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Secrets in the Cellar: A True Story of the Austrian Incest Case that Shocked the World
Josef Fritzl was a 73-year-old retired engineer in Austria. He seemed to be living a normal life with his wife, Rosemarie, and their family―though one daughter, Elisabeth, had decades earlier been "lost" to a religious cult. Throughout the years, three of Elisabeth's children mysteriously appeared on the Fritzls' doorstep; Josef and Rosemarie raised them as their own. But only Josef knew the truth about Elisabeth's disappearance…
For twenty-seven years, Josef had imprisoned and molested Elisabeth in his man-made basement dungeon, complete with sound-proof paneling and code-protected electric locks. There, she would eventually give birth to a total of seven of Josef's children. One died in infancy―and the other three were raised alongside Elisabeth, never to see the light of day.
Then, in 2008, one of Elisabeth's children became seriously ill, and was taken to the hospital. It was the first time the nineteen-year-old girl had ever gone outside―and soon, the truth about her background, her family's captivity, and Josef's unspeakable crimes would come to light.
John Glatt's Secrets in the Cellar is the true story of a crime that shocked the world.
For twenty-seven years, Josef had imprisoned and molested Elisabeth in his man-made basement dungeon, complete with sound-proof paneling and code-protected electric locks. There, she would eventually give birth to a total of seven of Josef's children. One died in infancy―and the other three were raised alongside Elisabeth, never to see the light of day.
Then, in 2008, one of Elisabeth's children became seriously ill, and was taken to the hospital. It was the first time the nineteen-year-old girl had ever gone outside―and soon, the truth about her background, her family's captivity, and Josef's unspeakable crimes would come to light.
John Glatt's Secrets in the Cellar is the true story of a crime that shocked the world.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
290 people are currently reading
6311 people want to read
About the author
John Glatt
38 books734 followersEnglish-born John Glatt is the author of Golden Boy Lost and Found, Secrets in the Cellar, Playing with Fire, and many other bestselling books of true crime. He has more than 30 years of experience as an investigative journalist in England and America. Glatt left school at 16 and worked a variety of jobs—including tea boy and messenger—before joining a small weekly newspaper. He freelanced at several English newspapers, then in 1981 moved to New York, where he joined the staff for News Limited and freelanced for publications including Newsweek and the New York Post. His first book, a biography of Bill Graham, was published in 1981, and he published For I Have Sinned, his first book of true crime, in 1998. He has appeared on television and radio programs all over the world, including ABC- 20/20Dateline NBC, Fox News, Current Affair, BBC World, and A&E Biography. He and his wife Gail divide their time between New York City, the Catskill Mountains and London.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/johnglatt
http://us.macmillan.com/author/johnglatt
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 614 reviews
April 12, 2009
I thought the writing was very bad. There were certain phrases that he repeated over and over in different chapters. It was apparent that this book was written in a hurry.
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August 11, 2025Mam tylko jedno pytanie: jak można zrobić coś takiego drugiemu człowiekowi?
August 24, 2014
I can't really say that I enjoyed this book, because of the content.
However, it was well researched and well written.
The ending was a little abrupt, but apart from that it was a great read.
October 22, 2025
I had super high hopes for this book. The entire case completely fascinated and disturbed me at the same time. So I bought the book and settled in for a good read. 3 months later after picking up the book at different times and reading more I realised that the book for me just lacked something I had loved in other true crime stories....it lacked the sense of tension and true horror that should have been there.
The book goes into a lot of detail, if you love that in a book you might well enjoy this. I found some of it was irrelevant to the telling and lost me as a reader somewhat along the way. Whilst really keen to know this story and the awful case that it was, I have to admit I struggled to want to keep picking this one back up again.
I am keen to see if there are other books written about this heinous case that I may try in the future. I see mixed reviews of this one and I think some will really love it but it just didn't really do it for me. 3 stars.
Thanks so much for reading my review! Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me. 😺
The book goes into a lot of detail, if you love that in a book you might well enjoy this. I found some of it was irrelevant to the telling and lost me as a reader somewhat along the way. Whilst really keen to know this story and the awful case that it was, I have to admit I struggled to want to keep picking this one back up again.
I am keen to see if there are other books written about this heinous case that I may try in the future. I see mixed reviews of this one and I think some will really love it but it just didn't really do it for me. 3 stars.
Thanks so much for reading my review! Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me. 😺
June 14, 2022
I listened to the audiobook, and that made my reading experience better. I didn't learn many things that I didn't already know from reading articles online, but it was still an enjoyable read. I hope hell is ready for Josef Fritzl, because that's where he's going.
3.5
3.5
March 16, 2009
This true story is horrifying and since I remember it happening I was glad to see this book come out. It was a very quick read but I felt the writing was somewhat choppy. The author tended to flit around and back and forth. I feel deeply for Elizabeth and her children and hope they have made a full recovery but since the book doesn't tell us that or what sentence her monster father received I felt a bit let down when the book ended...and that is pretty much what it did..it just ended.
November 21, 2015
A friend recently recommended a book titled Room. She briefly described the plot which sounded eerily similar to a true life scenario I had read about in the recent past. A little investigation proved that my memory is still functioning well.
Room was loosely based on this story, Josef Fritzl's story, the story of an Austrian father who builds an elaborate dungeon under his house where he later imprisons his own daughter, who he repeatedly rapes eventually fathering seven children by her during her captivity, three of which he brings up to live with him and his wife, three which are left to live in the dungeon (never knowing anything outside of their tiny dungeon world), and one which dies.
As one might imagine the story is bizarre.
Part of Martin's True Crime Library, this doesn't have the same literary quality and power as other true-crime classics like In Cold Blood, but it's competently written all the same. It certainly covers significant ground, providing the who, what, where, and even the why (though obviously there is a lot missing.)
Interestingly, in cases like this, I've come to believe the "why" seems less important. In cases like this, it doesn't matter if the perpetrator of the crime was abused as a kid, born with some neural defect, or some unthinkable combination. When a human being is capable of doing what he did, it doesn't matter what perfect storm made him/her. He/She needs to be removed from society indefinitely. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't try to understand the why at some point, just that at the end of the day protecting the rest of society from immediate harm should be our main concern.
I read a lot of true crime books and an interesting theme presented here that seems to be a common occurrence in other horrible crimes is that there were signs that something was not right with Josef Fritzl. He had a history of exposing himself to women. A father of four, he was convicted of a violent rape, eventually serving 18 months. He was well known to brothels near and far, where he was considered too "weird" and too "creepy" for many of the prostitutes. His daughter, whom he'd started raping at the age of 11, had attempted to run away from home on multiple occasions. She had even confided in some friends about her horrible home-life.
But wait...it gets more bizarre. Fritzl spent 6 long years building the dungeon all by himself, which required the excavation of like 72 truck loads of dirt (I can't remember the exact number but it's substantial.) He repeatedly belittled his wife, whom he stopped sleeping with because to use his words she was "too chubby" for his tastes. He was a strict disciplinarian who never spared the rod for fear of spoiling the child.
After he abducted Elisabeth, he went to the police and reported she joined a religious cult. Then when he later decided to bring up some of their children in order to foster his own kids and receive a hefty stipend from the state, he had Elisabeth dictate a note....supposedly written from her cult...and no one seemed the least bit suspicious. Neighbors reported he routinely issued stern warnings to tenants who resided in an area of the home that had been converted to apartments to never-ever enter the garden or the basement. Add that to the weird noises that tenants sometimes heard, missing food (food Fritzl took to feed his growing underground family), unexplained sky-high electric bills (since Fritzl had rigged the) and wheelbarrows full of grocery neighbors saw him wheeling into the basement.
I mean, I could see some of these things not raising a red flag...but when put together???? Seriously...this man had a wife and several adult kids, some of which lived in the home. In the twenty four years he kept his daughter imprisoned over 100 tenants lived in the converted apartments that were part of the property which coincidentally was located on a busy street.
Anyway, a fascinating story on many fronts. I wanted to read this before reading the fictionalized version for obvious reasons.
I won't even attempted to go into to some of the "more interesting details" as there are just too many here. However, as always there were a few passages that stopped me that are listed in the spoiler.
Room was loosely based on this story, Josef Fritzl's story, the story of an Austrian father who builds an elaborate dungeon under his house where he later imprisons his own daughter, who he repeatedly rapes eventually fathering seven children by her during her captivity, three of which he brings up to live with him and his wife, three which are left to live in the dungeon (never knowing anything outside of their tiny dungeon world), and one which dies.
As one might imagine the story is bizarre.
Part of Martin's True Crime Library, this doesn't have the same literary quality and power as other true-crime classics like In Cold Blood, but it's competently written all the same. It certainly covers significant ground, providing the who, what, where, and even the why (though obviously there is a lot missing.)
Interestingly, in cases like this, I've come to believe the "why" seems less important. In cases like this, it doesn't matter if the perpetrator of the crime was abused as a kid, born with some neural defect, or some unthinkable combination. When a human being is capable of doing what he did, it doesn't matter what perfect storm made him/her. He/She needs to be removed from society indefinitely. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't try to understand the why at some point, just that at the end of the day protecting the rest of society from immediate harm should be our main concern.
I read a lot of true crime books and an interesting theme presented here that seems to be a common occurrence in other horrible crimes is that there were signs that something was not right with Josef Fritzl. He had a history of exposing himself to women. A father of four, he was convicted of a violent rape, eventually serving 18 months. He was well known to brothels near and far, where he was considered too "weird" and too "creepy" for many of the prostitutes. His daughter, whom he'd started raping at the age of 11, had attempted to run away from home on multiple occasions. She had even confided in some friends about her horrible home-life.
But wait...it gets more bizarre. Fritzl spent 6 long years building the dungeon all by himself, which required the excavation of like 72 truck loads of dirt (I can't remember the exact number but it's substantial.) He repeatedly belittled his wife, whom he stopped sleeping with because to use his words she was "too chubby" for his tastes. He was a strict disciplinarian who never spared the rod for fear of spoiling the child.
After he abducted Elisabeth, he went to the police and reported she joined a religious cult. Then when he later decided to bring up some of their children in order to foster his own kids and receive a hefty stipend from the state, he had Elisabeth dictate a note....supposedly written from her cult...and no one seemed the least bit suspicious. Neighbors reported he routinely issued stern warnings to tenants who resided in an area of the home that had been converted to apartments to never-ever enter the garden or the basement. Add that to the weird noises that tenants sometimes heard, missing food (food Fritzl took to feed his growing underground family), unexplained sky-high electric bills (since Fritzl had rigged the) and wheelbarrows full of grocery neighbors saw him wheeling into the basement.
I mean, I could see some of these things not raising a red flag...but when put together???? Seriously...this man had a wife and several adult kids, some of which lived in the home. In the twenty four years he kept his daughter imprisoned over 100 tenants lived in the converted apartments that were part of the property which coincidentally was located on a busy street.
Anyway, a fascinating story on many fronts. I wanted to read this before reading the fictionalized version for obvious reasons.
I won't even attempted to go into to some of the "more interesting details" as there are just too many here. However, as always there were a few passages that stopped me that are listed in the spoiler.
April 14, 2023
Wysyp mamy ostatnio na polskim rynku tworów reportażopodobnych. Kolejny dziennikarz, prawnik, twórca kilkunastu książek o seryjnych mordercach na gdzieś prawdę, epatuje tylko coraz to wymyślnymi opisami przemocy. Jak odróżnić prawdę od fikcji, gdy nie sposób znaleźć w takich książkach źródeł podawanych informacji. Patrząc po ocenach, 98% czytelników na to gdzieś. Jeśli tylko przemoc Was interesuje, to powinniście się nas sobą zastanowić...
@moze_booka
@moze_booka
November 14, 2023
Gdzieś mi mignęła zapowiedź filmu na podstawie tych wydarzeń, przypomniała mi o książce i stwierdziłam, że musze ją ogarnąć na już. I jestem przeokropnie zawiedziona. Nie będę komentować samej historii, bo nie do pojęcia jest jakie rzeczy dzieją się pod nosem ludzi i nie mnie oceniać działań policji, bo nie wiem, jak to było w tamtych czasach.
ALE! Autor ma wyjątkowy talent do przedstawiania koszmarnych historii w totalnie nieciekawy i pozbawiony wyrazu sposób. Książka jest zwyczajnie nudna i pozbawiona jakiejkolwiek głębi. Po jej przesłuchanie nie wiem o tej historii wiele więcej niż przed jej zaczęciem, a wielokrotne powtarzanie tych samych zdań doprowadzało mnie do szału. Każda kolejna książka autora, po którą sięgnę jest coraz gorsza i nie wiem, czy nie czas na koniec tej przygody.
ALE! Autor ma wyjątkowy talent do przedstawiania koszmarnych historii w totalnie nieciekawy i pozbawiony wyrazu sposób. Książka jest zwyczajnie nudna i pozbawiona jakiejkolwiek głębi. Po jej przesłuchanie nie wiem o tej historii wiele więcej niż przed jej zaczęciem, a wielokrotne powtarzanie tych samych zdań doprowadzało mnie do szału. Każda kolejna książka autora, po którą sięgnę jest coraz gorsza i nie wiem, czy nie czas na koniec tej przygody.
March 12, 2016
Yes this was indeed a very quick read. I finished it last night so read it in 2 days and it was interesting but there are way too many questions left. Come on. we all want to know more about how the family is doing now. Does Elisabeth still not speak with Rosemary? How are the children doing? but you do not get any answers. i guess we have to wait to see if anyone of them will write a memoir.
I liked the book but I thought it was some what repetitive and most I already knew from the news papers. (and I hardly read the news!)
I read that someone said he was called insane but on wikipedia I read this:
"Fritzl's attorney, Rudolf Mayer, confirmed that a disguised Elisabeth sat in the visitors' gallery during the second day of proceedings, at the time her video testimony was aired. "Josef Fritzl recognised that Elisabeth was in court and, from this point on, you could see Josef Fritzl going pale and he broke down," Mayer said. "It was a meeting of eyes that changed his mind." The next day, Fritzl began the proceedings by approaching the judge and changing his pleas to guilty on all charges.
On 19 March 2009, Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 15 years. He said that he accepted the sentence and would not appeal"
I liked the book but I thought it was some what repetitive and most I already knew from the news papers. (and I hardly read the news!)
I read that someone said he was called insane but on wikipedia I read this:
"Fritzl's attorney, Rudolf Mayer, confirmed that a disguised Elisabeth sat in the visitors' gallery during the second day of proceedings, at the time her video testimony was aired. "Josef Fritzl recognised that Elisabeth was in court and, from this point on, you could see Josef Fritzl going pale and he broke down," Mayer said. "It was a meeting of eyes that changed his mind." The next day, Fritzl began the proceedings by approaching the judge and changing his pleas to guilty on all charges.
On 19 March 2009, Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 15 years. He said that he accepted the sentence and would not appeal"
April 26, 2023
Książka "Sprawa Josefa Fritzla" autorstwa Johna Glatta to wstrząsająca opowieść o szokującej zbrodni popełnionej przez austriackiego mężczyznę, który przez lata więził swoją córkę w piwnicy i dokonywał na niej okrutnych czynów. Glatt przedstawia historię Fritzla i jego ofiary w sposób szczegółowy i trzymający w napięciu, jednocześnie ukazując kontekst społeczny i kulturowy, który pozwolił na popełnienie tak straszliwego przestępstwa.
Osobiście uważam, że ta książka to świetnie napisana i ważna lektura, która ukazuje złożoność ludzkiej natury i tragiczne konsekwencje, jakie mogą wynikać z niewłaściwej interakcji między ludźmi. Chociaż niektóre fragmenty są bardzo trudne do przełknięcia, to uważam, że autor porusza temat w sposób wnikliwy i empatyczny.
Osobiście uważam, że ta książka to świetnie napisana i ważna lektura, która ukazuje złożoność ludzkiej natury i tragiczne konsekwencje, jakie mogą wynikać z niewłaściwej interakcji między ludźmi. Chociaż niektóre fragmenty są bardzo trudne do przełknięcia, to uważam, że autor porusza temat w sposób wnikliwy i empatyczny.
March 29, 2023
Dobry reportaż, ale u nas wydany wiele lat po premierze i mnie po prostu zabrakło zamknięcia.
O samej postaci Fritzla nawet nie będę się wypowiadać, bo nie istnieją słowa, które byłyby w stanie opisać jego demoniczność.
O samej postaci Fritzla nawet nie będę się wypowiadać, bo nie istnieją słowa, które byłyby w stanie opisać jego demoniczność.
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February 6, 2010I honestly can't rate this book. I want to give it at least 4 stars, but at the same time I feel that I'd be saying "good job" to Josef Fritzl, since this book would not have ever been written had it not been for his actions.
My mind still can't really grasp that a human being could be so cruel and heartless and egoistic to do the things he did to his own daughter, Elisabeth, to her children (who are his children as well). I am boggled that for over 20 years noone noticed anything out of the ordinary in that house.
As far as the writing itself, the book is mediocre. The author, John Glatt, makes you believe that everything you read is the truth: Josef's childhood, his prior murders/rapes, the things he said and/or did. Only towards the end of the book, you realize that a lot of those things were simply assumed, not much about Fritzl's past can be proven. The book is quite repetitive. At first, it's the account from the outsider's point of view. Then we hear the same story (and many times even the same sentences are used) when Elisabeth is telling it to the police. And finally, we hear it all over again from Josef. Therefore, the last few chapters were really a drag. It was clear that the author had really no "inside" knowledge of what was really going on with the treatment of all family members and how everyone is dealing with it. All of his information came from the tabloid magazines and newspapers.
My mind still can't really grasp that a human being could be so cruel and heartless and egoistic to do the things he did to his own daughter, Elisabeth, to her children (who are his children as well). I am boggled that for over 20 years noone noticed anything out of the ordinary in that house.
As far as the writing itself, the book is mediocre. The author, John Glatt, makes you believe that everything you read is the truth: Josef's childhood, his prior murders/rapes, the things he said and/or did. Only towards the end of the book, you realize that a lot of those things were simply assumed, not much about Fritzl's past can be proven. The book is quite repetitive. At first, it's the account from the outsider's point of view. Then we hear the same story (and many times even the same sentences are used) when Elisabeth is telling it to the police. And finally, we hear it all over again from Josef. Therefore, the last few chapters were really a drag. It was clear that the author had really no "inside" knowledge of what was really going on with the treatment of all family members and how everyone is dealing with it. All of his information came from the tabloid magazines and newspapers.
June 22, 2023
Przeczytałam ta książkę po to, aby dowiedzieć się więcej o tej sprawie. Czy się dowiedziałam? Tak. Zabrakło mi jednak paru informacji, moim zdaniem ważnych dla sprawy. Męczyło mnie powtarzanie w kółko tych samych informacji. Serio, nie potrzebuje powtarzania 200 razy tego samego. Rozdziały, tak na prawdę mogłoby ich nie być, ponieważ chronologia w tej książce nie istnieje. Mimo wszystko książka miała swoje momenty gdzie „przyjemnie” mi się czytało. Mój komentarz na temat książki, jest tylko i wyłącznie ocena PISANIA I PODAWANIA INFORMACJI, nie sprawy opisywanej. Szczerze mówiąc, dużo bym zrobiła, żeby porozmawiać z Elisabeth, jestem tak z niej dumna.
August 1, 2017
True Crime Commemoration # 24
Setting: Austria
Can be traced back to 1984
Seriously fucked up
Setting: Austria
Can be traced back to 1984
Seriously fucked up
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March 18, 2022I'm not going to give this one a numbered rating, I'm really not sure what I 'could' give it! The story is obviously disturbing and dark, though that's obviously due to Fritzl's horrific crimes rather than the author's literary skills.
October 20, 2016
I found out about this woman and children's case from a Netflix documentary, and I needed to know more: How could this happen? Why did this happen? What kind of world do we live in where people can do this to each other? How, given the prevalence of depression and suicide among the general population in circumstances of freedom, did these captive people possibly survive 24 years underground in just a few windowless rooms? And how little do women's lives matter if so many people could know one was missing and see obvious signs her father was up to something over the years, but never question him or hold him accountable?
I did not rate the book 1 star because it was poorly-written or deficient on part of the authors. Given the material, their report was actually thorough and engaging. However, I just did not know what else to feel given the subject matter, the sadness and anxiety I felt after finishing it, and the reality it was a true story and not a fiction horror novel. Thank God higher powers saw fit for their situation to end finally.
I did not rate the book 1 star because it was poorly-written or deficient on part of the authors. Given the material, their report was actually thorough and engaging. However, I just did not know what else to feel given the subject matter, the sadness and anxiety I felt after finishing it, and the reality it was a true story and not a fiction horror novel. Thank God higher powers saw fit for their situation to end finally.
November 14, 2011
This book was written too soon after the crime took place, we didn't even get a prison sentence at the end of the book. I hate it when TC authors wanting to be the first to write about a crime jumps right on it offering the reader the same thing the media reports have already shared. Hopefully Elisabeth will choose to tell her own story one day...
July 31, 2023
This has to be one of the worst cases of abuse in modern history. I almost didn’t finish this one because of my mind’s eye visualizing the story. I thought Glatt did a great job telling the Elizabet’s story. I can only hope that everyone is able to get the help they need for as long as they need.
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September 4, 2021Truly can’t believe people like this exist🤯
November 2, 2021
In 1984 in Austria, Josef Fritzl (who had already been raping his middle daughter, Elisabeth, since she was 11-years old), imprisoned her (now 18) in a dungeon under his house that no one knew existed. He had spent six years building it. He kept her there for 24 years, and fathered seven children with her (he already had seven with his wife – Elisabeth being the middle/4th one).
This book does look at all the abuses toward his daughter that just went on and on. Not only that, but previous to all this, he had a history of sexual crimes, only one of which he was convicted and went to jail for. His wife knew nothing about what had happened to Elisabeth – he told everyone she had run away (which would have been no surprise, as she had run away a couple of times previous) to join a religious cult. He took three of the children upstairs to raise them with his wife as adopted/foster children, so he could get the money for them. So, three of the children were raised in the “real world” upstairs, while three others in the dungeon, never seeing sunlight, and rife with all kinds of health issues (the 7th child only lived a few days before dying when Josef refused to get him medical help).
What a monster! Omg, don’t read this if you are at all queasy. I don’t know if I remember this case. She got out with her kids in 2008, only a couple of years after Natasha Kampusch (and I do remember that one). Maybe I don’t remember as much because the entire family ended up changing their names/identities so they could try to get some peace and try to heal. Elisabeth and her children got out of the dungeon in 2008 and the book was published in 2009. The book still managed to get in much of the aftermath, though I did look up more (the trial and to see how Elisabeth and her kids were doing after the end of the book). There is some repetition in the book, but it was well-researched.
This book does look at all the abuses toward his daughter that just went on and on. Not only that, but previous to all this, he had a history of sexual crimes, only one of which he was convicted and went to jail for. His wife knew nothing about what had happened to Elisabeth – he told everyone she had run away (which would have been no surprise, as she had run away a couple of times previous) to join a religious cult. He took three of the children upstairs to raise them with his wife as adopted/foster children, so he could get the money for them. So, three of the children were raised in the “real world” upstairs, while three others in the dungeon, never seeing sunlight, and rife with all kinds of health issues (the 7th child only lived a few days before dying when Josef refused to get him medical help).
What a monster! Omg, don’t read this if you are at all queasy. I don’t know if I remember this case. She got out with her kids in 2008, only a couple of years after Natasha Kampusch (and I do remember that one). Maybe I don’t remember as much because the entire family ended up changing their names/identities so they could try to get some peace and try to heal. Elisabeth and her children got out of the dungeon in 2008 and the book was published in 2009. The book still managed to get in much of the aftermath, though I did look up more (the trial and to see how Elisabeth and her kids were doing after the end of the book). There is some repetition in the book, but it was well-researched.
November 19, 2021
This was such a horrifying read that, at times, I didn’t know if I would be able to get through it. This is reading in-depth about a case that is probably one of the worst things I’ve ever heard in my life. There was a little repetition but it was overall extremely thorough in providing the fullest possible picture, given that much of the details are sealed and the family of victims have quite rightly remained private.
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August 7, 2022This story is very traumatic and disgusting and vile. But my first thought upon closing the book is that the death penalty should always be on the table for violent sexual crimes, especially ones of this nature. He should be rotting in the ground by now. *spits*
August 11, 2009
I think Glatt did a stellar job with Secrets In The Cellar. I've been wanting to read about the case more in depth since the news broke of what Josef Fritzl did and I finally got my chance. I don't think he should have waited until the outcome of the trial and I didn't feel left hanging at all. I feel more knowledgable about the case now.
A few people reported that they read numerous parts repeated in the book but I didn't find anything of the sort and I'm a stickler for things like that. He mentioned one or two facts maybe twice but always when it was needed and nothing more. That's a good book in my opinion.
This is the book to read if you want to learn more about Fritzl and his life and his crimes.
A few people reported that they read numerous parts repeated in the book but I didn't find anything of the sort and I'm a stickler for things like that. He mentioned one or two facts maybe twice but always when it was needed and nothing more. That's a good book in my opinion.
This is the book to read if you want to learn more about Fritzl and his life and his crimes.
January 26, 2016
Amazing story! I was overwhelmed by what Elizabeth Fritzl and her children went through. I was even more overwhelmed to realize that her father was about 10 times as evil as I expected from hearing about him on the evening news. I applaud the author for not once descending into tabloid exploitation in writing this story, and for not once using the word "alleged."
November 28, 2024
„Ten człowiek jest martwy. Żywi się życiem emocjonalnym innych osób (…) A żeby zostać wampirem, trzeba dać się ugryźć przez jednego z nich.”
𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐀 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐅𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐙𝐋𝐀 to kawał dobrego reportażu true crime.
O sprawie Fritzla i jego więzienia w piwnicy słyszał chyba każdy, kto urodził się jeszcze w latach 90’. Sprawą Fritzla żył wtedy cały świat. A o co się rozchodzi?
Austryjak, Josef Fritzl, przez 24 (!!!) lata więził, gwałcił i znęcał się nad swoją córką Elizabeth. Przez te 24 Elisabeth urodziła mu siedmioro dzieci, z czego jedno zmarło na krótko po narodzinach, a troje wychowywało się nad piwnicą, z Josefem i jego żoną, bez żadnej wiedzy o swojej matce. W 2008 roku, po 24 latach spędzonych z daleka od światła słonecznego, dostępu do świeżego powietrza Elizabeth opuściła loch tylko dlatego, że jej córka potrzebowała pilnej hospitalizacji. Dopiero wtedy na jaw wyszły przewiny tego człowieka.
Jeśli tylko ten pobieżny skrót prawie ćwierćwiecza sprawił, że się wzdrygnęliście to nie wiem, czy jesteście gotowi poznać tę pozycję od deski do deski.
Wewnątrz poznajemy życie Fritzla od początku, od dzieciństwa, co może być swoistą genezą narodzenia się w nim potwora. Bo czy Elisabeth była jego pierwszą ofiarą? Otóż nie.
To człowiek ogromnie zdeprawowany, lubujący się w dewiacjach, różnego rodzaju seksualnych ekscesach o libido tak wysokim, że mógłby nim obdzielić wielu. Burdele, podglądactwo, ekshibicjonizm - to lista podstawowych zagrań Fritzla.
John Glatt zebrał masę materiałów, wywiadów do kupy dając nam do rąk kwintesencję życia Fritzla i tragedii, którą zgotował całej swojej rodzinie. Człowiek, który do samego końca nie czuje skruchy, bezczelny manipulant i egocentryk.
𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐀 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐅𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐙𝐋𝐀 to książka, której fan true crime nie może sobie odmówić.
𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐀 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐅𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐙𝐋𝐀 to kawał dobrego reportażu true crime.
O sprawie Fritzla i jego więzienia w piwnicy słyszał chyba każdy, kto urodził się jeszcze w latach 90’. Sprawą Fritzla żył wtedy cały świat. A o co się rozchodzi?
Austryjak, Josef Fritzl, przez 24 (!!!) lata więził, gwałcił i znęcał się nad swoją córką Elizabeth. Przez te 24 Elisabeth urodziła mu siedmioro dzieci, z czego jedno zmarło na krótko po narodzinach, a troje wychowywało się nad piwnicą, z Josefem i jego żoną, bez żadnej wiedzy o swojej matce. W 2008 roku, po 24 latach spędzonych z daleka od światła słonecznego, dostępu do świeżego powietrza Elizabeth opuściła loch tylko dlatego, że jej córka potrzebowała pilnej hospitalizacji. Dopiero wtedy na jaw wyszły przewiny tego człowieka.
Jeśli tylko ten pobieżny skrót prawie ćwierćwiecza sprawił, że się wzdrygnęliście to nie wiem, czy jesteście gotowi poznać tę pozycję od deski do deski.
Wewnątrz poznajemy życie Fritzla od początku, od dzieciństwa, co może być swoistą genezą narodzenia się w nim potwora. Bo czy Elisabeth była jego pierwszą ofiarą? Otóż nie.
To człowiek ogromnie zdeprawowany, lubujący się w dewiacjach, różnego rodzaju seksualnych ekscesach o libido tak wysokim, że mógłby nim obdzielić wielu. Burdele, podglądactwo, ekshibicjonizm - to lista podstawowych zagrań Fritzla.
John Glatt zebrał masę materiałów, wywiadów do kupy dając nam do rąk kwintesencję życia Fritzla i tragedii, którą zgotował całej swojej rodzinie. Człowiek, który do samego końca nie czuje skruchy, bezczelny manipulant i egocentryk.
𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐀 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐅𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐙𝐋𝐀 to książka, której fan true crime nie może sobie odmówić.
April 13, 2020
Solid true crime book that deals with a case so ugly, you might have to force your way through some segments. Well written, though it becomes somewhat repetitive towards the end, when the same things the author has conveyed earlier become repeated through quotes from newspaper articles and interviews regarding the case after it was made public in 2008. Recommended for true crime readers and essentially anyone trying to understand the problem of evil - and/or the "after effects" of the nazi regime in Austria, believe it or not.
February 4, 2023
This book, tells the story of one of Austria’s darkest true crime stories. This book was very informational and made you feel for the victim(s) in this story. One thing I will say, is that the writing was a little elementary but over all this book is another great true crime book that shows you the horror of this world and the fall out from previous trauma.
March 11, 2021
Wow. Just wow. If you are in to true crime, this is one book to add to your "to read" list. Elizabeth has been held hostage by her own father and held in a dark cellar for 24 years. She is raped by him and delivers his children alone, in which she has five because he doesnt wear contraceptives. these children never see the light of day until he frees them when one becomes so sick she almost dies. the determination to live in horrible conditions is incredible and trying to make their lives as good as possible requires a lot of human spirit, drive, and love.
December 15, 2017
So, I'll be the first to confess that I was swept up in this case when it was first brought to the public eye. It's morbid, yes, but it's also fascinating. I had done research online to find out all that had happened, and learned that there were some books on the subject. Coincidentally, I stumbled upon this one at a thrift store and I couldn't resist picking it up. Unfortunately, it wasn't that great of a book.
This is a part of the True Crime book series, that is, a series of factual books that examine real life crime cases. True crime. So it really bothered me that the author used fictionalizations on the people in this book who are real people, and not characters. More than once, things like this were said: "He must have known he was evil" or "she must have been scared". The author doesn't know that. Stick to the facts, and quit trying to make an already horrible story more dramatic. This extends to the passages about Josef's personal life, where the prostitutes talked about how rough and violent he was, so that only a few of them would let him be a client anymore. He makes himself look evil- we don't need to look at his BDSM lifestyle to make him even more villainous. The prostitutes did take him as a client, and did their job. While it might be morally wrong since he had a wife, this seemed like an unnecessary add on to a guy who could already be a Batman villain. He doesn't need puffing up, he's horrid on his own.
The book as a whole also wasn't written very well. It was really repetitive. You could tell when the author was really proud of a phrase or a thought, because it would show up multiple times throughout the book. There were sentences that were awkward and ended with prepositions. There's also misuse of the word "irony". It feels rushed and it probably was, as everyone was quick to make a buck off of someone else's tragedy.
Personally, I also didn't really learn that much more from this book. I knew most of this from previously reading articles online. If you've never heard of this case or only know the rough story of what happened, I'm sure that you'd find it more interesting and engrossing than I did.
That said, the case is fascinating, so the book isn't a total loss. I appreciated the fact that in the middle of the hardcover edition, there's a few pages of photographs. I did think it weird though that the author vividly describes some photographs that are not included in these pages. I thought for sure it would be included, since he was so detailed, but nope.
I'm not sorry I read this book, but I'm not holding onto it either. It's the kind of book you only need once. If you're interested in crimes, nonfiction, or this case in particular, I'd recommend at least flipping through it, but maybe get it from a library instead of running out to the store to buy it.
This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
This is a part of the True Crime book series, that is, a series of factual books that examine real life crime cases. True crime. So it really bothered me that the author used fictionalizations on the people in this book who are real people, and not characters. More than once, things like this were said: "He must have known he was evil" or "she must have been scared". The author doesn't know that. Stick to the facts, and quit trying to make an already horrible story more dramatic. This extends to the passages about Josef's personal life, where the prostitutes talked about how rough and violent he was, so that only a few of them would let him be a client anymore. He makes himself look evil- we don't need to look at his BDSM lifestyle to make him even more villainous. The prostitutes did take him as a client, and did their job. While it might be morally wrong since he had a wife, this seemed like an unnecessary add on to a guy who could already be a Batman villain. He doesn't need puffing up, he's horrid on his own.
The book as a whole also wasn't written very well. It was really repetitive. You could tell when the author was really proud of a phrase or a thought, because it would show up multiple times throughout the book. There were sentences that were awkward and ended with prepositions. There's also misuse of the word "irony". It feels rushed and it probably was, as everyone was quick to make a buck off of someone else's tragedy.
Personally, I also didn't really learn that much more from this book. I knew most of this from previously reading articles online. If you've never heard of this case or only know the rough story of what happened, I'm sure that you'd find it more interesting and engrossing than I did.
That said, the case is fascinating, so the book isn't a total loss. I appreciated the fact that in the middle of the hardcover edition, there's a few pages of photographs. I did think it weird though that the author vividly describes some photographs that are not included in these pages. I thought for sure it would be included, since he was so detailed, but nope.
I'm not sorry I read this book, but I'm not holding onto it either. It's the kind of book you only need once. If you're interested in crimes, nonfiction, or this case in particular, I'd recommend at least flipping through it, but maybe get it from a library instead of running out to the store to buy it.
This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
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