Customer Reviews

I'm No Monster: The Horrifying True Story of Josef Fritzl

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a relatively well-written, analytical approach to a crime that shocked the world when it first came to light. It is the story of a crime so primal and so violative of societal taboos that it is almost incomprehensible. In the annals of true crime, this is one that is profoundly disturbing.

On the morning of August 28, 1984, in the small market town of Amstetten, Austria, eighteen year old Elisabeth Fritzl, at the request of her then forty-nine year old father, Josef, accompanied him to the cellar of their house, ostensibly to assist him in some mundane chore. Little did she know that she would not see the light of day again for nearly twenty-four years.

This is the story that gripped the world when it first came to light. It was a story as bizarre as it was unbelievable. Josef Fritzl had kept his beautiful daughter Elisabeth trapped in a soundproofed concrete and steel reinforced cellar for twenty-four years. During that time, he made her into his sex slave and fathered seven children with her. Meanwhile, Elisabeth's mother, Rosemarie, lived upstairs with her husband, having been led to believe that her daughter had runaway to live with a religious cult, never knowing that Elisabeth still lived at home, albeit in the cellar.

Over time, three of Elisabeth's children would appear in infancy on the Fritzls' doorstep, ostensibly having been abandoned by Elisabeth, who was supposedly still living in a religious cult. These three children would be brought up by Rosemarie and Josef, while three others continued living in the cellar, a fourth having died shortly after birth. The three children living upstairs had no memory of their brief life below in the cellar.

In April 2008, Elisabeth's nineteen year old daughter, Kerstin, became so ill that she was close to death and taken to the hospital, after Elisabeth pleaded with Josef to save her life. This was the first time that Kerstin had ever left the cellar in her entire life. It was shortly thereafter that Elisabeth and her family were freed, and the truth that shocked the world came to light, resulting in the arrest of the then seventy-three year old Josef Fritzl.

The book explores the lives of those involved in this shocking story, as well as the events that led to Elisabeth's eventual imprisonment in the cellar, the lives that were lived below ground, and the aftermath with its many problems and issues. The story is so unusual and shocking that the reader cannot help but be gripped by its inherent pathos and horror. There is certainly a place in hell for Josef Fritzl.

Although the book is better written than the other book on the subject, "Secrets of the Cellar" by John Glatt, and has more depth of analysis, it suffers from the same problem in that it lacks the perspective of Elizabeth and her children. No one can ever really know what life in that cellar of horrors was really like for Elizabeth and her brood, and, for now, Elizabeth and her children are not speaking about what must have been the unspeakable. It is likely that they will all need years of therapy to cope with life. I only hope that going forward their lives will be happy ones.

This is no easy read. "I'm No Monster" is the true-life story of the Austrian engineer Josef Fritzl who imprisoned his daughter Elisabeth in the basement of his home for a 24-year period and during that time, sired seven children with her.

It is the story of an outwardly conforming husband, father and friend who nevertheless, succeeded in duping all with whom he came in contact with for a long period of time. As a younger man, he had fathered seven children with his wife, with whom he continued to live on the upper floor of his large home. His relationship with his wife is a complex one, one in which husband and wife lived under the same roof and ate most meals together but in reality, lived completely separate lives.

The authors succeed in resisting the temptation to take a sensationalistic approach to this subject. Opting for an analytical approach instead, most readers will be amazed that over this long time, neither his wife nor his other children were able to discover Josef's deceit in having a second "downstairs family" in addition to his "upstairs family."

His one close friend who came as close as anyone to being a confidant never knew or sensed what Josef was able to pull off.

The psychological elements in this narrative are fascinating. The authors explore some of these but many questions that readers have are unexplored and unanswered. Perhaps these questions are simply un-answerable.

I gave this book four stars not because of any faults but because I came away with so many unanswered questions. Deception and crime of this magnitude leaves many issues open for discussion, analysis and understanding.

Josef Fritzl had a criminal past which included a conviction and prison time for forcible rape. A mix of sex crimes early in his life beginning with Peeping Tomism and voyeurism move on to self-exposure and lastly, bondage, an ever-deepening pattern of deviant behavior. With the exception of the rape conviction, Fritzl's escalating deviant sexual behavior was dealt with in the most lenient and forgiving of ways by a mix of authorities, including law enforcment, social service agencies and the Austrian judicial system.

Two suggestions for improvement to the book: first, although the design of the basement prison in which daughter Elisabeth and her children were held is described in narrative, it would have been easier to understand if a diagram or drawing of the rooms and the passageways had been included.

Second, although the authors have explored in some depth the psychology of his wife, I am still puzzled about her and how his deception could be so complete. Portrayed as a largely passive personality, she was nevertheless, effective as a mother and grandmother. Had she no powers of observation or curiosity? Was she the ultimate conformist wife? Is there something in traditional Austrian society that led her to self-regulate her role as wife and spouse, mother and grandmother? Although Josef was a tyrant and highly authorian figure, she never chose to go to authorities, seek a separation or divorce or to challenge him in any way. It makes a reader think that she may have at some level, been complicit in Josef's doings. I had and still have many unanswered questions about her.

Finally, it is truly a triumph that daughter Elisabeth was able to endure throughout this process. Above all, her privacy should be respected. She needs all the support she can be provided in raising her children and in re-establishing relationships with her mother and her siblings.

Prepare to be unable to put this book down. It leaves a person wondering how a person can be so evil and not care about the horrible life of his victim. How is it possible he thinks he is not a monster? I read this book in two days. Facinating!

I found this, despite the horror of the subject, to be a very dull read. Repetitive in several places. Seemed to be padded with "facts" of little to no consequence. Nothing of any importance in here that I hadn't already read in the newspapers. And most certainly not a book worth the price the publishers have set. Too bad you can't get refunds on books that are no good.

I admit to being completely fascinated by this horrible, horrible story when it first hit international news. There is something about holding your own flesh and blood in a windowless dungeon, repeatedly raping her, fathering 7 children, etc. all once again occurring in a windowless dungeon in the dark for a lot of the time that stumps me.
It is far from an exaggeration that this was indeed "a living hell". I became so obsessed with this story that I read the first book, "Secrets in the Cellar" soon as I discovered it. That book was written in haste, taking a lot of liberties since the trial had not even happened by the time it was released. In "I'm No Monster", they make no attempt to try and "fill in the blanks" on facts that they did not know. That hardly prevented it from being a compelling read. It actually works as a good compliment to this book since this is a not a rehash but instead a more analytical approach to the subject at hand. I am not certain how this book would read without the first one as background filler.
Still, I have read enough articles to get a fairly good composite of what may have occurred. There has been a 2 hour documentary on MSNBC that still runs periodically, that also goes along way in filling in the blanks. (I would suggest you search out that documentary, it is available on YouTube, as a good starting place before you read this book). That is why I can only offer 4 stars, when in actuality it probably is closer to 3 1/2 stars if i were judging it on its own merits (too much is skimmed over to rate any better than this.....but having read what I have, the horror is a lot easier to envisualize).
I am always astonished at man's ability to inflict such cruelty on man and other living entities. I guess it is part of my nature to be drawn, yet painfully afraid, of such darkness.
I am still compelled to want to know more especially to understand how Elisabeth Fritzl and her children have recovered from this tragedy.
I commend the writers in not giving into sensationalism and for staying above the temptation to over dramatize what is terrifying on its own.
For those who have difficulty reading dark material, I would suggest you stay away from "Secrets in the Cellar". If you have a working knowledge of this baffling case, this book should at least keep your interest.

The book was good to read. But I read a book about a year ago called Secrets in the Cellar that was written about
this case and it had a totally different version about what happened to Elizabeth. I am left confused and wonder
which book is true. I guess Elizabeth never wrote her book so all we have to go on is what Josef has to say.

This book is very thorough, well-written and well, completely shocking. A little slow-going in parts, but absolutely worth hanging on. Such a tragedy.

What a creep. This book delves deep into the fright that was his daughters life.
I liked the ending where the writer cuts down the rumors.

This book was easy on the eyes and once you pick it up it was hard to put down.It basically goes into details about how this man enslaved and tortured his biological daughter in his cellar for more than half her life. Once you finish reading this book you'll have to reconsider how you look at people especially those who have been convicted of a sexual crime.

I only gave it three stars because there is not much detail about life in the cellar over those 24 years. I guess we will have to wait for Elisabeth's book to come out for that.

It was well written and I learned a few things I hadn't known from the press. It contains lots of history about the area and Josef's growing up years. All of this helps to see how he came to be the person he is. Nothing can ever excuse what he did but it's interesting read where he came from.

This book is worth the read for $2 but it's different from what most true crime readers would expect.