Columbine – Dave Cullen

This review was originally published on Goodreads in 2009. Throughout the year, I’ll be working through my book review archives and posting flashback reviews with some current-day commentary. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane as much as I do. 

It's easy to lump this book into the same batch as “In Cold Blood” or other true crime stories, but where it differs is that most individuals, especially those my age, remember vividly the Columbine attack.

We saw the images on TV, we witnessed the aftermath, and, in my case, have read many news stories since with a curious fascination as to how someone can recover — both emotionally and physically — from something so horrific.

Dave Cullen is a talented writer who used meticulous research and years of building a strong rapport with victims and investigators to bring us what has been called the "ultimate" description of what happened on April 20, 1999.

While the attack itself contributes to about 75-pages of the entire novel, the majority of the book discusses the aftermath and recovery for the injured, parents of the murdered students and the town as a whole.

About a third of the book discusses the killers — Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold — and attempts to answer what led them to this atrocious attack. Simply put, Eric was a psychopath and Dylan was his suicidal accomplice who really didn't do much of the planning or killing.

Cullen writes the book in third person, and it was much easier to read without constant "I witnessed" or "I interviewed" descriptions, however the further he discussed the killers' motives and provided his own interpretation of the evidence, you could sense the objectiveness waning.

I must give Cullen credit, though, for including very detailed notes both online and in the appendix that further helped justify his explanations and led to higher amounts of credibility.

Yes, there were many myths about Columbine that have been perpetrated over the years and it was refreshing to hear the truth. It was also incredibly disheartening to read that the Jeffco Sherriff’s Department had a police file and many tips as to what Eric Harris had been planning for nearly 17-months before the attack and did nothing. Furthermore, they hid the files for five years to prevent their complacency and cover-up from being noticed.

Simply put: This could have been prevented.

It is that fact that made the book more difficult to read. We need to realize that even though we don't see the headlines except on anniversaries, there are 24 individuals and 15 families living with its reality each day.

It would’ve be nice to have read this 10-years after April 20, 1999, and know that it was a fluke in American history and steps had been made in gun control and school violence had been curbed, but sadly it's not the case.

Recommended.

[2022 perspective] I fully recognize this book is not to everyone’s taste, but it remains one of the most chilling and well-researched and written true crime stories I’ve ever read. I have recommended it to a few people over the years, but it’s been a mixed bag.

Even though we all didn’t live through the trauma of Columbine first-hand, it is a specter that hangs over our collective consciousness — much like 9/11. Sadly, gun violence has become even more prevalent in our society and that’s what makes “Columbine” and Cullen’s follow-up, “Parkland,” difficult to stomach as pleasure reading.

Speaking of, I haven’t tackled “Parkland” yet, but it has been on my TBR short-list for years. What gives me hope for that story is that Cullen focuses on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survivors who have stepped up to challenge some American politician’s belief that mass shooting events should be our norm instead of instituting common sense gun control initiatives.

Rating (story): 4/5 stars

Rating (narration): N/A

Formats: Hardcover (personal library)

Dates read: May 19 – July 28, 2009

Multi-tasking: N/A