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swampbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I started off reading the physical book, but with life getting in the way and Anne Rule’s stale writing, I decided to finish it off with the 3 hour abridged audiobook. This 3-star rating is for the audiobook.
It’s unfortunate that there isn’t an unabridged version available on Libby, because I would definitely listen to that instead. I don’t like that it was so drastically shortened.
Hopefully Anne Rule’s writing livens up in her later books, because this was could be difficult to pick up just knowing how bland and non-personal it felt, even though she was deeply involved. I also wish she had bothered to tell more about the lives of the victims to make them more than JUST victims.
I’m going to continue with reading the physical book to pick up on anything that was left out in the audiobook.
It’s unfortunate that there isn’t an unabridged version available on Libby, because I would definitely listen to that instead. I don’t like that it was so drastically shortened.
Hopefully Anne Rule’s writing livens up in her later books, because this was could be difficult to pick up just knowing how bland and non-personal it felt, even though she was deeply involved. I also wish she had bothered to tell more about the lives of the victims to make them more than JUST victims.
I’m going to continue with reading the physical book to pick up on anything that was left out in the audiobook.
sewfarsewgood's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
3.25
On the whole this is a very informative read about Bundy from a more personal angle than you would normally hear about. I didn't know if it was supposed to show Bundy's mental state or Rule's realisation of Bundy's guilt but at the beginning all the victims are described and then briefly described when they go missing with no real detail but then the Florida crimes go almost into graphic detail. There is a lot about the trails which is to be expected as this is what Rule was used to write about but I would have liked to hear more details about the investigation. On the whole an interesting read with a unique perspective.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
nm_young's review
DID NOT FINISH — I will not rate a book that I shelf as “did not finish.” I don’t believe it’s fair to put a rating on books I didn’t read from beginning to end.
kaelaceleste's review
3.0
3.5.
Decided to pick this up again now that I live in Seattle and it definitely put a new harrowing angle on it. Very weird to read about these places that I know now - that I've been to and drive by and live down the street from.
At times it felt dry - a little textbook, a little wikipedia - I liked the focus on the victims but this one is really more about the killer than them which makes sense. It also started to feel a little memoir-y at times which I guess is also understandable. It's a pretty interesting look into the discourse and dissonance that comes with realizing your friend of many years is also a ravaging serial killer. The thing is that I don't know if miss ma'am Ann Rule really even got fully out of the fog until long after the trial and conviction. I appreciated the post-book updates up to his eventual execution, where she seems to have found some clarity and was more able to separate herself (as much as was possible) from the situation.
One thing that did bother me throughout was some of the language used. I realize this was written in the 80s so things that are unacceptable now may have been "ok" then, but I was surprised that in one of the many updates to this that they didn't remove, for example, the repeated use of "r*tarded" by multiple individuals including the author. A bit jarring to come across. There were also some puzzling racial descriptors used that made me side-eye a bit.
Overall it's obviously just a really fascinating and ultimately tragic story, remains a pretty good read and definitely unlike anything else I've read.
Decided to pick this up again now that I live in Seattle and it definitely put a new harrowing angle on it. Very weird to read about these places that I know now - that I've been to and drive by and live down the street from.
At times it felt dry - a little textbook, a little wikipedia - I liked the focus on the victims but this one is really more about the killer than them which makes sense. It also started to feel a little memoir-y at times which I guess is also understandable. It's a pretty interesting look into the discourse and dissonance that comes with realizing your friend of many years is also a ravaging serial killer. The thing is that I don't know if miss ma'am Ann Rule really even got fully out of the fog until long after the trial and conviction. I appreciated the post-book updates up to his eventual execution, where she seems to have found some clarity and was more able to separate herself (as much as was possible) from the situation.
One thing that did bother me throughout was some of the language used. I realize this was written in the 80s so things that are unacceptable now may have been "ok" then, but I was surprised that in one of the many updates to this that they didn't remove, for example, the repeated use of "r*tarded" by multiple individuals including the author. A bit jarring to come across. There were also some puzzling racial descriptors used that made me side-eye a bit.
Overall it's obviously just a really fascinating and ultimately tragic story, remains a pretty good read and definitely unlike anything else I've read.
sageofthe6pack's review
dark
reflective
2.75
i don’t like true crime when it comes to cases of murder, just picked this up because i was waiting for a few items on hold from my library. this book at least does a good job focusing on the victims, but other than that, i found it lousy in the way that i find most books like this. one big red flag was this author’s love for cops, despite the incompetence of the cops in question being the reason so many women were murdered in the first place. and her previously having been a cop just makes it worse.
danacanterino's review against another edition
5.0
Este libro es simplemente genial, escuché bastantes cosas malas y por eso no me decidía a leerlo, pero la verdad, me gustó mucho el trabajo de Ann Rule. El que haya tenido una amistad con Bundy es simplemente impresionante, más cuando ella ya tenía el contrato del libro ANTES de saber que él era el culpable de los asesinatos.
Fue interesante leer su mirada, y también que, a pesar de que en un momento de su vida se nota que lo quiso mucho como amigo, se mantuvo bastante objetiva y no dejó cegarse por ese cariño.
La investigación es muy completa y no se centró tanto en el juicio (cosa que a veces me aburre un poquito).
Otra cosa que si me gustó mucho, fue que a pesar de que hubo muchas mujeres en la vida de Bundy, que a cualquiera que le preguntas (después de saber de los delitos) dirían que son estúpidas o quieren morirse, Ann no responde así. Está consiente del carisma de Ted, de su labia, de que ellas no son estúpidas, de que Bundy tiene un magnestimo, qué, si sos una mujer más sumisa, podías caer fácilmente en su encanto.
Creo que fue muy respetuosa con las familias, las mujeres e incluso con Bundy, por eso quiero leer más de la autora.
Fue interesante leer su mirada, y también que, a pesar de que en un momento de su vida se nota que lo quiso mucho como amigo, se mantuvo bastante objetiva y no dejó cegarse por ese cariño.
La investigación es muy completa y no se centró tanto en el juicio (cosa que a veces me aburre un poquito).
Otra cosa que si me gustó mucho, fue que a pesar de que hubo muchas mujeres en la vida de Bundy, que a cualquiera que le preguntas (después de saber de los delitos) dirían que son estúpidas o quieren morirse, Ann no responde así. Está consiente del carisma de Ted, de su labia, de que ellas no son estúpidas, de que Bundy tiene un magnestimo, qué, si sos una mujer más sumisa, podías caer fácilmente en su encanto.
Creo que fue muy respetuosa con las familias, las mujeres e incluso con Bundy, por eso quiero leer más de la autora.