In 2012, journalist Anna Krien followed the rape trial of a footballer. What follows is Night Games, a long form, investigate non-fiction book uncovering the dark underbelly of Australian football culture. From Matty Johns to Collingwood to American fratboys, Krien explores the way macho culture perpetuates misogyny, violence and rape.
In many ways, this is a difficult read, and it's a testimony to Anna Krien's writing that I inhaled it in less than a week. Her investigative style, conversational writing and tenacity at shedding light on a topic is undoubtedly compelling, and her presence within the book as both observer and participant, academic and civilian is pretty affecting. I particularly liked her swing between very difficult case studies and statistics to anecdotes, something which both lightened the mood and emphasised the case.
Before I even picked it up, a friend of mine said that it was great until the end, that Krien's reluctance to pick a side damned the last half for her. I don't entirely agree. I think it works as a subjective objective piece. Where I think it does fall down though is that we don't hear at all from Sarah, the victim of the trial the case is about. As a reader, we understand why. Sarah was incommunicado for the whole of it, and Krien's efforts to speak to her were routinely met with dead ends. That said, we needed to. We needed to understand the full effect on Sarah, needed Krien's keen, observational eye on her to fully flesh her out as Krien does Justin and Justin's passionate family. That loss is felt.
4 out of 5.
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