Review of Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour

Channeling Ricky: Miss Landers' Book Club

Following is a review written at the above link. Channeling Ricky is an interesting blog, and I truly appreciate this perceptive, insightful review of GNGS posted there.

REVIEW:
I have been meaning to write a review of this book for awhile now and a few Channeling Ricky readers have asked me about it recently. I read Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour after (no, not before) I started writing The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood blogs. I took time to read the book again recently and I will tell you why in a moment.


The book recounts the death of actress Natalie Wood, who drowned near Catalina island in November, 1981. Wood was married to actor Robert Wagner who many have speculated to have been responsible for her early demise. Wood and Wagner owned the yacht Splendour, of which co-author Dennis Davern was the captain. These three individuals, along with actor Christopher Walken, traveled on the Splendour to Catalina for a Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Until the publication of the book, details about the weekend spent by the foursome were pretty sketchy. None of the survivors of the weekend ever said much publicly about the drowning. Deemed an unfortunate accident by the Los Angeles Coroner and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the case was quickly closed.

Marti Rulli, who is the author of the book and a long time friend of Davern, tells Dennis' story for him. Her story is woven with Davern's as she recounts her efforts over the decades to get Davern to share the details of the weekend at Catalina. Davern was not forthcoming with his story, as he vacillated between loyalty to, and fear of Wagner, and suffered from depression, probable post-traumatic stress and alcoholism. Eventually, he told Rulli the whole story. Rulli arranged for Davern to take a lie detector test and undergo hypnosis to demonstrate his truthfulness and to further recall the events on the yacht prior to Wood's death.

Rulli's story is the reason why I read the book a second time. On the first go-round, I wasn't too interested in her component, believing that perhaps she should have left herself out of the narrative. But she is the one that Davern eventually opened up to, and she went through a lot of personal transformation while awaiting for this event to occur. After reading her book and following her blog, I believe Ms. Rulli is probably the foremost authority on the death of Natalie Wood, except for Mr. Wagner, of course and he isn't exactly giving us the real story.

The book is suspenseful. It is difficult not to read ahead to find out what did happen in November 1981. I felt a little sympathy for Davern, whom I view as dysfunctional at the time but not necessarily culpable. He could have saved Natalie Wood, but he did not. He had had too much to drink, he was afraid of Robert Wagner, he didn't know Natalie was in the water, he was instructed not to turn on the yacht's emergency lighting, he could not hear her over the radio, etc. Is he also guilty, as he believes Wagner is, by association and collusion with Wagner, and because he failed to act to save Ms. Wood when moments were critical? I believe he is also responsible for his failure to act, but the degree of responsibility is difficult to determine.

Davern demonstrates bravery now that he did not demonstrate at the time of Wood's drowning. He has finally told his story, when he could have left it untold and Wood's death mostly forgotten. Instead he chooses to lay the facts on the table, indicting Mr. Wagner for Wood's death and himself for cowardly behavior. Throughout the book Davern expresses remorse for not saving the life of his friend and employer Natalie Wood. He reminisces about her and her family, reminding us of her humanity. A fascinating read, Davern's story, and that of Natalie's, will continue to haunt this reader for years to come.