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kmparsons's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, but I did feel that it dragged on at some points. It was so interesting to get the point of view of someone who knew a serial killer. Ted Bundy was insane, obviously, but there was so much more to him that people don’t know.
trin's review against another edition
3.0
The story of serial killer Ted Bundy, told from a unique perspective: Rule, a former cop and a crime writer, became friends with Bundy several years before he committed the main batch of murders that made him (in)famous. A large part of this book is about Rule coming to terms with that fact that the man who was her friend and this horrible murderer are, impossible as it seems, the same person. It’s truly fascinating.
It’s also really scary. Bundy’s is a horrible, horrifying story, and just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. I still can’t believe that law enforcement agents in Colorado allowed him to escape from jail not once but twice—the second time enabling him to flee to Florida, where he killed at least three more women and nearly beat to death several more. Christ.
In general, Rule does a good job explaining but not exploiting the terrible events, although her prose does sometimes suffer from bad true crime clichés: stuff about “the pitiless eyes of a killer” and so forth. The book’s also rather too long—I enjoyed the updates included in this edition, following how the case progressed (when the book was originally published, Bundy had been convicted of two murders and was awaiting trial for one more; years of appeals followed, and he was finally executed in 1989) and how Rule’s impressions of her friend continued to change; however, I could have done without the lengthy middle section detailing Bundy’s first stint in jail—for all that he must have had an incredibly complicated and deeply fucked up psyche, he’s not a particularly interesting correspondent, and there are only so many of his letters that I need to read.
If you’re interested in true crime, I think this is a very thoughtful, thorough example of the genre. It is not, however, for the faint of heart.
It’s also really scary. Bundy’s is a horrible, horrifying story, and just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. I still can’t believe that law enforcement agents in Colorado allowed him to escape from jail not once but twice—the second time enabling him to flee to Florida, where he killed at least three more women and nearly beat to death several more. Christ.
In general, Rule does a good job explaining but not exploiting the terrible events, although her prose does sometimes suffer from bad true crime clichés: stuff about “the pitiless eyes of a killer” and so forth. The book’s also rather too long—I enjoyed the updates included in this edition, following how the case progressed (when the book was originally published, Bundy had been convicted of two murders and was awaiting trial for one more; years of appeals followed, and he was finally executed in 1989) and how Rule’s impressions of her friend continued to change; however, I could have done without the lengthy middle section detailing Bundy’s first stint in jail—for all that he must have had an incredibly complicated and deeply fucked up psyche, he’s not a particularly interesting correspondent, and there are only so many of his letters that I need to read.
If you’re interested in true crime, I think this is a very thoughtful, thorough example of the genre. It is not, however, for the faint of heart.
literary_laurajane's review against another edition
5.0
It’s amazing that she was commissioned to write about the murders and then her friend, Ted Bundy was revealed to be the killer.
sklus's review against another edition
3.0
Hello! Usually I do not write reviews on true crime books but I was very heated about this book so I'm going to write this and hide it behind spoilers. Please do not read if you feel uncomfortable with serial killers, violence, or Ted Bundy in general.
In light of all the drama with Ted Bundy "fans," this book leave a different impression on me that I think it is intended. Ann Rule repeatedly talks about Bundy's attractiveness and charm, and I'm just tired of that narrative. Of course, this then begs the question of why I would even read this book when I know this would be the dominant narrative. Obviously, a woman who knew Ted Bundy would describe all the reasons she was shocked that he was a serial killer. I think the short answer is that I was hoping Rule would somehow reveal all the ways Bundy failed, all of the signs that you could see in Bundy that revealed who he really was, even if only in hindsight.
And she did, even while focusing on all of his "charming" and "attractive" ways. Because at the end of the day, Ted Bundy was just a terrible idiot who got lucky due to the fact that the police repeatedly gave him the benefit of the doubt not afforded to any other suspected criminal (because he is white and attractive and male). The fact about the Ted Bundy case that makes me the angriest out of all of them is a judge who stated that Ted Bundy was a "bright young man," who "went another way" AKA murdered more than 30 women instead of becoming a lawyer. Ted Bundy flunked out of law school (multiple times) and, you know, murdered women. But because Ted Bundy was white, attractive, young, and educated he was a "bright young man" and not, as I would put it, "a terrible piece of shit human being who barely deserves the right to breathe air let alone be praised in any manner.
Spoiler
In light of all the drama with Ted Bundy "fans," this book leave a different impression on me that I think it is intended. Ann Rule repeatedly talks about Bundy's attractiveness and charm, and I'm just tired of that narrative. Of course, this then begs the question of why I would even read this book when I know this would be the dominant narrative. Obviously, a woman who knew Ted Bundy would describe all the reasons she was shocked that he was a serial killer. I think the short answer is that I was hoping Rule would somehow reveal all the ways Bundy failed, all of the signs that you could see in Bundy that revealed who he really was, even if only in hindsight.
And she did, even while focusing on all of his "charming" and "attractive" ways. Because at the end of the day, Ted Bundy was just a terrible idiot who got lucky due to the fact that the police repeatedly gave him the benefit of the doubt not afforded to any other suspected criminal (because he is white and attractive and male). The fact about the Ted Bundy case that makes me the angriest out of all of them is a judge who stated that Ted Bundy was a "bright young man," who "went another way" AKA murdered more than 30 women instead of becoming a lawyer. Ted Bundy flunked out of law school (multiple times) and, you know, murdered women. But because Ted Bundy was white, attractive, young, and educated he was a "bright young man" and not, as I would put it, "a terrible piece of shit human being who barely deserves the right to breathe air let alone be praised in any manner.
maryehavens's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Giving this 5 stars because of its place in the true crime canon.
I had to take a break on this one - got bogged down with all the names during the Colorado part.
Where to begin?
I doubt there will ever be a better true crime classic simply because Rule knew Ted so intimately, she had an extensive crime background, and she is a good writer. Did I like it? Not really simply for the fact that Ted Bundy was such a master manipulator of all peoples. Even as I read this, I rooted for him to escape Colorado. And then I was like "why am I rooting for him? How sickening!"
It's interesting that Bundy is still viewed with such fascination. I can't tell you how many students pick him as a subject for their ENGL 1301 papers. It's a bit of a shame, really, because we are all giving him exactly what he wanted: attention. Power. Fame.
Rule put it best when she said that Ted Bundy did more than rob them of their lives. He also robbed them of their specialness since each woman or girl was only one in a long line of HIS victims. I think that's why everyone was so glad he was dead, as terrible as that sounds. He was just going to keep being a nuisance in jail and a murderer outside of it.
This book did not give a clear cut reason why he murdered because I don't think there was one. Rule speculated it was all about power and maybe it was as simple as that. Still doesn't explain, to me, the amount of victims he had. The whole thing is terrible, terrible tragedy. Worth the read though.
FYI: this edition, published in 2009, has multiple updates that include his final trial, execution, and a retrospective.
I had to take a break on this one - got bogged down with all the names during the Colorado part.
Where to begin?
I doubt there will ever be a better true crime classic simply because Rule knew Ted so intimately, she had an extensive crime background, and she is a good writer. Did I like it? Not really simply for the fact that Ted Bundy was such a master manipulator of all peoples. Even as I read this, I rooted for him to escape Colorado. And then I was like "why am I rooting for him? How sickening!"
It's interesting that Bundy is still viewed with such fascination. I can't tell you how many students pick him as a subject for their ENGL 1301 papers. It's a bit of a shame, really, because we are all giving him exactly what he wanted: attention. Power. Fame.
Rule put it best when she said that Ted Bundy did more than rob them of their lives. He also robbed them of their specialness since each woman or girl was only one in a long line of HIS victims. I think that's why everyone was so glad he was dead, as terrible as that sounds. He was just going to keep being a nuisance in jail and a murderer outside of it.
This book did not give a clear cut reason why he murdered because I don't think there was one. Rule speculated it was all about power and maybe it was as simple as that. Still doesn't explain, to me, the amount of victims he had. The whole thing is terrible, terrible tragedy. Worth the read though.
FYI: this edition, published in 2009, has multiple updates that include his final trial, execution, and a retrospective.