Since I didn't know Harry or his family or any of his friends, this tragedy was only marginally interesting to me at the time.
Then I got that postcard, and I became a little more interested. Since I have no 'inside info', I read the book as as if I lived in Iowa and knew nothing about the people and place.
The thing that struck me the most was the complete lack of grief or soul searching or any other such emotion on Harry's part. A lot of the book is his own account, his own words. This was his family, and even if he was having his troubles with them, he knew them a long time! Since his story was that his brother Ron killed everyone else, then he killed Ron, one might expect some kind of bewilderment at the horror of it all, wondering why Ron would do such a thing, possibly some guilt that maybe they all missed signs that Ron was so troubled. No such words are there. Not a word of bereaved remembrance for his youngest brother, or his parents.
Instead, there are minute details about ordering flowers to be placed by his mother, some crucifix to be placed in his brother's coffin (that crucifix meant so much to him!), etc. In other words, Harry speaks only of Harry; so much so that the book gets quite tedious. He even includes the line: "I killed my brother Ron, and I have to live with that all of my life." That's a classic sociopathic statement. Not a thought or word for his grandparents, extended family, etc. (who presumably also have to live with this all of THEIR lives.) There's such a lack of empathy, there's not even an attempt to fake it. And this was written a scant 2 years after the murders.
There may be factual details misrepresented/excluded/etc., but reading Harry's words, he stands out as mighty cold.
So, if I was in fact someone in Iowa reading this book, I'd conclude that it's good that Harry's in jail, sounds like he would not have stopped with his family, but might have killed again if crossed.
Anyone else read the book? Anyone have other perspectives?
