Reviews with content warning for Death - Zodiac

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Zodiac by Robert Graysmith

7 reviews

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

dark informative tense slow-paced

1.75

The author was an acceptable writer, considering he's an editorial cartoonist, not a professional non-fiction writer.

However, well informative, the book seemed to drag on forever. It was a bit too slow-paced for my liking. I assume he was writing the book, or basing the book on notes, written over many years. I think he should have edited it to make it flow smoother.

The book didn't tell me much I didn't already know, but I'm sure when it originally came out in the 80s it provided new information. If you've listened to a podcast or two on the case, then there's no need to read this book.

Narrator Rating: 2 stars

It felt like they picked a narrator from a trashy true crime documentary. His voice just had that, I'm a creepy, scary, bad man quality to it.

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radianorflin's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

Thoughts:

I like the exhaustive amount of detail that Robert fits into this narration, even though, at times, the main points of the narrative get lost in it and that makes the pacing drag.
The tone that Robert uses to narrate the murders of the victims felt kinda weird to me and took me out of the book a little bit. The first chapter, dedicated to David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, the original victims, was told in a very novel-like style. I get that he was reproducing the day of the murder from details researched and trying to package it in one cohesive story, but it feels strange to read a non-fiction book and get the sensation that you're reading a work of fiction.
I enjoyed more the chapters where Graysmith talks about his own investigation and research, rather than recreating events and investigations that he reproduced from collected data. I found fascinating his dive into the symbolism of Zodiac's actions and the psychology of a sexual sadist.
Graysmith's line of thinking and deduction process was also so interesting to read. It always feels like he's asking the right questions even if he doesn't always finds answers.
There was a chapter dedicated to a psychic, medium-type of individual named Joseph which was completely useless and pointless. It is eerie that he predicted the death of Kennedy by water and the exact hour of a plane crash, but it sounded like he was bullshitting his through all the declarations about the Zodiac and nothing he said is ever brought back. So what was the point?
Conclusion:

To say that I "enjoyed" this book feels wrong considering this is a real story with real crazy people who commit real tragedies, not an entertainment show. But it was an interesting read into a famous mystery that made me scared to ever hitchhike or be alone near a body of water.

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lukereads97's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.75

I've been a big fan of David Fincher's 2007 film "Zodiac" since I first watched it a few years ago. True crime isn't really my bag, but I've always been enraptured by the mystery of Zodiac, and how it was never properly solved. Graysmith's book is what inspired the screenplay for the film, and his writing is plain-spoken, easy to follow, and crafts an exciting narrative beyond just the straight facts, painting a picture of the nights the crimes occurred beyond reading like some dull procedural. His own theories and investigation definitely point to one particular suspect, probably to give the book some kind of direction beyond "we just don't know", not that it isn't a convincing argument! Some of the theories on Zodiac's motives and psychological profile feel a bit dated, but the book is nearly 35 years old, and the majority of the crimes were committed in the late 60s and early 70s. There were parts when ready when I felt as on edge as I did watching the movie, particularly in scenes where Graysmith is investigating leads alone. I really enjoyed digging a bit deeper!

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