Fatal Vision

By: Joe McGinniss

Narrated by: Christopher Reeve

Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The true crime tale of Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, who murdered his pregnant wife and two young daughters and blamed it on hippies.

©1983 Joe McGinniss (P)2008 Simon & Schuster

Did the Doctor kill his wife and children? 3 STARS

PLOT: a marine green beret claims 4 hippis killed his family in a manson type murder.

BASED on a real life event. Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald is a green beret officer and his pregnant wife and children are murdered. Dr. MacDonald escapes with a few wounds. BEFORE the CSI forensics of today you name the flub it happened from important clues being dumped in the trash or moved or tampered with. When the horrific scene of the family killed in a bizarre way the only one alive is Dr. MacDonald who's story changes each time he tells it. AT first there is no real tie in and the military police who do not want to prosecute him he goes 10 years or more before a grand jury indites him. MacDonald hired an author to write his "version" of the story to raise money for his legal fees soon has the author deciding maybe he really did do it. The audio is a bit of a bore with a tiresome reader. I give it 3 STARS all the way. Dr. MacDonald is currently in prison for the murders and is up for parole~ this fall.

I absolutely loved this

Short and sweet but I can’t tell you how enough how well Christopher Reeves portrayed the attitude and personality of Jeffrey McDonald, I actually listened to it twice .

Fabricated but Enjoyable as Fiction

Which character – as performed by Christopher Reeve – was your favorite?

Reeve was phenomenal. He is missed.

Any additional comments?

Joe McGinnis is the worst sort of 'journalist'. Had he presented this book as fiction, I could've given it a wonderful rating, but it isn't. Fatal Vision is responsible for incarcerating a man who may be innocent and, even if guilty, never had a fair trial thanks in part to McGinnis. Read this as fiction as enjoy. As fact, it's disgusting and unconscionable.

Wish could be unabridged version

Great story. It stands in history of American crime. I will read the book now or hope to listen to unbridged version

True Crime! Made for TV? Except it really happened

The story of a military officer, a medical doctor, who committed a heinous crime, and his legal efforts to exonerate himself. Did he do it? Is he innocent, a victim himself of this crime? The case spans 10 years. The author gives you all the facts as they were uncovered and documented by the courts. Listen carefully. Then decide.

fascinating, but short

this is an incredible story and I would have liked more detail and substance. good story and narration

Christopher Reeve Secret Book Reading Genius: Reads True Crime Classic

I never cared much for Reeve's acting in movies, but I quickly discovered that he had a talent for reading books that was savant-like. You feel like your sitting next to the Narcissitic convicted murderer Jeffrey MacDonald as Reeve sighs, and huffs arrogant through his dialogue. I challenge the listener to listen to Reeve's portrayal then play an interview with the real MacDonald and try to tell them apart. It's that accurate a portrayal. Reeve is equally convincing as MacDonald's distraught mother-in-law. I love true crime books and this is a great one. However, it's Reeve's amazing reading and acting of all the parts in the book that make this so special.

interesting story

the story was interesting, full of ups and downs, seemed like it could never end but the narration was lack luster.

short and sweet

short. I'd like for it to have been longer. I didn't realize that it was only 2 hours long. good for a short story.

Abridged version

What would have made Fatal Vision better?

having the original version

What was most disappointing about Joe McGinniss’s story?

The abridged version has gutted the original book

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

narration was ok

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Fatal Vision?

If I was the editor, I would have left it alone - I think there were legal issues attached to it though

Any additional comments?

read the original book, its a true classic, very well written