book, it will keep you talking and asking questions of yourself for some time.

Rating:
Summary: What a Tangled Web We Weave!
Review: I didn't know what to expect - a graduate student assigned to read a page-turner crime novel for a graduate seminar. All in all, I tend not to like Dershowitz, but I will hand it to him on this one; all things considered, he has written a good and somewhat haunting book. I'm sure the questions it raises will be with me for a long time.

The scene is this: Max Menuchen is a holocaust survivor living in Cambridge, MA who discovers that the Nazi who murdered his family (by a fluke, he alone survived) is living not too far away. The pain and anguish of knowing this (and of even worse information uncovered in private research) is unbearable. Max decides to torture his killer and drive him to suicide. Is it murder? If it is murder, is it justified? Is it just revenge?

The theme is explored decently and though the dialogue is stiff and the plot (particularly in the details) feels somewhat contrived, Dershowitz knows how to exploit this challenging and dark theme for all it is worth. As some reviewers have noted the characters are a bit stale, but I suppose if one is readin a Dershowitz crime novel for character depth, then one needs to evaluate their lease on life (though I grant that Dershowitz's habit of making every character, including side-characters, a lawyer, is a bit frustrating).

On a sidenote, some of the less favorable reviews accuse Dershowitz of 'justifying' the main character's actions of revenge and torture. First, I must have read the wrong book as Dershowitz's ending is far from clear on that point (the last section is even entitled 'Justice?' with a question mark). Second, I thought Dershowitz did a decent job portraying many sides and opinions (as Dershowitz does in real life). Simply because he writes what some may feel are convincing argument supporting the main character doesn't mean that he is offering carte blache justification. Third, Dershowitz's goal in this book, I feel, is to make us think and one great way to do that is to get us fired up. Those that accuse Dershowitz of 'taking the wrong side' are fired up and, thus, thinking.

So as not to ramble on that point, I give the book 3 stars because while I thought the theme and idea development was pretty good, there are many areas where the book felt a bit too contrived and/or superficial.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books...
Review: I've read in a long time. Dershowitz writes a book that asks a compelling moral question. The characters in this book are incredibly likeable, and it is amazing the way Dershowitz makes the reader feel compassion for a man who committed horrible and unforgiveable acts years ago. This story portrays two sides of an unthinkable, yet very real, historical tragedy. Does a person have the right to seak revenge on a person who years ago, during the Nazi era, committed unthinkable acts of malice? Read this book and you will be intrigued.