Dave Pelzer (a Child Called It)

[Ouija]

I've read the first two books years ago, never got the third. I found the bathroom incident in the first book disgusting, I nearly threw up.

 

.......and WHO is reading this stuff?

 

I know a few people who have been abused, who read these kinds of books. Their reason being that they want in some way to reassure themselves that they weren't the only ones to suffer, it wasn't their fault etc. (just say, I'm thankful that this wasn't my reason for reading the Pelzer books, I had them recommended to me so I gave them a try)

[Mathom]

I won't read them for the same reason I avoid watching these animal rescue programmes - because I'd just get angry at the evil people can sink to. I read a lot of material on murderers for a piece I was writing and afterwards I decided to avoid reading/watching these things as they make me feel ill.

 

It's just not my taste to read them. Horrible.

 

There is another thing though, and some of them are apparently not entirely true, so it's worth researching which are accurate first before you buy.

 

However, it's no good being snooty about other people's desire to publish or read these memoirs. Most people accept there is a dark side to human nature and find it interesting to read about it (though I'm sure many skip the evening news entirely and just wait for the fluffy "and finally" pieces). Just like when people post up about how they wish a child killer "gets his desserts" in jail - they are simply venting natural human emotions of disgust and anger.

 

Those who have gone through it are also entitled to get some recompense if they so wish, or simply to share their story. It helped thousands of Holocaust surviviors to publish memoirs so why not abuse survivors?

[Carmine33]

I was just sort of browsing, and I came across this. I've read two of the three books, and was disgusted. Not at the mother character, but at the protagonist. The reason I refer to them as characters is because I'm convinced this book is almost completely false. I feel like I should speak up because there are few people that can look at it from my perspective, and, while I'd put up a great deal of money against the argument that any event in this book is as the author says, I think it serves a purpose: People need to keep their eyes peeled for child neglect/abuse. The reason I say I have a unique perspective is because I had a childhood nearly as horrifying, and those of us who've had these types of experiences will be able to tell you that we're decent at detecting this kind of BS when we run across it. I wouldn't really go into it, but this particular thread really bothered me. I ran across a link on a friend's FaceBook page, and I actually registered for an account on here so I could share this. Child abuse, self abuse, rape, and murder are the four things people with any conscience do not lie about, and it's fairly easy to tell when they do.

[Carmine33]

I've read the first two books years ago, never got the third. I found the bathroom incident in the first book disgusting, I nearly threw up.

 

 

 

I know a few people who have been abused, who read these kinds of books. Their reason being that they want in some way to reassure themselves that they weren't the only ones to suffer, it wasn't their fault etc. (just say, I'm thankful that this wasn't my reason for reading the Pelzer books, I had them recommended to me so I gave them a try)

 

It's also nice to know that someone who hasn't been abused has some understanding. <3

[Lady Star]

I was just sort of browsing, and I came across this. I've read two of the three books, and was disgusted. Not at the mother character, but at the protagonist. The reason I refer to them as characters is because I'm convinced this book is almost completely false. I feel like I should speak up because there are few people that can look at it from my perspective, and, while I'd put up a great deal of money against the argument that any event in this book is as the author says, I think it serves a purpose: People need to keep their eyes peeled for child neglect/abuse. The reason I say I have a unique perspective is because I had a childhood nearly as horrifying, and those of us who've had these types of experiences will be able to tell you that we're decent at detecting this kind of BS when we run across it. I wouldn't really go into it, but this particular thread really bothered me. I ran across a link on a friend's FaceBook page, and I actually registered for an account on here so I could share this. Child abuse, self abuse, rape, and murder are the four things people with any conscience do not lie about, and it's fairly easy to tell when they do.

 

'Pity me' books tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth too - I guess if you need the cash, you need the cash... Ever read 'Ugly'? That was a pack of lies - but earned the author a pile of cash!

[peewee84]

A Child called It was the very first book of this genre I ever read and one of only 2 books that have ever made me cry. It was a few years ago now but it still stands out for me as one of the most harrowing stories I have ever read.

 

I find some of the comments on here quite worrying as, as some other posters have pointed out, the fact that abused children are not believed or the fear that they will not believed is why nothing is done to stop it in some cases, and the abusers are not brought to justice because the child suffers in silence or is not believed as their story seems too far fetched/horrific to be true.

 

If Dave's story is not true then he would have to be one sick individual to make it up, and I doubt that somebody would be able to write such a story with such emotion and tragedy that it moves other people to tears if it hadn't really happened to them.

 

I often ask myself why I continue to read these books, and the truth is I'm not sure. I'm equally fascinated/disgusted by the depths that humanity will sink too, and I'm always desperate to get to the end to see if justice is brought upon the abusers because I suppose we all hope for a happy ending. I understand that some people cannot understand the "morbid" interest some people have in these books, but I would rather be aware of the depravity that goes on in our society behind closed doors than be blissfully unaware, and for me that is justification enough.

[alchresearch]

My concern is that (other than the age of this thread) it spawned a whole raft of these books. Asda once had a complete section dedicated to these books and I wonder if too many of them trivialise the whole subject and put people off?