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The Ice Man (back cover text)

Shade

New Member
This is the back cover text of The Ice Man, as kindly provided to me by Peder. It's secondary to this discussion, and I've placed it in its own 18-certificate thread to ensure people have adequate warning before reading it. Myself, I don't think it particularly warrants such certification, but others think so, and better safe than sorry.

'There were times at home when Richard would have one of his outbursts and break things and then lock himself in his office. Merrick would ask him to please calm down, to "Please relax, Daddy." During these episodes, Richard would explain in a matter-of-fact way. "You know if ... if I kill Mommy, if something happens and she dies, I'll have to kill you all .. I can't leave any witnesses."

"Yes, Daddy, I know Daddy," she said.

As strange and horrible a thing as this was to tell a child, Richard was trying to let Merrick know in advance -- out of consideration -- what might happen. He wanted her to understand that he was doing such a thing out of love ... love. Only out of love.

He loved Barbara too much.

He loved the children too much.

That was the problem. The only way he could deal with their loss, if he inadvertently killed Barbara, was to kill them. That was how Richard had dealt with all his problems since he was a child.

"But you, Merrick .. you'll be the hardest to kill. You understand that?"

"Yes Daddy," she said, and she did understand this. She knew she was his favorite, and she coveted that.'
 
I must be missing something. Our newspaper headlines are a million times scarier than that every day.

("If we rape one woman in the village, we'll have to kill them all ... we can't leave any witnesses.")
 
Wow. After reading that, I am a different person altogether. Scarred for life. Desensitized. Sad. I think I'll go kill my family now.

Seriously, is that the text in its entirety? If so, what's the big deal?
 
It might be best to keep discussion of the extract in one place with the rest of the stuff about the book, here.

For my part, my criticism would come not in the subject matter itself but in the author's apparent sentimentalising of his subject.

Anyway sirmyk, we've read The Trial Chair: you were already corrupted!
 
Shade said:
Anyway sirmyk, we've read The Trial Chair: you were already corrupted!
True. I was corrupted at birth. I wonder how far Peder would get reading my little story of torture...
 
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