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1.5k reviews for:
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
Curt Gentry, Vincent Bugliosi
4.05 AVERAGE
1.5k reviews for:
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
Curt Gentry, Vincent Bugliosi
4.05 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
I read this back in 1976 and don't ever intend on reading it ever again. The sheer horror of the Tate-LaBianca murders leaves one numb. I am of the belief that everyone starts out with a blank slate and what is written on it when we are young is what be become. Charles Manson's slate is black as night. This book leaves nothing to the imagination and the details of the murders is so violent it's beyond belief. If there has ever been someone so filled with evil it is this man. Bugliosi did a thorough documentation of the events and I don't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't have a strong constitution.
dark
informative
slow-paced
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
I've wanted to read this for years, as part of my fascination with cults and extreme beliefs. I really enjoyed the detail that the author goes through in detailing the case (including before and after he takes the case as the prosecuting attorney). I was less interested in the court case itself, which took at least half of the book to retell, but it's all fascinating stuff. I wonder if it's still the most expensive/long trial in history.
I'm also pleased that I picked up the 25th anniversary edition because it was interesting to see the updates on not just key players but the whole Manson phenomenon. I feel like we've come a long way from 1994, but in many ways that may have been the peek point of post-Family Manson craze. Conjecture on my part, since that is around the time that I first learned of Manson and helter skelter, but I certainly sensed a difference between now and what Bugliosi describes as his societal observations of Manson in 1994.
I'm also pleased that I picked up the 25th anniversary edition because it was interesting to see the updates on not just key players but the whole Manson phenomenon. I feel like we've come a long way from 1994, but in many ways that may have been the peek point of post-Family Manson craze. Conjecture on my part, since that is around the time that I first learned of Manson and helter skelter, but I certainly sensed a difference between now and what Bugliosi describes as his societal observations of Manson in 1994.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
I read a fair amount of true crime, and this book has been repeatedly recommended to me as the true crime book to read. I can see why. This might end up being my gold standard, right up there with The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. Excellently written, compellingly narrated, and detailed - with the bonus of being told by someone personally involved with the case - this book sucked me in almost immediately and had me reading Wikipedia pages after I was done. And I've never been particularly interested in the Manson case before.
Recommended for any true crime buff - or anyone who thinks they might be interested in true crime.
Recommended for any true crime buff - or anyone who thinks they might be interested in true crime.
dark
informative
slow-paced