A New York Times bestseller!Written in a flowing narrative style, Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and Its Private Consequences presents the story of the horrific and infamous murder of Kitty Genovese, a young woman stalked and stabbed on the street where she lived in Queens, New York, in 1964. The case sparked national outrage when the New York Times revealed that dozens of … Times revealed that dozens of witnesses had seen or heard the attacks on Kitty Genovese and her struggle to reach safety but had failed to come to her aidor even call police until after the killer had fled.
This book, first published in 2014 and now with a new afterword, cuts through misinformation and conjecture to present a definitive portrait of the crime, the aftermath, and the people involved. Based on six years of research, Catherine Pelonero’s book presents the facts from police reports, archival material, court documents, and firsthand interviews. Pelonero offers a personal look at Kitty Genovese, an ambitious young woman viciously struck down in the prime of her life; Winston Moseley, the killer who led a double life as a responsible family-man by day and a deadly predator by night; the consequences for a community condemned; and others touched by the tragedy.
Beyond just a true-crime story, the book embodies much larger themes: the phenomenon of bystander inaction, the evolution of a serial killer, and the fears and injustices spawned by the stark prejudices of an era, many of which linger to this day.
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In-depth research on a horrific killing on the victim, the murderer and the environment that led some 37 persons to not “get involved” as a girl is repeatedly stabbed either in view or within earshot. A real page-turner.
The author did a very thorough job of researching this murder and it’s after effects. The book was well written in what I felt to be an unbiased voice. The author was writing about Kitty and who she was, about the occurrence that brought about her death and the lack of action taken by the 38 neighbors who heard her screams for help and even …
This book was very well-written. It is a truly sad story that unfortunately probably happens more often than we, as a society, would care to admit. Even with all the horror that Kitty Genovese endured and all the evidence seen by people and collected by police, there are still people who live(d) in the neighborhood where this murder took place who …
We all know the story. Buildings full of neighbors witness a brutal murder, but do nothing. We even know the name of the woman, Kitty Genovese, who lost her life on a horrible night in 1964. But how much do we really know about Kitty Genovese? This book explores not just the night Kitty died, but her life before that day, as well as the life of …
I remember watching the TV movie about this crime as well as studying it as part of my degree in psychology. Could the apathy of the neighbors described here–that sense of, “Someone else must have called by now; plus, I don’t want to get involved” happen today? Yes. Important study of human character, exhaustively researched and very …
I head about this event with Kitty Genovese when I was a lot younger and couldn’t believe it then. BUT, I thought that people were passing by as she was being murdered and just let her scream and watched her be killed. NOT the case. It took place at 3:20 a.m.
This is a good book as far as the story, it’s just a slow read.
Greatly researched book that demonstrates man’s lack of humanity to other people.
I remember hearing about this event when I was a child, and it haunted me. When I read the book, those feelings flooded back, and I was appalled how neighbors during that time were either indifferent, or didn’t have the wherewithal to call the police. Each neighbor who heard Kitty’s cries either thought that someone else would make the call, or …
Wonderful book. Facts well documented and presented.
Well written story of a tragic event. I remember my parent taking about this when I was a young teen.
Great book and very informative. I knew the story but didn’t know the real story until I read this book. Real story was much better and very interesting. If this interests you a little bit, read this book you will love it.
Wow… such a tragedy. Well written… very detailed. Makes you feel like you’re looking out the window at the events.
I remember when this happened and how shocked and dismayed the public was that people would just stand by and let it happen. But time and again that is exactly what we do: remember the woman gang-raped in a bar, or the Central Park jogger? This author’s explanation of why this phenomenon occurs is interesting and frightening.