kandicez's review against another edition
5.0
I forgot I had read this. It's incredibly sad, and whether you are for or against the death penalty, it makes you really think about the ramifications. Gilmore was intelligent, which I didn't expect. I actually felt guilty, assuming he would not have been.
julialandi13's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book! It was along read (about 1100 pages) but it read surprisingly fast. I admire Mailer's tenacity in putting together such a monstrously large true story. It provided an interesting, objective view of the death penalty and the flaws within the American judicial/prison system. It was strikingly emotional at points and kept me captivated all the way through. While it is a commitment to read I'd recommend it!
carlytenille's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Drug use, and Physical abuse
lesliejerkins's review against another edition
I’m proud I finished this beast (and WHY does Goodreads have it listed as fiction???? IT IS NOT AND I DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL THE AUTHOR’s note!!).
Did this book provide a lively book club discussion and lots to think about regarding capital punishment and prison reform? Yes.
Was it worth the overall slog? No.
True crime ain’t new.
Did this book provide a lively book club discussion and lots to think about regarding capital punishment and prison reform? Yes.
Was it worth the overall slog? No.
True crime ain’t new.
wah38's review against another edition
5.0
There is quite a backlash against romantic portrayals of murderers, particularly ones with as few redeeming qualities as Gilmore. But no matter what Dave Eggers or anyone else says, you can love this amazing book and not love Gary Gilmore. To be clear: Gilmore is the central character, with his abusive habits (most notably his repeated attempts to get Nicole to kill herself), his racism, and general psychopathy on full display. But this is also the story of 1976 America: after a decade-long death penalty moratorium (including the four years between Furman and Gregg), Gary Gilmore is what it took for a state to actually execute someone. Gilmore needed to be white (despite the protests of the NAACP that executing a white man would endanger the black folks on death row), unsympathetic, and most importantly, unique in his quest to actually be executed. Even so, Gilmore had to overcome obstacles to actually be executed. First, he had to overcome the ACLU and other anti-death penalty advocates advocating a reverse Kafkaesque nightmare where a prisoner is forced to challenge his death sentence at every turn (not to mention the Catch-22 of arguing that only an insane person would argue for their death penalty, and you can't execute the insane). Second, he had to overcome a state that kept refusing to believe that he was serious, fighting in the name of victim's families who refused to participate and keeping him from killing himself so that they could kill him later.
aniastef86's review against another edition
4.0
4,5⭐️ un resoconto maniacale della vita di Gary Gilmore, in particolare degli ultimi 9 mesi della sua vita, dalla scarcerazione al duplice omicidio e la conseguente condanna a morte. Agghiacciante, disturbante, asfissiante. Se non fosse stato per delle lungaggini nella seconda parte del libro, avrei dato 5⭐️ senza dubbio. È un lavoro assurdo. Sconvolgente.
kyshakitty's review against another edition
3.0
I did a report on this book for AP English. The teacher was pretty upset that I picked this book, but it was in our high school library and there were the required critical reviews. I got an A but she wouldn't let me read my report to the class. I am guessing she was against the death penalty. And there are some VERY adult situations in the book. I liked the book even though I am sure I probably didn't understand parts of it entirely and just didn't know that at the time.
doublethink's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5