As if : a crime, a trial, a question of childhood / Blake Morrison.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Morrison, Blake.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bulger, James, 1990-1993.

Bulger, James.

Venables, Jon, 1982-.

Venables, Jon.

Thompson, Bobby, 1982-.

Thompson, Bobby.

Murder--England--Liverpool--Case studies.

Murder.

Violence in children.

Children--Crimes against.

Trials (Murder).

Juvenile homicide.

England--Liverpool.

Juvenile homicide--England--Liverpool--Case studies.

Trials (Murder)--England--Liverpool--Case studies.

Children--Crimes against--England--Liverpool--Case studies.

Children.

Violence in children--England--Liverpool--Case studies.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

209 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

First Picador USA edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Picador USA, 1997.

Summary:

In February of 1993, in Liverpool, England, two-year-old James Bulger was led by the hand out of a mall and forced to walk two miles to the site of his own brutal murder. Later, as a shocked world demanded justice, James's two killers were put on trial. They were both ten years old. Blake Morrison, who covered the case for The New Yorker, explores its intricacies with the discernment of a journalist and the compassion of a father. He examines the ambiguous nature of his own childhood and parenthood, and poses troubling questions. How do we determine when children become adults? Who is responsible when a child commits a crime? What are the implications of parenting in an increasingly fragmented society? Is evil inherent or learned? As If is a forceful and important book, one that should be read by parents, journalists, teachers, attorneys, child-welfare workers, and anyone who cares about the rights and responsibilities of children.

ISBN:

0312167776

OCLC:

36900919