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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Ann wrote this in 1980 not long after his conviction. She added a few epilogues over the years. This is as much autobiographical as it is a biography of a predator who killed and brutalized possibly over 100 women. It is also a tale of life in the 1970s. For much of the book she admits to believing in his innocence. I suppose who would want to believe a good friend could be a serial killer. As she writes later she recognizes that she was manipulated by him, as he manipulated everyone in his life. He had no conscience. I remember his execution in 1989. His crimes were horrible and shocking. Even more shocking was the fan adulation that so many young women had for him after his arrest and conviction. Bundy is the cautionary story of someone who seems to "have it all" -charming,handsome, intelligent,thoughtful- but underneath is a cold calculating predator. As Ann said in an epilogue, she was remembering a myth.
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
This was so hard to read. Truly makes you feel for the families that were ripped apart and how they lost someone they loved.
Boyyyy this one was emotionally draining...the man with no conscious who kills women with zero remorse. I don’t know how people can work in the homicide dept day in and day out. Ann Rule has made many updates to this book - and I read the most recent version, last updated in 2000 and weighing in at hefty 550 pages. Ann details out all the known facts about Ted Bundy's life, rape and murder spree and imprisonment. He had many mental illnesses tagged to him: sociopath, psychopath, bipolar, split personality, antisocial personality. He certainly wasn't right in the head, and admits to killing 36+ women, could be hundreds - we don't really know. I found this book extremely interesting at times, especially following the series of actions leading up to Ted getting arrested in Florida and absolutely ridiculous circus show he puts on in court representing himself as defendant, defense attorney and witness all in one - Ted had some serious serious demons. At the same time, this book dragged on for me, especially with the 10+ years of appeals and delayed execution stays which is a good 30% of the book. Unbelievable that Ted could work the system for so long, amassing more than $6M in Florida state incarceration and legal fees. I don’t get how he could straight faces lie and keep up the charade for decades
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
I was firstly a bit bemused by the line ‘if, as many people believe today, Ted Bundy took lives’
People don’t just believe it. It’s a fact isn’t it? That’s an odd thing to say unless you don’t believe he did kill people.
So at this point I start to think Is this a book about someone who just doesn’t believe someone they know is a serial killer?
Is this an apology book for actual serial killer Ted Bundy (he was actually a really nice guy honest) ?
Also, and I’ll go out in a limb in this, the use of the phrase ‘working with retarded youngsters’ is really un PC. I was like wow, you can’t just say that??? And then she just keeps saying it over and over again.
Ok and another thing that bugged me. One of the victims had come from seeing her boyfriend. Then a few pages later Ann states that every victim had been single.
Well.... apart from that one, or am I just a bit confused.
And next up. Comes the word handicapped. Seriously. Retarded... handicapped? it’s like talking to an OAP who has no clue what is or isn’t PC these days.
If only someone had said to her Anne, this is good stuff but you need to replace the constant use of the term ‘retarded children’ with ‘special needs children. People really are going to wince at that.
More gripes continue. Why is it important that I know that one detective is built like a ‘basketball player’ and another is handsome. ‘Chapman has a voice like warm maple syrup’ another is a ‘lumbering, ruggedly good looking man.’ Whaaaaa? Is this Mills and Boon? It means nothing to the story. I just don’t understand why she’s constantly telling me romantic physical attributes of people for seemingly no reason.
Also..... homosexual bar??? Who says that????? When was this written?
Clearly I have a real issue with the writing in this book. I read it because it is an interesting subject and Ann is actually herself quite a character.
Ann goes on to further irritate me by banging on about how Ted wants her to feel guilty about having a nice life. And then sends an equally childish letter saying at least you have two girlfriends, I’ve not got anyone.
Oh please Ann. Seriously, considering your writing to a possible serial killer that’s a pretty dumb thing to say.
I also have another minor issue with the photos. Lots of photos of ‘handsome Ted’ (we are told often that he is handsome) and then a photo of one of his ‘victims’ on the same page. I’m fairly sure if I was related to someone who had been raped and murdered. I would not want their photo alongside a photo of their killer in a book. It’s pretty gross.
So overall, Ted, he. He comes across as what he is. A pathetic man who acts like a monster. But then feels sorry for himself when he gets caught. It’s truly horrifying and upsetting. And the connection between Ann and Ted is also really creepy. It’s Ann herself that’s actually the person to analyse in this story. All the signs are there in big shiny flashing letter right in front of her and she just doesn’t get it. He’s playing two girls off who clearly have issues and she just lets it go. If I, for example knew a guy who was possibly a serial killer and definitely was manipulating 2 girls. Who then sent me a letter saying ‘touching her gives me a belief in miracles’ I’d be ending that pen pal relationship there and then. Ewwww. Stop sending him money you ...... daft women. How many times can one person get caught for murdering young women’s Will in take to stop sending him pocket money.
This certainly is an interesting read from many different angles. It’s also overly long and quite tedious in places. (Just like this review)
People don’t just believe it. It’s a fact isn’t it? That’s an odd thing to say unless you don’t believe he did kill people.
So at this point I start to think Is this a book about someone who just doesn’t believe someone they know is a serial killer?
Is this an apology book for actual serial killer Ted Bundy (he was actually a really nice guy honest) ?
Also, and I’ll go out in a limb in this, the use of the phrase ‘working with retarded youngsters’ is really un PC. I was like wow, you can’t just say that??? And then she just keeps saying it over and over again.
Ok and another thing that bugged me. One of the victims had come from seeing her boyfriend. Then a few pages later Ann states that every victim had been single.
Well.... apart from that one, or am I just a bit confused.
And next up. Comes the word handicapped. Seriously. Retarded... handicapped? it’s like talking to an OAP who has no clue what is or isn’t PC these days.
If only someone had said to her Anne, this is good stuff but you need to replace the constant use of the term ‘retarded children’ with ‘special needs children. People really are going to wince at that.
More gripes continue. Why is it important that I know that one detective is built like a ‘basketball player’ and another is handsome. ‘Chapman has a voice like warm maple syrup’ another is a ‘lumbering, ruggedly good looking man.’ Whaaaaa? Is this Mills and Boon? It means nothing to the story. I just don’t understand why she’s constantly telling me romantic physical attributes of people for seemingly no reason.
Also..... homosexual bar??? Who says that????? When was this written?
Clearly I have a real issue with the writing in this book. I read it because it is an interesting subject and Ann is actually herself quite a character.
Ann goes on to further irritate me by banging on about how Ted wants her to feel guilty about having a nice life. And then sends an equally childish letter saying at least you have two girlfriends, I’ve not got anyone.
Oh please Ann. Seriously, considering your writing to a possible serial killer that’s a pretty dumb thing to say.
I also have another minor issue with the photos. Lots of photos of ‘handsome Ted’ (we are told often that he is handsome) and then a photo of one of his ‘victims’ on the same page. I’m fairly sure if I was related to someone who had been raped and murdered. I would not want their photo alongside a photo of their killer in a book. It’s pretty gross.
So overall, Ted, he. He comes across as what he is. A pathetic man who acts like a monster. But then feels sorry for himself when he gets caught. It’s truly horrifying and upsetting. And the connection between Ann and Ted is also really creepy. It’s Ann herself that’s actually the person to analyse in this story. All the signs are there in big shiny flashing letter right in front of her and she just doesn’t get it. He’s playing two girls off who clearly have issues and she just lets it go. If I, for example knew a guy who was possibly a serial killer and definitely was manipulating 2 girls. Who then sent me a letter saying ‘touching her gives me a belief in miracles’ I’d be ending that pen pal relationship there and then. Ewwww. Stop sending him money you ...... daft women. How many times can one person get caught for murdering young women’s Will in take to stop sending him pocket money.
This certainly is an interesting read from many different angles. It’s also overly long and quite tedious in places. (Just like this review)
I struggled through this one which surprised me because I definitely fall into the “true crime obsessed” category. Some of the paragraphs made me so uncomfy because Rule seems like a fanboy and almost dismisses his behavior. Weird.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I am definitely in the minority, but I couldn't get into this book. Maybe I've gotten too used to sensationalism (sad, I realize), but this book could not hold my attention. It was recommended to me by many, so maybe my hopes were too high. I found it a dry recount of the facts - I was looking for more personal insight since the author knew Ted Bundy.
Y’ALL. THIS BOOK. 600+ pages, like size 10 font - I read it in a week. I could NOT put this down. It was fascinating and terrifying - it kept me up at night.
Very in-depth.
I lost interest and skimmed a lot of the last 30%. I wasn’t interested in the legal proceedings.
I lost interest and skimmed a lot of the last 30%. I wasn’t interested in the legal proceedings.