A review by radianorflin
Zodiac by Robert Graysmith

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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