Thomas Thompson (1) (1933–1982)

Richie: A Father, His Son, and the Ultimate American Tragedy by Thomas Thompson is a 1973 publication.

Recently this book popped up in a few promotional book emails. I had not thought of this case in decades- but I remembered reading this book when I was a teenager- and remember the made for TV movie, as well. I discovered the book was a part of the KU program, so I checked it out.

I was surprised at how conflicted I felt about a book written over forty years ago. As a teen I also remember feeling conflicted but not in the same way I am today. The book, for many, was a cautionary tale. Some viewed George as the ultimate villain, others viewed Richie as an example of the effect drugs had on people. But nearly everyone could agree that it was the ultimate tragedy.

I was particularly struck by the passages that described the barbiturate crisis because it mirrors today’s opioid crisis. Perhaps the real villain in this tale is once again the pharmaceutical companies and their greed.

“Those profiting…. Are an otherwise respected, successful group- The American pharmaceutical corporations who simply must know what they are doing and know the ugly consequences of their over-production.

From my contacts, I am advised that is all too easy for pharmaceutical manufacturers to over-produce vastly the legitimate market for barbiturates, and to ‘dump’ their excess production into the hands of irresponsible drug buyers outside the U.S. Questionable pharmaceutical operators in Mexico evidently have played this role vis-à-vis the Southwest, purchasing great supplies of barbiturates “legally” from American manufacturers and then routing them back in the Southwest black market through Juarez and El Paso, and Tijuana and Los Angeles.”

“I also am not moved by the laxity shown by the U.S. Justice Department in giving the black-market barbiturate problem sufficient recognition and priority, in informing the public, and in providing leadership in seeking solutions. In my opinion, this implies the potency of that industry’s political contributors and lobbyists.”

Sounds familiar, right?

The situation in this household though was a perfect storm of events coming together at once. The author did a good job of explaining the growing tension in this family, but also in many other families as well, and in society.

In this case, drastic measures were called for, but not only did the parents make mistakes, so did others in Richie’s orbit who were not so emotionally involved. Today this situation might have been approached in such a way that the parents would have had much more information at their disposal, many more resources, too. Richie needed lots of help and maybe even had a few underlying problems that the drugs only exacerbated. But at the end of the day, this family was stretched to its maximum ability to cope. Deep down I do wonder about George’s motives. He was being threatened, his son was abusive, belligerent, and violent. But part of me does think that George was exhausted – that his own mental health had taken a beating and while Richie was certainly mentally and emotionally unstable- George was too by that time.

Either way, the book, despite its age and some vernacular and attitudes that were a product of the era of time in which this drama transpires, is still quite effective, still conflicting, and thought-provoking… and still so very sad.

4 stars… (mais)

On the night before their high school graduation in 1950, three popular boys, Mack, Kleber, and T.J., venture out to a remote cabin to celebrate when they run across a girl that had been attacked and left by the side of the road. They bring the girl to the cabin where, instead of helping her, they end up raping her. During the rape, the girl dies. They leave her by the side of a swollen river and agree to never speak about that night again. As they go on with their lives, they become celebrities in the fields of writing, acting, and evangelical preaching, but that night at the cabin is never far from their thoughts.

Celebrity is an engrossing tale written in 1982 that takes place mostly in Texas during the turbulent period from 1950 through the 1970s. Frequent use of racial slurs is jarring, but the terminology does fit in the historical context of this period and geographical location. The book also works as a very detailed character study of the three men and the progression of their lives during this time in history, while the rest of the story chronicles a mystery that opens the book with one of the three men in the hospital in critical condition. The identity of the man or how he was injured isn't revealed until much later in the story. I didn't love this book, so I can't give it 5 stars or even 4 because it is such a long, overblown plot that beats every detail in the lives of the characters into the ground, but even with this criticism, I would rate it at 3.5 because it does tells a compelling story about these men and what drove them to be so successful while dangling the promise of the resolution to the mystery. Overall, Celebrity is a very long-reading book with just enough mystery to keep it interesting.

Trigger Warnings: Child and spousal abuse; suicide; rape; homophobia; racial slurs; mental health issues… (mais)

This is the best book on Charles Sobhraj - at least, this is the best book that I have read.

Thomas Thompson has written a gripping tale, and what I admire, is that he wove the stories of some of the victims into the narrative. And he did this masterfully.

He started the book with the story of Charles' parents and described the circumstances of his youth. From this, it is easy enough to understand the trauma that shaped Charles.

Then, you move on to his continuing criminal career and end with the drama of his trial.

Sadly, Thomas Thompson died in 1982, else I am sure that he would have continued the story with an update.

This is a brilliant book.… (mais)