Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
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Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith description
In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the ... review details
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Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥ |
Boring Stories Crammed Together Strangely
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1) As a true crime novel, it's inadequate: It's not a particularly interesting crime, however heartbreaking, there is no question about who did it, and the perpetrators unhesitatingly explain why they did what they did to just about anyone who asks them.
2) As a history of the Mormon church, it's unnecessarily derisive: Is Mormonism, after all, any nuttier than any other Christian religion (or perhaps any religion)? It's not a good history tale if you make fun of it the whole time. How can you know when facts start and judgment begins?
3) As a psychological profile, it's obvious: These guys were perpetual victims with an excuse to "get back" at what was keeping them down. The fact that they were LDS fundamentalist wackos makes them no different than any other wackos with a plan and a scapegoat. What's the big revelation?
4) As a structured book, it's a mess. Already noted is how the three parts of the book are tangled beyond coherence. I read as far as the murders--which were halfway through the book. I turned the page and it was back to some long, dismissive details about Joseph Smith and kin, and I just couldn't take it anymore. What on earth could the rest of the book be about? I flipped through it. I really couldn't tell. There's no reason to keep reading... you already know all the suspenseful stuff (like punishments and motives) because that was revealed in the prologue or first chapter. I don't really care to read how the community reacted to the crimes--I'm gonna guess that they were horrified and dismayed. Some people, in fact, might have felt responsible to some degree. I know the Mormons ended up in Utah and can probably get the short version online somewhere. Criminals were punished.
Oh, and I'm sure that fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart would never have been taken from her room at knife point and allowed herself to be raped in the wilderness under the threat of death to herself or her family if she hadn't been Mormon, because only Mormon girls are trained to go along with such things. Come on. She was a child keeping herself alive inside months of fear. That she was Mormon is basically a coincidence. If she was a Catholic girl in the same position the author never would have said such a thing.
I get the feeling that this book was rushed to print to tap into a sudden public interest in Mormon Fundamentalist Polygamy sects, although I can't remember particularly what was in the news about them then. I've seen lots of documentaries lately, though (and Big Love on HBO) so it's definitely a popular topic. The text reeks of trying to make a buck. I think the author could have turned out something much better, or more focused, or on a completely different topic. |
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