Comprehending Columbine

by Ralph W. Larkin

Although there have been other books written about the Columbine tragedy, this is the first serious, impartial investigation into the cultural, environmental, and psychological causes of the massacre. Based on first-hand interviews and a thorough reading of the relevant literature, Ralph Larkin examines the numerous factors that led the two young men to plan and carry out their deed. Rather than simply looking at Columbine as a crucible for all school violence, Larkin places the tragedy in its proper context, and in doing so, examines its causes and meaning.

About the Author:
Ralph W. Larkin, Ph.D. is owner of Academic Research Consulting Service and a Senior Research Associate, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, Research, Sociology

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2007

Reviews

[Off Market578 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy... This author is a bit confused as to what kind of project he was attempting to do. It is marketed as a researched, scholarly type of work, one based on research and facts. It ended up being more along the lines of Capote's "In Cold Blood" genre in that the research was mixed with the author's assumptions, opinions, omissions, and storytelling.

I am not an expert on Columbine, I am however, extremely well-read on the subject and I don't just mean the books. I have read the boy's journals, the police reports and thousands upon thousands of documents that go with them, studied the websites, have researched bullying, etc... That being said, this is why I have a lot of problems with this book. Not only are there inconsistencies, there seems to be a blatant disregard for facts. Some examples of this would be anything from the small details such as saying that Eric threw a rock at Brook's windshield when in fact it was a snow/ice ball - not an important detail, but if you are going to report on something, be accurate. A more glaring example would be how Dylan is continuously portrayed as a bi-sexual simply because some reporter said he had met him on a chat room and Dylan had told him so. Really? You're kidding me right? (Sigh) I did read about the claims the reporter made regarding having been chatting with Dylan in some random chat room where he told him he was bi-sexual - why the reporter would have even asked a teenage boy about his sexuality I don't know (eyebrow raised). It was in one or two of the countless reports on this case - and may have been touched on in another book – I believe it was. Anyway, the story was discounted because there was no proof and they were unable to find any records of it ever happening. Also, as everyone knows, you could be talking to anyone in a chat room and they certainly don't need to tell you the truth. The consensus was that the reporter was working an angle for his own glory and it was disregarded completely. The other half of that, that I find terribly troubling, Larkin was supposed to be researching, yet he latches on to a story that all involved agreed was fictitious and he says nothing about the actual things that Dylan was conflicted and depressed about that you can see all over in his journal. Dylan was in fact, rather girl crazy. Unfortunately, girls were not crazy about him and as the rejections piled up, you can literally see the steps of the changes he goes through from elation, to depression, to suicidal, back to elation(new girl), and so on, until he ultimately becomes hateful and bitter. While not as full as Eric's, Dylan's journal is extremely telling and should have been considered for this work. Larkin also makes some sort of statement about how once their planning had begun, they were determined to follow it through. He also calls Dylan nothing but Eric's disciple. Again, not true. Dylan writes in his journal after being hurt and rejected once more that maybe going NBK with Eric is the only answer after all (implying by the context of the entry that he was not as serious about it as one would think when they were planning it). Immediately after that sentence, he wrote "Gawd" as if the thought of it was ridiculous. I would highly recommend that people read Dylan's journal - especially since Larkin has completely ignored it in this book. Probably because it would greatly contradict his "confused about his sexuality" theory.

This book also offers up a lot of regurgitated material - constantly in fact. Not only was it the research of others, many instances were quoted repetitively throughout the book.

One thing I did like, were the student interviews. It was interesting to read their thoughts and experiences. Clearly, there was bullying that was rather brutal to a certain part of the population, but it seems that a large majority of the students were not subjected to how violent things could really get. While these interviews were interesting, Larkin takes a lot of liberties with them. He also seems to freely diagnose people and situations - enter the fiction.

This is a troubling book in that it is inconsistent, subjective, and in some cases fictitious. Larkin seemed to be focused on Eric only, and ran rampant with his personal assumptions. If he wanted to write a subjective book regarding his assumptions regarding Columbine, perhaps he should have chosen a different title, perhaps something like, "My Assumptions Regarding Columbine.” I could offer a lot more as to why I have issues with this one, however, you get the gist and I'm ready to shelve it. Be careful here if it's your first read on Columbine - it's not the most accurate information and there is way too much omitted in order to benefit the author's own theories. It's rather misleading.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

In direct contradiction to another, more recently published book on Columbine, this author actually has his facts correct, and his subsequent theories about why Columbine occurred are excellent. This is the book to read if you really want to understand what went wrong, and how we can prevent other such tragedies from happening. After you read it, you'll understand how truly biased and wrong-thinking that other "non-fiction" book on Columbine really is.

That said, I do have a quibble with Larkin's book: I wish that he were not so extremely anti-Christian. Such writing seems out of place, considering that he correctly debunks the myth that the killers were targeting Christians. His statement declaring Christians to be "anti-science" is an argument that belongs in a different book, and lumping together all Christians with those hypocritical and self-aggrandizing "Christians" at Columbine is offensive. Genuine Christians don't attempt to "convert" you by declaring that you're going to hell, and genuine Christians don't live their lives in direct opposition to their stated values.

But all that aside, this book will be of tremendous value to anyone who genuinely wants to understand Columbine.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlike any other book on Columbine, Comprehending Columbine is an extensively thorough sociological research analysis of the culture and climate surrounding Columbine High School and the connected community. The study focuses on the bullying inflicted on the “outcasts” of the school within Columbine and the subsequent effects.

Reading like a textbook, Larkin’s writing isn’t compelling in the slightest, but instead tryingly dense. This book is not for the uncommitted, halfhearted Columbine-curious. To trudge through such an in-depth examination of social factors in a community — some that veer exasperatingly off topic — one must be an extreme enthusiast on the matter.

The subject matter is tapered to a precise thesis, and therefore has just as small of an interested audience. I cannot critique the chosen dissertation of Comprehending Columbine, but the way Larkin handled varying issues was at times inappropriate for a book advertised to be unbiased. Comprehending Columbine does what it sets out to do (i.e., to synthesize the sociocultural aspects of Columbine High School) and fulfills its purpose well, though admittedly in a disappointingly bleak and dry fashion.

[Alexandra Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pros: Did the most thorough job of detailing the nature of the bullying and the general social atmosphere at Columbine, which is something I've rarely been able to find in other sources. Also, I think Larkin did an excellent job pointing out all of the bullcrap coming from the evangelical Christians, some of which truly angered me, and I'm glad Larkin had to bravery to point out how ridiculous it all was.

The cons: Slightly repetitive. Only one factual error in the whole book that I noticed and I think that was when it was noted that the shooting was committed on April 20th to coincide with Hitler's birthday (it was delayed a day and was supposed to occur on the anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombings.) I would stress that I think the book's scope was a large one, placing Columbine into a larger historical context, but for me this just ended up filling the book with a lot of sociological tangents that I really wasn't interested in. I tend to think about the causes of Columbine on a more of a micro- scale rather than a macro- scale anyways. I just don't think Columbine can be tagged as another movement by young people the way Larkin seemed to talk about it in context of protest movements of past decades.

[Tara Brock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this book, however this author injects his feelings and prejudice into the text over and over. What was marketed as a study from a sociological standpoint (he has his graphs and charts), was over taken by the authors continuing jabs at the 'evangelicals' and 'jocks'.
I couldn't give the book just one star because he did have some interesting points, but some of his facts just don't add up. You cannot label someone as something merely because it would make your point more interesting.
I truly had a hard time with this book, especially the first half. He needs the subjects he interviews to follow him down his belief path and becomes frustrated when some are unwilling to go with him.
Jeff Kass is where you should begin if you are interested in Columbine. Dave Cullen of course is now synonymous with Columbine and while both of these men differ a bit on the whys, they are both worth the read and are SO much better than this.
If you are a true Columbine junkie like I am and read everything you can on the topic, this is worth adding to your collection. However, if you just have a passing interest, start somewhere else.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wavered on this, would have liked a 1.5 stars rating...he annoyed me being so whiny and talking about how great he was, then he had the nerve to say something less than laudatory about Dave Cullen, whose book on the subject is clearly the definitive work. I probably shouldn't read stuff like this when I am sick because I am REALLY cranky and MIGHT be unfairly critical...but I don't think so in this case. This guy really bugged me.

[Elisabeth Brookshire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read Cullen's "Columbine"

I picked this book up immediately after reading "Columbine". Having finished them back to back I would advise you to purchase this only if you are desperate for another opinion on what caused the Harris and Klebold murder suicides. The information in this book goes from factual, to subjective observation, to informal interview, to redundant and bizzare history lesson. I will briefly tell you I only learned maybe two new facts and then the subjective observations began in earnest. For example, while driving around the streets of Jefferson County, the author noted more SUV's than any other vehicle. At the park, he saw an all Asian pick up game of basketball. After shopping at the local mall, he noticed hardly any blacks and was also able to discern that the Latin population seemed to consist of Spaniards with Hispanic surnames. Upon entering the school, he saw kids walking to class, standing at lockers, and chit chatting. This was determined to be normal student behavior. We are treated to a strange description of the principal's physical appearance and a note that there was athletic material on the walls by the gym. So there's that. We get a history lesson which maybe if had been more brief could have been okay. Very little attention to Dylan Klebold is paid in the book. We hear way more about Eric likely because he was easier to figure out and put in a Neo Nazi skinhead box. So was he goth or skinhead? Goths tend to be open to many ways of life and would not likely hang out with a budding KKK member (I graduated HS in 1997, white suburban HS, Division 1 football team). Now for my last issue with this book, what the hell is a "Deep Christian" anyway? I have never heard that term. I grew up in a Pentecostal church who used " Promise Keepers " and Focus on the Family materials. We were taught to share Jesus with others and to participate at morning " See You at the Poll" prayer meetings. There was some kind of youth group you could go to after school if you chose to. I never witnessed a "Evangelical" Christian walk up to any Goth kid and warn them of their impending date with Satan. Take all of this out of the book and you are left with the insinuation that Dylan was a bisexual, likely in love with Eric. If you haven't stopped reading my review because this all sounds strange and like a hoax, it's not. It is 8 hours and $15 of my life that is gone.

[Jill Crosby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. SOMEBODY had an axe to grind with football players & evangelicals. And it wouldn't have been so self-servingly obvious that Larkin has nothing but the most highbrow contempt for these student factions if he hadn't kept hammering away at the deterioration of the school's internal atmosphere blaming jocks & Christians as a sort of "bullying one-two punch" at Columbine. I saw countless conclusions drawn without evidence for these conclusions cited; I also saw many references made to popular books (Bissinger's classic on high school football culture, Texas-style, Friday Night Lights) and magazine articles used as supporting evidence for Larkin's claims, not unlike one would see in a 9th grader's first foray into writing a research paper.
Inconsistencies abounded: an example---teachers, administrators, staff all turned a blind eye to the abuse that the "elite" perpetrated on those farther down the social pyramid; we also read, though, that Harris & Klebold, while making violent threats through a writing class, and making violent videos on school property were also given the tacit approval that comes with turning a blind eye by the staff. If any conclusions could be drawn, included would have to be that "Bad things happened at Columbjne because no grown-ups were paying attention." But Larkin is making so much noise pounding out his indictment of the football team, he misses a chance to delve into a far more interesting element.
Not a reliable piece of research, I'm afraid.

[Elpheaba · Rating 1 out of 5]

I regret spending money on this book (that very rarely happens to me). The author has too many generalizations, chases too many rabbit trails, and makes blatantly untrue statements. For example, in the chapter From Oklahoma City to Columbine, he states "Although numerous school shootings led up to the Columbine massacre, nobody had ever attempted to blow up a school." May 1927, Bath, Michigan, a disgruntled man blew up the school. He makes assumptions that are clearly based in his own prejudices, while failing to document them based on research. His interviews were very general and not addressing the specific subjects of his research. At one point, he blames an aggressive US foreign policy in part for the shootings, based on that assumption, it is amazing any of us are still alive. I finished this book, and consider it a miracle. I kept hoping he would bring it all together, but that never happened.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting examination of the 1999 tragedy. Examine both environmental factors and the personalities of Harris and Klebold.
The information in the book is solid and helps clarifies inaccuracies in the events.
There were several significant issues with the book. The author is inconsistent in his reporting of student information - he will frequently attempt to protect student identities by using only initials and then use the students' names freely. Second, the book was highly repetitive. Finally, the author, in an attempt to provide a historical context, would get lost in long descriptions of counterculture and and other topics without connecting them well to the events in Columbine.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shoddy research (blaring mistakes that I can recognize after only three months of Columbine research); two whole chapters not really related to Columbine at all; author has a heavy angle that he doesn't try to hide and it is clear he went into his research wanting to find support for his angle, so it affected all of his interviews; not a good book for people wanting to generally research Columbine or wanting or wanting to research how to prevent active shootings. Should be given 2 stars but I gave it 3 because his chapter on how adults (teachers and coaches) in the school often encouraged or supported (both passively and actively) bullying was excellent.

[Heather Colacurcio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm adding this to the long list of books I've read about Columbine. Larkin delves into the youth culture at Columbine highschool, as well as explains the social factors (community, school, peer) that may have contributed to Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's already disturbed psychological state. Don't expect a complete picture of the Columbine tragedy; Larkin's book looks at Columbine from a sociological perspective.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on the fence with this book... it is clearly just one man's point of view, and that one man does not like Evangelical Christians (and neither will you after this book). I lost interest 1/2 way...

[Cheryl Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Comprehending Columbine after finishing A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold, the mother of one of the shooters. While Ms Klebold's book gives insight into Dylan's personality and chronicles both events and her emotional journey afterwards. Larkin's account provides a broader perspective of Dylan Klebald and Eric Harris's milieu at the time of the shooting, and adds the perception of Dylan from sources outside the family. In my opinion, it provides a much more substantial reason for Dylan's decision to participate in the massacre.

Larkin references and supports his findings utilizing other studies, and overall I find the book objective and well-supported. Dylan Klebald and Eric Harris were in the lowest social echelon of the school, a group of about 20 students which one student described as "the losers." In a population of about 1800 students, they were overlooked, not seen, or ignored by some factions, tormented by others. They lacked the physical prowess, wealth, attractiveness, and/or social skills to fit in any top or middle groups, as well connections to any evangelical Christian youth groups, a predominant population in the area. The administration seemed oblivious to the majority of the bullying that existed. Granted, bullying often flies below the adult radar, but it seemed even more so at Columbine. Eric and Jeff faced constant harassment from certain individuals, primarily athletic ones, who seemed to escape consequences due to their status.

The atmosphere at Columbine combined to be toxic for those who didn't fit in. Dylan was described by others as immature, and described by a teacher as unlikeable. Jeff was an angry young man, and labelled by one study as a psychopath. Jeff was the dominant personality, but Dylan a willing participant. It seems that years of mistreatment provided them with the justification they wanted to retaliate. Fortunately, the scope of their plan was limited due to equipment failure. Otherwise, the deaths could have been significantly higher.

Being from another country, I am astounded by the role athletics plays in high schools. At Columbine, one athlete had been expelled from another school for violence, another had a restraining order from his girlfriend. One football player was late to a game because he was not bailed out of jail in time. Some of the coach/teacher/administrators appeared to deliberately overlook the unacceptable behaviour of athlete offenders, or minimize it, in order to keep their physical talents in play. When attendance dropped at football games, due to a dislike of team members, their coach instructed them to act nicer. Being an outsider, I don't understand why high school sports seems to approach the competitive level and prestige of professional sports. At the time of this writing, Kobe Bryant has recently died from in a helicopter crash and is being venerated and mourned as such a great man, while little mention is made that his 13 year old daughter died with him, or his conviction in a sexual assault case. In any case, it seems the abuse the boys suffered, if it was known, was tolerated or ignored, adding to their sense of injustice and worthlessness.

No excuse can be made for the actions Dylan Klebald and Eric Harris took on 29 April 2009, but to me it is clear from the information Larkin provided that if greater efforts had been made to ensure Columbine was a safe place for all students, and all students were treated equally, Klebald and Harris may well have not felt a desire to retaliate against their tormentors and the whole Columbine community that they felt made their lives so miserable.

[maría · Rating 3 out of 5]

analiza desde una perspectiva social todo lo q rodea la matanza en el instituto Columbine. aunque hace un muy buen trabajo explorando el ambiente profundamente blanco, rico y evangélico de la comunidad en la que sucedió Vs. el discurso dominante sobre los asesinos siendo la maldad personificada, creo que pasa bastante de puntillas la influencia de la ideología neonazi a la q ambos asesinos se adherían. de acuerdo con que el macro/microcosmos hipermasculino de Columbine/Estados Unidos at large es lo que sirvió como disparador... al final (i think) la figura del white male school shooter de bajo estatus social no es tanto una pobre victima de bullying como alguien que revierte procesos de emasculation de la forma más drástica (y seguramente hipermasculinizada) q tienen a su alcance: violencia extrema que emula al dedillo la cultura paramilitar y de la far-right.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept reading books until it made some sort of sense. This was my 6th Columbine book in about a month, coming last after Sue Klebold's, Kass's, Brown's Cullen's, and Brook's books. Each one revealed a piece of the puzzle. If the Harris's ever write a book, I'll read it; other than that, think I'm done. This book must have annoyed the hell out some groups at Columbine. Mirrors will do that.

[Sarah]

A little annoying. Nothing else to read.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several books, newspaper and magazine articles about Columbine. I think this book has a lot of truth in it about how the social structure and discipline policies impacted the students at Columbine high school. I believe this author's portrayal of violence and harassment of students conflicts with other accounts by other author's and eye-witnesses.

I think, the difference of opinions between authors, educational experts and students are a reflection of the perceptions and interpretations of incidents occurring at many schools here in the USA, including Columbine H.S. It all boils down to which 'side of the coin' those involved viewed their day to day existence. I think it is a debate that will never end, and unfortunately with Columbine, the exact motives behind the tragedy will never be known since the shooters are no longer here to answer all of our questions

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sociological look at the Columbine tragedy. I got kind of bored by the statistics, and ended up skimming/skipping sections like the one on The History of The Youth Movement, which seems like an unnecessary tangent. Larkin's conclusions on why the tragedy happened seem fairly sound, but I do wonder if his ideas on how to prevent another such tragedy would realistically work. While the book is interesting in that it proposes an answer to the burning question of "Why did this happen?" it is unintersting in its focus on statistics and tangential history. Basically, the idea was better than the execution.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehending Columbine by Ralph W. Larkin (Temple University Press 2007)(371.782). The author presents some interesting narrative, but he ultimately brings nothing new to the table other than his own opinion as to the shooters' reason for feelings of abject alienation. My rating: 5/10, finished 2008.

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am reading it now and it must be said that the author is biased. He lays out the main topics/causes but bends the truth through his personal political beliefs. I did not appreciate the anti-christian stance, either, as many others here have noted.
But the statistical demographics info was an important addition to the public record.

[Melisa Upton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was good, but a bit dry because it was from a sociological perspective. I would have preferred more psychoanalysis of Harris and Klebold.

[William R.]

Interesting view of school shootings and the shooters themselves. Definitely worth a read!