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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
informative
tense
slow-paced
I found Bugliosi and Gentry's writing style really captivating, especially when they laid out the timeline of the of the Tate-LeBianca Trial. From start to finish, almost every detail about the case was laid out and their relevance would be effectively explained somewhere down the line. Though even if I'm learning about case through the main prosecutor, I can still see the hesitancy of the 'motive' of the crimes. Even if Vincent has convinced himself that Helter Skelter was the true motive, I don't think that we will ever learn the truth.
To also learn about how the Family's lives turned out after the trials really shows that people are capable of change, even if it may seem like it's a surface level change. After leaving the shackles of Charles Manson, even the most brainwashed member of the Family was able to feel remorse and guilt for their crimes. As someone who learned about Sharon Tate through "Valley of the Dolls", it was respectable that who she was as a person was highlighted throughout, rather than just simplifying her as the main victim of the murders.
To also learn about how the Family's lives turned out after the trials really shows that people are capable of change, even if it may seem like it's a surface level change. After leaving the shackles of Charles Manson, even the most brainwashed member of the Family was able to feel remorse and guilt for their crimes. As someone who learned about Sharon Tate through "Valley of the Dolls", it was respectable that who she was as a person was highlighted throughout, rather than just simplifying her as the main victim of the murders.
It took forever to get through this but only because it’s so well written. They gave you every single detail you could ever want and need pertaining to this case. Literally one of the best true crime books I have ever read. Such an insightful read and again so damn well written. 10/10
dark
informative
fast-paced
I was a little hesitant to commit to reading this monster of a book because due to the huge amount of material about Manson et al. that exists in popular culture, a fair amount of which I have consumed (documentary, semi-fictional, probably some true crime podcasts) I thought it might just be redundant, especially since this book must surely have been a primary source for a lot of this material. And yes, to a degree it was. There was, of course, a lot more detail in this book than in derivative works, especially about the investigation and first trial re the Tate-LaBianca murders. A lot of detail. (There was surprisingly little about the Hinman murder. Although it was not Bugliosi's case, it seems more important than it was given airtime for.) The detailed content was quite interesting. I also thought the book might end soon after the end of the trials, but the more recent editions (after 1994) contain an afterword that discusses further crimes committed by the Family (e.g. the assassination attempt on Gerald Ford) as well as updating the reader on the lives of the dramatis personae. However, it doesn't mention Roman Polanski's subsequent crimes and ongoing legal situation. I found this omission a bit troubling. I mean, when I had first learned about the details of the Manson crimes and learned that Tate was married to Polanski, my first thought was "What? The kid-fucker?"
So the book was interesting. In fact, I was able to keep track of the names and identities of all these people much further into the book than I usually can in a long, complex historical narrative. (Eventually it all fell apart for me, though.)
One thing I really, really hated about this book was the way the authors constantly referred to Manson's female followers (and potential followers) as "girls" or "young girls." YUCK!!! Although there were certainly minors in Manson's group, they were teenagers (so not "young" girls) and the individuals who committed the crimes were adults--as argued by Bugliosi himself in one of his closing statements. His nomenclature should have been consistently "women" or "young women" to emphasize that these people were adults who were responsible for their own actions. (Male members were referred to as young men, not boys.) In the 1994 afterword, Bugliosi once refers to the contemporary Atkins, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten as "the Manson girls," even though by then they were in their 40s. I'm very glad we aren't using that kind of gross, dismissive, paternalistic language anymore. At least not in works of nonfiction.
Another thing that was not so great was Bugliosi's Monday morning quarterbacking on the tactics of opposing counsel and his "how do you not agree with me?" attitude toward the judge. Especially in a situation where Bugliosi is telling the story of how he won this huge case (which the reader already knows) this sort of thing came off as unnecessarily smug.
Should there be another edition of this book? Probably not. If there was going to be one, maybe last year would have been the time (50 years since the crimes.) Bugliosi died a few years ago. And although things have happened since 1994 (the deaths of Atkins and Manson, the dispute over Manson's remains, the release of Fromme, the increasing criticism of Polanski, probably a few more things.) Aside from these non-earthshattering developments, not much to discuss. Krenwinkel, Van Houten and Watson are still in prison and because of the notoriety of the crimes, they will almost certainly never be released. Further discussion of this subject (and not just a rehashing) would most likely be an examination of the US criminal justice system.
So the book was interesting. In fact, I was able to keep track of the names and identities of all these people much further into the book than I usually can in a long, complex historical narrative. (Eventually it all fell apart for me, though.)
One thing I really, really hated about this book was the way the authors constantly referred to Manson's female followers (and potential followers) as "girls" or "young girls." YUCK!!! Although there were certainly minors in Manson's group, they were teenagers (so not "young" girls) and the individuals who committed the crimes were adults--as argued by Bugliosi himself in one of his closing statements. His nomenclature should have been consistently "women" or "young women" to emphasize that these people were adults who were responsible for their own actions. (Male members were referred to as young men, not boys.) In the 1994 afterword, Bugliosi once refers to the contemporary Atkins, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten as "the Manson girls," even though by then they were in their 40s. I'm very glad we aren't using that kind of gross, dismissive, paternalistic language anymore. At least not in works of nonfiction.
Another thing that was not so great was Bugliosi's Monday morning quarterbacking on the tactics of opposing counsel and his "how do you not agree with me?" attitude toward the judge. Especially in a situation where Bugliosi is telling the story of how he won this huge case (which the reader already knows) this sort of thing came off as unnecessarily smug.
Should there be another edition of this book? Probably not. If there was going to be one, maybe last year would have been the time (50 years since the crimes.) Bugliosi died a few years ago. And although things have happened since 1994 (the deaths of Atkins and Manson, the dispute over Manson's remains, the release of Fromme, the increasing criticism of Polanski, probably a few more things.) Aside from these non-earthshattering developments, not much to discuss. Krenwinkel, Van Houten and Watson are still in prison and because of the notoriety of the crimes, they will almost certainly never be released. Further discussion of this subject (and not just a rehashing) would most likely be an examination of the US criminal justice system.
dark
informative
slow-paced
This has got to be one of the best true crime books ever written. The shocking details of the crime make the book a page turner, but the excellent writing elevates it. This is really three books in one. The first book is a thriller, as the book puts you in the center of the action at 10050 Cielo Drive, the site of the Tate Murders. The second book is a police procedural, and the third book is a gripping courtroom drama.
The implicit question of this book is - Could this happen to me? I know this book haunted me long before I read it just now.
I first encountered this book when I was about 13 or so. My sister had gone off to college, and I moved into her room. I found a copy on her bookshelf and flipped through it greedily, both repelled and fascinated by the story. The pictures section was especially effective on selling the book, with pictures of beautiful Sharon Tate before and after the murder. The book also contains transcripts from questioning and courtroom testimony, making you feel like you're getting the inside scoop. Later I became a Beatles fan and became interested in the book because of the motive behind the murders. I found every mention of the Beatles in the index and read about the bizarre motive of the crimes.
Why is the book so fascinating? Because a beautiful actress married to a successful and brilliant director was murdered. Because the magnitude of the crime was so extreme. Because it was so random and hence so senseless. And because it was downright bizarre.
My new bedroom was on a separate floor from my parents' room. It had it's own separate door to the outside, and a big window low to the ground gave any determined person easy access to my bedroom. I pictured crazed madmen coming to attack me. Scenarios ran through my head, and I wondered if my parents would hear my screams. Or if my parents were attacked would I hear their screams? Would I help them or make my escape? These heavy thoughts weighed on my mind.
The book, and the copy, stayed with me. I picked it up when I decided I needed a page turner. One night, as I was reading it, someone buzzed our apartment. I was alone, and it was late. No one said anything when I asked who it was. Minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I inched toward the door, approaching the eye hole but too scared to look through it. I imagined looking through the hole and my mind's eye saw a strange man with knife raised. I did look through the hole and saw a figure lurking there.
It was the UPS guy, dropping off a package. So is the power of this book!
The implicit question of this book is - Could this happen to me? I know this book haunted me long before I read it just now.
I first encountered this book when I was about 13 or so. My sister had gone off to college, and I moved into her room. I found a copy on her bookshelf and flipped through it greedily, both repelled and fascinated by the story. The pictures section was especially effective on selling the book, with pictures of beautiful Sharon Tate before and after the murder. The book also contains transcripts from questioning and courtroom testimony, making you feel like you're getting the inside scoop. Later I became a Beatles fan and became interested in the book because of the motive behind the murders. I found every mention of the Beatles in the index and read about the bizarre motive of the crimes.
Why is the book so fascinating? Because a beautiful actress married to a successful and brilliant director was murdered. Because the magnitude of the crime was so extreme. Because it was so random and hence so senseless. And because it was downright bizarre.
My new bedroom was on a separate floor from my parents' room. It had it's own separate door to the outside, and a big window low to the ground gave any determined person easy access to my bedroom. I pictured crazed madmen coming to attack me. Scenarios ran through my head, and I wondered if my parents would hear my screams. Or if my parents were attacked would I hear their screams? Would I help them or make my escape? These heavy thoughts weighed on my mind.
The book, and the copy, stayed with me. I picked it up when I decided I needed a page turner. One night, as I was reading it, someone buzzed our apartment. I was alone, and it was late. No one said anything when I asked who it was. Minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I inched toward the door, approaching the eye hole but too scared to look through it. I imagined looking through the hole and my mind's eye saw a strange man with knife raised. I did look through the hole and saw a figure lurking there.
It was the UPS guy, dropping off a package. So is the power of this book!
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
HELTER SKELTER is an incredible, unforgettable piece of literature that vividly recreates one of the most notorious mass murders in human history. However, because it's such a vivid presentation, the book can be difficult to push through at times. The book begins with the discoveries of the bodies, then it proceeds through the investigation and the trial. Mostly written by the District Attorney for the prosecution, Helter Skelter is a disturbing and fascinating book that will rock you to your core. You'll definitely never listen to The Beatles' White Album the same way again!
I was looking for a spooky read for October, and this fit the bill pretty well. This book is incredibly thorough, detailed, and very specific. Bugliosi goes over every step of the murders, the investigation, the criminal trials, and what happened after. It is quite long, and at times a bit boring, but it is also a deep-dive into one of the most evil individuals in history and as his brainwashed followers. It is a fascinating story of the turmoil of the late 60s and how the Tate/LaBianca murders signaled a crashing end to the "peace and love" era.