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livkka's review against another edition
3.0
Trochę zbyt chaotycznie napisana jak dla mnie, ale może to też wynikać z tego, że nie jestem osłuchana z rosyjskimi nazwiskami.
shegeekdawn's review against another edition
2.0
First off, this is not a book for everyone, especially those with weak stomachs. There are some very detailed descriptions of the brutalities committed by Andrei Chikatilo, who killed more than 50 victims before being caught. These were women and children, and he sexually abused many of them. Secondly, some license is taken in the telling of the events. Obviously, the writer could not know the exact details of many things that happened. But it's obvious that a lot of research went into this book as well.
Though it's an interesting read, the psychosis of Chikatilo gets overwhelming at times, as do the details of what he did to individual victims. I put the book down multiple times after reading just a few pages. It's also frustrating to see how he got away with his crimes for so long, often because of dumb luck or inept investigating. But if you're into true crime accounts, especially involving serial killers, then you'll likely find something interesting here.
Though it's an interesting read, the psychosis of Chikatilo gets overwhelming at times, as do the details of what he did to individual victims. I put the book down multiple times after reading just a few pages. It's also frustrating to see how he got away with his crimes for so long, often because of dumb luck or inept investigating. But if you're into true crime accounts, especially involving serial killers, then you'll likely find something interesting here.
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Andrei Chikatilo was born in 1936 in an area of Ukraine that belonged to the USSR. Chikatilo's family was poor, living in a one room house and making ends meet as collective farmers. In the area post-Holodomor, Chikatilo and his family never had enough to eat. Chikatilo experienced World War II, which was traumatic in general, but especially for a child. He was beaten for wetting the bed and was often bullied by bother children. Chikatilo was impotent, which caused him multiple issues with women. Chikatilo became a teacher, giving him access to victims. His first known sexual assault was committed in 1973, and his first known murder was committed in 1978. Chikatilo guessed he killed over 55 women from 1978 to 1990 but was only convicted of 52.
This book is on The Last Podcast on the Left reading list. If you are a fan of the podcast, this is a good reference book with a lot of details that weren't covered in depth on the episode. If you are into serial killers and true crime in general, this is a solid book about this person. A lot has been made about his psychological profile and what influence his childhood may have had on his later crimes. I think it is very important to note the effects of famine and war on a child, and, while this may not have been the actual root cause, the experiences couldn't have possibly helped someone who was very clearly disturbed.
This book is on The Last Podcast on the Left reading list. If you are a fan of the podcast, this is a good reference book with a lot of details that weren't covered in depth on the episode. If you are into serial killers and true crime in general, this is a solid book about this person. A lot has been made about his psychological profile and what influence his childhood may have had on his later crimes. I think it is very important to note the effects of famine and war on a child, and, while this may not have been the actual root cause, the experiences couldn't have possibly helped someone who was very clearly disturbed.
aaubert's review against another edition
4.0
really liked the writing style, but it dragged on a bit
inbookishworld's review against another edition
4.0
Książka przedstawia postać jednego z największych seryjnych morderców. Czikatiło nie znał litości – mordował zarówno dzieci (obu płci), jak i dorosłe kobiety. Ofiary wybierane były starannie. Mężczyzna obserwował je głównie na dworcach, a potem nakłaniał, by poszły za nim…
Autor nie skupia się tylko na opisach morderstw, ale także na psychologicznym podłożu ich dokonywania. Opisuje to, co miało lub mogło mieć wpływ na tak bestialskie postępowanie – wychowanie w domu, szykany rówieśników, nieudane kontakty seksualne. Oprócz morderstw przeraża także liczba błędów popełnionych przez milicję na przestrzeni lat, a także tuszowanie przez dyrektorów placówek przestępstw seksualnych popełnianych przez Czikatiłę na uczniach.
Książkę czyta się niezwykle szybko, pomimo trudnej treści. Jednego, czego brakowało mi, to zaznaczenie w komentarzu w polskim wydaniu, że książka powstała oryginalnie w 1992 (jest to tylko zawarte w stopce redakcyjnej), bo są fragmenty, gdzie mowa jest o „aktualnie” prowadzonym śledztwie; że jedna z matek ofiar ma „teraz” 45 lat (co nie jest możliwe, bo w latach 80. jej dziecko miało koło 12 lat).
Autor nie skupia się tylko na opisach morderstw, ale także na psychologicznym podłożu ich dokonywania. Opisuje to, co miało lub mogło mieć wpływ na tak bestialskie postępowanie – wychowanie w domu, szykany rówieśników, nieudane kontakty seksualne. Oprócz morderstw przeraża także liczba błędów popełnionych przez milicję na przestrzeni lat, a także tuszowanie przez dyrektorów placówek przestępstw seksualnych popełnianych przez Czikatiłę na uczniach.
Książkę czyta się niezwykle szybko, pomimo trudnej treści. Jednego, czego brakowało mi, to zaznaczenie w komentarzu w polskim wydaniu, że książka powstała oryginalnie w 1992 (jest to tylko zawarte w stopce redakcyjnej), bo są fragmenty, gdzie mowa jest o „aktualnie” prowadzonym śledztwie; że jedna z matek ofiar ma „teraz” 45 lat (co nie jest możliwe, bo w latach 80. jej dziecko miało koło 12 lat).
moonyleo's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.5
przesluchajcie sobie lepiej kryminatorium odcinek 83 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0R2tX1e5LJITXNgV8vooM8?si=PYjvF0Y-SRum5dXhuXHjVA&utm_source=copy-link
1.5 gwiazdki za wywiad z tkaczenką i fragmenty analizy fbi
1.5 gwiazdki za wywiad z tkaczenką i fragmenty analizy fbi
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
whatsnonfiction's review against another edition
3.0
A few years ago I watched a documentary about Andrei Chikatilo, the most famous Soviet serial killer. I'm not sure why, because I remember it being stomach-turning. Initially I'd heard of him after reading the popular thriller Child 44, which has a plot line inspired by these notorious crimes. What I learned from the novel was that part of the difficulty in catching the killer was that the Soviet Union denied the possibility of a serial killer's existence, and so missed the opportunity to link many of the obviously-related murders.
Chikatilo's crimes, many against children and adolescents, are incredibly disturbing. What's interesting about this story is the connection to the Soviet culture of the time (late 1970s-1990) and how the Communist government and police investigators dropped the ball so many times, in so many ways, on this investigation. There shouldn't have been any possibility for this man to kill 50+ people, especially because he wasn't entirely unknown to police, especially at the beginning of his serial killing career. He was even let go from his teaching work for creeping out and trying to molest the children, and around the same time happened to be in the vicinity of child murders. He was arrested too, and let go. But with a lot of factors at play, like his job's travel requirement, the vastness of the territory including very secluded areas, Soviet indoctrination and prevailing culture, lack of initial publicity about the murders, and the aforementioned inability to accept a serial killer, he was able to get away with being very prolific and very disgusting.
The highlight of the writing is this weaving in of the culture and happenings in the Soviet state that contributed to both the murders playing out as they did and to the murderer's own unhinged mentality. I really liked reading about that, and that's what I remember made me even watch something about this previously. Reading the gory details of even a handful of the murders is really hard, however. They're ghastly. I had to take a break and I wasn't sure I could finish even though I already knew some of this from seeing the documentary. Still, it's well-researched and written. I hesitate to call it a true crime guilty pleasure, but I'm not sure what other category it falls under. Definitely should appeal to those interested in Soviet history as the whole ordeal was a byproduct of this broken system, as well as to anyone interested in the real story behind this plot line from Child 44. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction in this case.
I received an advance copy of the new ebook edition courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for review.
Chikatilo's crimes, many against children and adolescents, are incredibly disturbing. What's interesting about this story is the connection to the Soviet culture of the time (late 1970s-1990) and how the Communist government and police investigators dropped the ball so many times, in so many ways, on this investigation. There shouldn't have been any possibility for this man to kill 50+ people, especially because he wasn't entirely unknown to police, especially at the beginning of his serial killing career. He was even let go from his teaching work for creeping out and trying to molest the children, and around the same time happened to be in the vicinity of child murders. He was arrested too, and let go. But with a lot of factors at play, like his job's travel requirement, the vastness of the territory including very secluded areas, Soviet indoctrination and prevailing culture, lack of initial publicity about the murders, and the aforementioned inability to accept a serial killer, he was able to get away with being very prolific and very disgusting.
The highlight of the writing is this weaving in of the culture and happenings in the Soviet state that contributed to both the murders playing out as they did and to the murderer's own unhinged mentality. I really liked reading about that, and that's what I remember made me even watch something about this previously. Reading the gory details of even a handful of the murders is really hard, however. They're ghastly. I had to take a break and I wasn't sure I could finish even though I already knew some of this from seeing the documentary. Still, it's well-researched and written. I hesitate to call it a true crime guilty pleasure, but I'm not sure what other category it falls under. Definitely should appeal to those interested in Soviet history as the whole ordeal was a byproduct of this broken system, as well as to anyone interested in the real story behind this plot line from Child 44. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction in this case.
I received an advance copy of the new ebook edition courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for review.
jenblei's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting- it was as much of a social history of parts of the USSR as Chikatilo and his crimes (although there are certainly very explicit details of him and his crimes). I was one of the last generation of "free range" kids in North America before pedophile paranoia kicked in- we played outside with our friends, rode our bikes everywhere, and pretty much just checked in at home for meals. We were taught safety (don't get into cars, don't believe someone who says he's lost a puppy). But that's quite different than the Russian/Ukrainian attitude at the same time, where children weren't even told to be wary of strangers. That, the lack of coordinated investigation and education about crimes, and the unsettled aspects of so much of life in the USSR certainly led to predators having a fairly easy time of it for a long time.
apolasky's review against another edition
3.0
This is a different kind of serial killer book because its main focus is to explain and analyze the mental development of a psychopathic killer. Full review on my blog. Thank you Netgalley and Open Road Media for the ARC.
Esta no es cualquier biografía de un asesino serial porque apunta a explicar y analizar el desarrollo mental de un asesino psicópata. Reseña completa en mi blog.
Esta no es cualquier biografía de un asesino serial porque apunta a explicar y analizar el desarrollo mental de un asesino psicópata. Reseña completa en mi blog.