Gripping and enormously difficult at the same time. Also, often, absurd. The enormity of the networks in which men like Weinstein and Trump move and hide is staggering, and at the same time, the individual foibles of these men, and the people who helped them--their egos, their prurience, their certainty that money and power really can make anything disappear--all of that lends itself to a rich and ridiculous tapestry that almost makes you forget what's at the center of this story (these stories, this unending matryoshka doll of stories). Farrow doesn't forget it though, and he doesn't let you either. I can't write in any real way what reading the accounts these women give felt like, as a survivor. It's bigger than belongs on Goodreads, at the very least.

I did laugh at the National Enquirer's brief period of constantly soliciting dick pics from Ronan Farrow. ( )

1. I really wanted to give it 4 stars because I'm not sure why Ronan feels the need to do accents for everyone in the audio book. It's actually kinda distracting. However, the content of the book is FIVE stars so five it is.
2. I knew what this was about, of course, but listening to it all again makes me want to take a shower for about 24 hours. THIS SOCIETY WE LIVE IN IS SO.FUCKING.FUCKED.UP. FUCK.
3. Also, fuck you to all of the companies out there shielding their shitty terrible rapist employees.
4. Ladies, we need to stop being so fucking terrified of repercussions. ( )

This is a disturbing book about a predator who was allowed to harm countless women while people just looked the other way. I am going to read She Said next but first I have to digest the horror of this one. ( )

Not as polished as some other exposes, but astonishing, infuriating and important and every bit a page turner ( )

For me, this book is a little on the overrated side, but I'm giving it an extra star because of the importance of the reporting from a societal standpoint. Farrow shines a light where previously there was none, and I admire him for it.

But the writing didn't do it for me, and the book seriously could have been edited so much better and tighter. I guess I like my investigative reporting more arms length. In this book, the author is the story, more than the sexual misdeeds of Weinstein or any of the other criminal acts explored. So, the book almost reads as much like a memoir as anything else.

The book primarily focuses on how Farrow managed to finally get the story of Harvey Weinstein published despite tremendous hurdles. The book would have been well served to stick to that story as it was a horrendous tale of the abuse of power with NBC and other media outlets playing an active role in attempting to suppress Farrow's reporting at every turn. But no, we had to spend the last quarter of the book meandering aimlessly through Trump, Lauer, Moonves, etc. I think a one chapter summation of how the Weinstein reporting paved the way for other investigations and revelations would have been more than satisfying. Weinstein and NBC is the story Farrow knows, and I think a better book would have stuck to telling that story. The last quarter of the book felt superfluous.

In addition, the book screamed out for some kind of appendix with a listing of characters. There were so many ancillary people who played roles in either suppressing the story or bringing it to light. Thank goodness for Kindle X-Ray.

One thing I will say is that if you are the type of person who believes people are generally good and thinks conspiracies are always fabricated, this book will dispel all those beliefs in a hurry. If you had skepticism about the media before reading it, well after this book, you aren't going to feel better about it. There's the untrue news that gets published, but here we learn about the true news that does not . . .it's hard to say which is actually worse.

All in all, I give Farrow tons of credit for sticking with the Weinstein story over the incredible pressure, legal and other more ominous threats. ( )