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A Very Guilty Pleasure

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No one will ever accuse Dominick Dunne of being a brilliant writer, nor is it likely he ever will win a Pulitzer Prize for his work. "Another City, Not My Own" highlights all his faults as a story teller, yet proves to be compellingly readable trash.

For starters, I take exception to the book's subtitle, "A Novel in the Form of a Memoir." A memoir, by its very definition, requires the narrator to speak in the first person. As this is a third-person narrative inspired by Dunne's experiences while covering the infamous O.J. Simpson trial for "Vanity Fair," and its protagonist is the fictional Gus Bailey (a barely disguised version of the author), it rightly should be described as "A Memoir in the Form of a Novel."

The tale overflows with juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits related to the court proceedings and gossip about the lives of Hollywood's rich and famous, but it's told in a very sloppy fashion, and apparently without the firm hand of an editor to whip it into shape. Dunne maddeningly repeats himself numerous times throughout the book (a bad habit he has displayed in previous works, as well), as if his readers are incapable of retaining a piece of information the first time he reveals it. As a result, characters are identified multiple times, and details are tossed at us more than once. After a while, it becomes very tiresome.

Dunne clearly revels in his celebrity and is thrilled to hobnob with both the great and the fallen, and you can't help but catch some of his enthusiasm as you work your way toward what ultimately is a preposterous finale. Even a trash novel shouldn't leave us with an ending as unbelievable as this one.

Approach this book with caution, and you won't be disappointed. It's an easy read, and you'll laugh out loud at some of the celebrity foibles and courtroom shenanigans Dunne reveals. It's a bumpy ride but a fun journey, although you'll probably want to shower off the dirt and then redeem yourself by reading a classic when you reach the end.

Dunne OJ

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Although the OJ story supposedly ended years ago, this book is still timely. It is a real insider view of the drama of the trial. One of incidents is a party that he intended with Marcia Clark. He explores the other characters in this drama and though justice has still not been done, this book might just explain what it has not happened yet. Again his experience of the loss of daughter brings poignancy to the book and helps him treat the victims with the respect that they deserve.

this book is O Juicy!!

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i read this book several years ago and i've passed it on to every OJ junkie i know. its BEYOND spectacular. Dominick Dunne is a master at creating a riveting page-turner with a wicked jaw dropping sense of self depricating humor.
ive since read this book 3 more times.

If that name doesn't impress you, here's another.

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In this autobiographical novel, Dominick Dunne relates his experiences covering the O.J. Simpson trial for "Vanity Fair" magazine and as a guest analyst on many top TV programs, from Larry King to Dan Rather's CBS News broadcast. Dunne is unquestionably the reporter Gus Bailey in this story, and we follow his experiences in the high and low society world he inhabits. Told in the third person, much of what the narrator, through Gus, tells us is like fodder for the notorious "Page Six" column in the New York Post. He/Gus drops names like roses drop petals after the first frost. It is fascinating to see him/Gus weave his life around superstars and super rich: Elizabeth Taylor, Nancy Reagan, the Bloomingdales, Lady Di, the list goes on and on. In most cases, Dunne uses real names and places; sometimes he uses pseudonyms (he claims to protect himself from lawsuits). Sometimes he gives both, as he tells us the phony names he used in a past book and the real names now of the individuals involved. It's interesting to contemplate why he chooses real or phony to identify the people he/Gus relates with. Dominick, like his alter-ego Gus, was a Hollywood producer who left town a failure, but through his writing again achieved favor among the shakers and movers of Tinseltown. Throughout this novel, Gus tells us of incidents that will make fascinating scenes in a book and probable mini-series that will follow. Interesting that he would use the term "scene" from his previous Hollywood life. (In my experience, writers generally use the term "episode" in such circumstances.) Dunne became an expert on the Simpson case, and used that expertise to get himself invited to fabulous homes and parties world-wide. In addition to these social maneuverings, Dunne tells us all about the O.J. case, the murders, the trial, the behind-the-scene machinations. He/Gus firmly believes that O.J. was guilty and he/Gus also believes that the trial will end in a hung jury. When the not-guilty verdict was delivered, I felt his shock although I, of course, knew the outcome. But, nothing prepared me for the shocking last pages of this book. Well, Dunne does clearly foretell the ending in the first two pages, but by the time it actually happens, I had forgotten that aspect through my fascination with all that went on in between. This is a masterfully presented and well-crafted book.

Great fun

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Snide, judgemental, gossipy Dominick Dunne has outdone himself in this highly personalized, rather catty account of his experiences covering the infamous OJ trial. This is a romp of a book, littered with famous names, spicy anecdotes, and genuine insight into the workings of the media circus. Very enjoyable, often humorous trip down memory lane from a unique perspective. The impact of the Simpson trial will continue to reverberate in American legal and sociological circles.