You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Great book. If you think your family is dysfunctional read this!!
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
"It is not easy to come to such a place-to feel as if there is something in you that should not continue on the face of this earth, something about yourself that should not survive your own life."
A great companion to "executioner's song" that augments the gilmore story from a family perspective. Re-raises the notion that 23 years in jail doesn't make anyone a better person.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Brilliantly authored. Devastating at times. Gripping throughout. I don’t typically read true crime, but this beautiful story took me by surprise.
I was on my way to Panera to have some lunch and read, when a man stopped me and could not believe I was reading this book. He told me that anyone writing about Gary Gilmore's life and execution was just looking for money and that the story couldn't possibly be accurate.
Ok.. FIRST: Mikal is a professional writer. He has an obvious talent and clearly uses writing as a release.
SECOND: Wow, this poor, poor family.
I read Shot In the Heart right after finishing The Exectioner's Song By Norman Mailer. I strongly, strongly recommend (if the interest in the subject is there,) reading both books. This one gives much more of a detailed account of Gary's (and the family's) childhood and background. I like that Mikal doesn't try to play psychologist and claim that Gary's childhood made him murder because it was hard, but simply tells the story.
Clearly, this was a hard book for Mikal to write, who harbors many regrets for not being a more visible part of his brother's life (though he often felt discluded because of the age gap between he and his brothers.) Gilmore was well-researched and conducted many interviews to speak accurately.
Poor Gary, Poor Bessie, Poor Frank, Poor Mikal, Poor Gaylen. Well... Gary didn't handle it well, but what a terribly difficult childhood he had. This book reveals what Gary and Bessie refused to talk about when Gary was on death row in fear of seeming weak.
Ok.. FIRST: Mikal is a professional writer. He has an obvious talent and clearly uses writing as a release.
SECOND: Wow, this poor, poor family.
I read Shot In the Heart right after finishing The Exectioner's Song By Norman Mailer. I strongly, strongly recommend (if the interest in the subject is there,) reading both books. This one gives much more of a detailed account of Gary's (and the family's) childhood and background. I like that Mikal doesn't try to play psychologist and claim that Gary's childhood made him murder because it was hard, but simply tells the story.
Clearly, this was a hard book for Mikal to write, who harbors many regrets for not being a more visible part of his brother's life (though he often felt discluded because of the age gap between he and his brothers.) Gilmore was well-researched and conducted many interviews to speak accurately.
Poor Gary, Poor Bessie, Poor Frank, Poor Mikal, Poor Gaylen. Well... Gary didn't handle it well, but what a terribly difficult childhood he had. This book reveals what Gary and Bessie refused to talk about when Gary was on death row in fear of seeming weak.
Painful childhood - tragic results - exceptionally well written and gripping book.
Gary Gilmore's execution was one of the signal events of my childhood, and I have always been fascinated by his case. His brother Mikal's history of their family is so chilling that I gave my copy of the book away as soon as I finished it: I couldn't stand to have the bad vibes in my house. But because of the questions it raises about the roots of criminal behavior, it's impossible to put down.
I wanted to like this more. However, much of it rambled on like a geneaology project rather than a memoir. The author's admitted distance from his family members was also problematic. Additionally, Gary Gilmore sold the rights to his life story to Norman Mailer for The Executioner's Song, preventing Mikal Gilmore from repeating much of Gary's narrative in his own memoir.
Ultimately it felt flat and unfinished.
Ultimately it felt flat and unfinished.