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brdwilliams's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
2.0
This was a slog. It has been on my list to read since law school and while I can see how it may have once had impact in conversations about the death penalty, the language is absolutely galling with 2024 eyes, and I couldn't help but think about how much investigative journalism could have been done about systemic and racial injustice with the untold funds Mailer and all if the other journalists has to cover this sensational case. I would like to think that if this book came out today it would have been EDITED HEAVILY, wouldn't have even been in contention for a Pulitzer, and would have given far more time to the voices of Gilmore's victims and the systemic injustice inherent in the death penalty instead of turning Gilmore into a celebrity martyr. Honestly, I hated this book and it reaffirmed my feelings about "the canon" and how we need to stop elevating and excusing problematic books as "products of their time" and instead publishing/assigning/funding/celebrating newer books on mass incarceration, the death penalty, wrongful conviction and the like rather than continuing to make legends out of white male murders and their white male documentarians!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Fatphobia, Murder, Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexism
jenmat1197's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
2.5
This is a non-fiction book about convicted criminal Gary Gilmore. In the 70s Gary had been released from prison and started out on the straight and narrow. Soon, though, Gary found himself falling into old ways and it lead to him killing two men. He is sentenced to death, and asked to be executed by firing squad. The state did not want to agree to Gary being executed, but Gary insisted. His fight for the right to die is what made him famous.
Okay - so this book won a Pulizer Prize. I have mixed feelings about it at best. For one - it is about 600 pages too long in my opinion. The story of Gary gets lost in the first 500 pages with the back story of every character that was interviewed, came in contact with, witnessed Gary Gilmore's case. It just droned on and on with useless information that did not further my interest in Gary Gilmore. The second half seemed to pull itself together a bit more, but not enough for me to understand why in the world this person got as much attention as he did. Was it because he WANTED to die and the state kept Staying his execution? I didn't like a single character in this book. Even with all the attention to Gary and what he was doing - never cared at all for him in the end. Well - except for his one relation Vern. But otherwise, no. I didn't not like the writing style. It read like someone taking notes instead of a novel.
I don't recommend this tomb.
mikelchartier's review
5.0
YES! Everything about this book is great. Bitch didn't win a Pulitzer for nothin'!
bkdrgn303's review
3.0
Very interesting but that doesn't outweigh the length of this book. It is L O N G.
expatally's review
1.0
Absolutely do not understand how this book won a Pulitzer-very happy to be done with it.
radbear76's review
3.0
The foreward stated this would be the fastest 1000 page book I ever read and the reader would come to care about Gilmore and Nicole. He was wrong on both counts for me. The author does an excellent job of describing Gilmore's evil but aside from his intelligence the good qualities he supposedly displayed are not discussed or emphasized. Really Gary and Nicole didn't strike me as star crossed lovers so much as people from bad backgrounds that made really bad choices on a regular basis. If poor decision making was a sport they would be competing at an Olympic level. That being said court proceedings wrestling with the death penalty and various parties positions were well explored.
wesleyboy's review
4.0
A bit long and drawn out at some points, but a good read. It’s like In Cold Blood on steroids.