3,096 Days in Captivity: The True Story of My Abduction, Eight Years of Enslavement,and Escape

I don't usually take the time to submit a written review along with my star rating, however, this true story made such an impact that I felt compelled to write. Natascha Kampusch is an extraordinary person, who's insight into her own situation, mental strength, and consistent strong will coupled with the genuine empathy she felt for kidnapper--while also knowing he was a criminal--is nothing short of astounding. She was somehow able to see into his soul and know he was not an evil person, although the government coverup for purely political gains was sickening. The woman behind that decision is evil incarnate. I believe 2016 and 2017 will be recognized, world wide, as the time when the ordinary citizens finally had enough and refused to put up with the epidemic of governmental corruption, abuse, lies, hypocrisy and refusal to do what they were elected to do. Throughout her tortuous ordeal and after, Natascha Kampusch has managed to maintain her inner strength, faith in a bright future, and a grateful heart. There truly isn't anything this remarkable woman can't do, if it's what she wants. Natascha Kampuscha, I wish you a long, healthy, happy life filled with love and joy.
~Amber Johnson, Florida USA

I had no idea what to expect. But I read this saga in one setting; I could not stop. The little girl/woman who penned this true epic of kidnapped agony and her amazing spirit of survival is breath-taking. Even as she wrote the heart-stabbing and terrifying story, her ability to share was like learned and lovely prose. I tip my hat to the 8 yr old, the 18yr old, and the author (of course all being one)!!! And strange as it is, I could read it again........sigh...... Recommend to those who enjoy a highly interesting story written exceptionally well.

First of all, I'd like to begin by saying whatever horrors you are expecting in reading this book, expect worse. The psychological and physical abuse this woman endured will stay with you forever. Having said that, I appreciate that she does clear up misunderstandings about him being a sex fiend. The media portrayed the kidnapper as such and although she did admit being sexually abused, this was not the extent of her torture. Her accounts of abuse were so harrowing that I had to skip over her diary entries of what happened, they were so horrific, I don't know how she stayed alive. She was a smart girl from the beginning, painting a picture of what her life was like before, and what I like about this book is she describes victimization in BOTH the kidnapper and the media. In her epilogue, it is incredibly apparent, her imprisonment is highly the fault of the police. Though the minute she addressed this, the police resent not being portrayed as heroes and try to deter from this by coming up with various conspiracy theories, which Ms. Kampusch makes it evident are not true. I also like how she states the media plays a huge role in victimizing her as well. Society wants so to believe in the black and white, the good and the evil, in labels. In an ideal society, this good would be the police, and the evil the kidnapper. When she would make the colors run and show that there IS a gray area, the media would then label her as having Stockholm Syndrome, a term she refutes until this day. Human beings are highly complicated individuals, and without a doubt should be outlawed from doing certain evil things, but society is so quick to paste a face on Evil, that when someone like Kampusch’s kidnapper comes along, there is no gray, no humanity, when in fact, its a lot more complicated than that. Amazing writer, brilliant woman. Brilliant analyzing of her situation.

I cannot imagine what Natascha Kampusch went through but I found the book monotone and repetitious. I understood her anguish while in captivity and her determination to survive, yet it took me several nudge from my conscious to pick up the book again and again to finish it. I am not trying to imply that the book was boring, as certainly it was a horrific experience, but knowing that the story was true, I suppose I expected more details. By the way, I came from her neighborhood country and I knew all the areas that she tried and failed to describe.

This book differs from many other stories involving kidnapping in the sense that the author is taken as a child, and learns to adapt to her oppressive surroundings perhaps more easily than an adult ever could. She explains her dismissal of "Stockholm Syndrome" as a pathology, stating that the ability to empathize with one's kidnapper is actually an invaluable survival mechanism in the sense that it enables the victim to gain insight into their captor's behavior, something that the victim might not accomplish as easily if taking on a more defiant stance. Her journey is long and tenuous but her mindset practical, and the reader will get the impression relatively early in the book that Natascha will, through incredible mental resourcefulness, emerge victoriously from the confines of her dungeon.

Good book. It does seem a little tedious if you don’t have a good attention span, but you cannot blame the author. It is in these small details that she illustrates her ordeal and her survival. These small seemingly inane things were the basis of her life in captivity. That was her life, and it helped me at least, understand how she was able to survive and keep her strength and wits. She doesn’t like the term “Stockholm syndrome”, but that is exactly what she developed. She was a child, her captor her only human influence. It doesn’t seem strange to me that she became attached to him. He became her entire world. Her family, friend, captor, lover in a sick twisted way. I can understand why she felt she could not escape all those times. I can also understand leaving out the sexual abuse, but it is very clear that that is precisely why he kidnapped her. He was a pedophile.I am not sure I believe that he waited until she became older to rape her, but certainly she knows that the public thrives on salacious twisted details, and wanted to maintain her dignity by leaving that out. I can imagine what it was like and that’s enough. I’m very glad that she got the strength to escape and she is a very strong woman to be admired for her tenacity and intelligence in staying alive as long as she did. Certainly she is alive today only because of that strength and intelligence. I wish her the very best.

Natascha's ability to convey her experiences eliciting the empathy and compassion that she deserves, to show just how perceptive young people truly are and to poignantly confront societal issues, she is a testament to all (courage, strength, perceptiveness, insight, endurance and so much more) that lives within each of us. Thank you Natascha for your vulnerability and connecting with us. Namaste🙏🏻

I think Natascha gave a good insight into her world for 8 years. She did what she had to do to survive and that is all she could do. No one should judge her for how she feels about the kidnapper or how she chooses to live with it. Those of us lucky enough to to have not been forced to live with such crimes gets a glimpse into the terror, acceptance of her situation and the will to fight for her life.

It's hard not to want to punch someone in the face after reading these reviews. I find it incredibly sad how quickly people judge
this woman and call her story boring. So sorry being trapped in a dungeon for 8 years bored you. I found the book incredible and the author strong. My disappointment lies in the readers who presume they know the right way to act and feel as if they have a clue what it would be like to be abducted at the age of ten then systematically abused for 8 years.

I've seen this young woman speak and she did NOT write this book. It's definitely not in her voice which is disappointing to me. She is simple and plain speaking and something about that makes her story more horrific. Reading this "ghost writer" version, I have to admit that I don't feel as sympathetic to her as she reflects on societal ills or social justice theory. It would have been far more effective to have let her straightforward, honest manner come through instead of letting the ghost writer color the narrative so much.