Comprehending Columbine [Paperback]

Ralph W Larkin (Author)

Book Description

On April 20, 1999, two Colorado teenagers went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School. That day, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed twelve fellow students and a teacher, as well as wounding twenty-four other people, before they killed themselves. Although there have been other books written about the tragedy, this is the first serious, impartial investigation into the cultural, environmental, and psychological causes of the massacre. Based on first-hand interviews and a thorough reading of the relevant literature, Ralph Larkin examines the complex of factors that led the two young men to plan and carry out their deed. For Harris and Klebold, Larkin concludes, the carnage was an act of revenge against the "jocks" who had harassed and humiliated them, retribution against evangelical students who acted as if they were morally superior, an acting out of the mythology of right-wing paramilitary organization members to "die in a blaze of glory," and a deep desire for notoriety. Rather than simply looking at Columbine as a crucible for all school violence, Larkin places the tragedy in its proper context, and in doing so, examines its causes and meaning.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Larkin creates a powerful lens to examine the complexities of the socio-cultural and psychopathogical forces which contributed to the Columbine tragedy... he does an excellent job of situating school shootings in the larger cultural landscape of violence in America. Larkin's book is destined to be the definitive work on the Columbine shootings." Raymond Calluori, New Jersey Institute of Technology "This book is not just about Harris & Klebold's motivations . . It is about the influence of social structure on those labeled as outsiders . . about structurally entrenched sources of gendered violence and degradation." Peter Freund, Montclair State University "Think you know all there is to know about the Columbine school massacre (4/20/1999)? Think again. Larkin covers known and little-known details, aiming to answer why Eric Harris and Dylan Keble went on their shooting rampage...Some will say that Columbine doesn't need any more scrutinizing. But after the recent Virginia Tech shootings, people will be looking for more insights into youth who feel ostracized and ways to help them avoid feeling so alienated in the first place. There is an audience for this book, which should be considered by public and academic libraries." Library Journal "Larkin's book is obviously the result of a great deal of research... He provides interesting history and details of both the perpetrators of this horrendous shooting, Harris and Klebold." Metapsychology Online "Larkin has undertaken an important task in this work. He deconstructs the Columbine High School tragedy, attempting to reach an objective understanding of a complicated event that has become tangled in myth and emotion. He presents the events at Columbine carefully before examining the influences that may have contributed to this crisis... The author pulls the reader closer to the situation by including narrative from his interviews, quotes from important sources, and specific examples. The resulting work is well organized and written...The content of this book should be required reading for school administrators, educators, counselors, and others who work regularly with young people" Choice

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press (January 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592134912
• ISBN-13: 978-1592134915
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ralph W. Larkin received his bachelor's degree at UC, Santa Barbara in Elementary Education and taught elementary school for five years. He received a master's degree in educational psychology at California State University, Northridge in 1966. In 1970, he was awarded his Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from UCLA. He worked as a researcher in the Center for the Study of Evaluation at UCLA and the Center for Urban Education in New York City. He taught in the sociology department at the Newark campus of Rutgers University for eight years. He is presently employed as an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is the author of three books: Suburban Youth and Cultural Crisis (Oxford University Press, 1979), Beyond Revolution: a New Theory of Social Movements (with Daniel Foss, Bergin & Garvey, 1986), and Comprehending Columbine (Temple University Press, 2007). Beyond Revolution and Comprehending Columbine were both awarded honors as outstanding academic books by Choice Magazine, published by the American Library Association. Dr. Larkin has also written on education, youth, sociology of religion, social movements, and rampage shootings.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dispassionate Exploration of Columbine, August 21, 2009

By 

M. Hill (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Comprehending Columbine (Paperback)

I was led to this book after reading Columbine by Dave Cullen. For me, that book raised more questions then it answered. Ironically, I live in the community and had resisted reading any of the books on the subject. Locally, the coverage of the murders was relentless and I had read and seen enough to last a lifetime. I thought I never wanted to hear about it again. Then I saw the press release for Cullen's book and decided that after ten years perhaps it was time to read a comprehensive exploration of the subject.

I found Cullen's book a great disappointment. There are so many factual errors and assumptions throughout the work that at the end I felt I had to do more reading. I checked my library's catalog to find other relevant material on Columbine which is how I found this book, along with Jeff Kass' book and Brooks Brown's memoir. So, I started out reluctant to read even one book on the subject and in the end read four.

Brooks Brown's book is a heartfelt book by a boy trying to sort out unfathomable events caused by people he knew. It is worthy of a read, but it is not, nor does it claim to be, a thorough exploration like Cullen's, Kass' or Larkin's work. Of the group I feel Larkin's book is the most objective. It has a clear academic perspective in its execution but unlike a dry thesis it reads well. The logic isn't faulty and the evidence for statements and conclusions is provided. There is little opinion offered without substantiation. I read the book from cover to cover.

Unlike the other two author's, Larkin does not have an obvious agenda -- except to find answers. Kass' book focuses too long on the racial aspect of one child's murder which is a worthy subject but throws the balance of the book off in its length. It becomes distracting. Cullen's book offers blatant errors about the killers' -- Dylan and Klebold were not popular or ladies men (read Brooks Brown's book -- he was a friend.) Worse, Cullen is intent on simplifying the story -- he claims it was all the fault of mental illness. Well, there are plenty of mentally ill people who do not commit crimes, just as there are plenty of kids who are bullied that do not murder. Many more factors are clearly at play in the "why" of what happened.

Readng Brooks Brown's book makes the trauma of on-going bullying and the outcast status in school clear.Some kids are going to handle the erosion of their self-esteem better than others. Cullen's determination that it wasn't a factor is a bizarre assertion. One of the other reviewers here mentioned that the bullying theory had been largely debunked -- huh? Where did that come from -- the school administration? All the pieces of the puzzle must be examined to get a complete picture of what caused those two boys to commit such a horrific act -- it is the only way to learn from Columbine and it is what Larkin does in his book. The adults in the lives of the children failed them. It wasn't one thing or one event that caused this act. This crime was planned and kept secret for a year -- a staggering fact.

My hope in reading Cullen's book was that a complete story would be told, not one that was whitewashed by the school (what bullying?), hidden by the sheriff's department (what gross mishandling?) or hijacked by the evanjelicals (it was religious persecution.) Unfortunately the author twisted information to make the story reach a pre-determined conclusion of his own making. That is not the case with Larkin in this book.

If you are looking for one book to read on the subject I would recommend this one. If you have time for two I'd read this one and Jeff Kass' book. If you have time for three, definitely add Brooks Brown's book to your list.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thorough book but has some issues, June 1, 2009

By 

A. Koutsunis (nville) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comprehending Columbine (Paperback)

This book is very thorough and written in a scholarly manner. However, the author seems to want to support the bully hypothesis so badly that he insists on claims which are unsupported. The claim that bothered me the most was that Klebold was bisexual. The only evidence the author provides for this is that a reporter came forward after the shooting and said he encountered Klebold in a chat room, where he identified himself as bisexual. Besides this book, I have never read this anywhere else, and the claim seems unreliable to me. Also the author insists that the Klebolds are a dysfunctional family because Dylan and his brother argue; the parents have different religious beliefs; and they are not very touchy. The Klebolds do not seem any more dysfunctional than any other family. Most siblings fight; a home where religion is a choice seems healthy; and affection comes in many different forms. I don't agree with some of the claims in the book but if you're curious about it, I would suggest getting a used copy and making your own judgments. Best Wishes -A. K.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Book, September 16, 2007

By 

Superhero (Clearwater) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comprehending Columbine (Paperback)

Just finnished the Book, was suprised it tended to lean back towards the whole "Jockocracy" thing. I thought those theories had pretty much been abandoned in favor of the "Apocolyiptic fame" theories that the boys were trying to eclipse Tim McViegh and the fact that they didn't select any specific targets. I liked the fact that it was so harsh on the "Christian right" for trying to make the massacre about themselves and enjoyed the interviews with the random students. Was supprised that every student interviewed said the same thing "They shot the wrong students". REALLY enjoyed the 8th chapter about the rise & fall of youth culture, I'm really into history, but the last chapter of the book is wasted ink with Larkin's theories on preventing school Bullying. It's always going to happen.