(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch)
This is a very different – and some might say, difficult book, to read or review. It is the story of Christopher Pelloski, a renowned cancer doctor and researcher who was arrested, charged, and convicted of viewing child pornography on the internet. It is the second book written by Mr. Pelloski regarding this incident in his life, an incident which destroyed his career, his marriage, and nearly himself. It would be a stretch to call a book about this subject ‘entertaining,’ but it definitely is illustrative and thought provoking. It is a book to be read with an open mind.
That said, it is a very well written and captivating memoir, covering the time Mr. Pelloski spent incarcerated, his release, the revocation of his medical license, and the ultimate rebuilding of his life. Mr. Pelloski does a very good job of describing the conditions of the prison where he served his sentence as well as the range of emotions he endured while incarcerated and when he was released.
My only issues with the book were the often repeated comparisons Mr. Pelloski presented of how his crime (viewing child porn) compared to what are termed, ‘contact offenders,’(molesters) and how they (the contact offenders) were far worse individuals than himself.
As someone who has taught in a prison for over two years, I am well aware of this phenomenon – some would say protection method, of trying to assuage one’s guilt by pointing to and highlighting someone else’s ‘greater’ crime. The expression, ‘blowing out someone else’s candle to make yours burn brighter’ comes to mind.
I’m also aware of the often repeated vilifying of the criminal justice system and how dysfunctional and broken it is, as if this were somehow the cause of one’s actions. Pelloski brought this also numerous times as well.
If Mr. Pelloski had mentioned his above observations once or twice throughout the book, I would have likely given him a pass, but it came up far more times than it needed to be and often with increasing ferocity. It made the book longer than it needed to be, and didn’t add anything more of value to the narrative.
Still, A Tortuous Path is a very well written book and I wish Mr. Pelloski all the best as he moves forward in his life.
