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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
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
Interesting history of Manson and the murders. Bit self-congratulatory at times and a bit long at other times but overall enjoyable+
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Honest 3.5 stars.
I like to read anything murder/mystery related and i did like that it was coming from the prosecution side (so let's say more accurate than made up polished fiction) it was at times really difficult to follow and it took me some time to get used to the style... Also at times i could feel Mr. Bugliosi stroking his own ego too much(the comments about his prosecution from Manson and spol). But over all super interesting read, couldn't put it down.
I like to read anything murder/mystery related and i did like that it was coming from the prosecution side (so let's say more accurate than made up polished fiction) it was at times really difficult to follow and it took me some time to get used to the style... Also at times i could feel Mr. Bugliosi stroking his own ego too much(the comments about his prosecution from Manson and spol). But over all super interesting read, couldn't put it down.
This was incredibly in-depth and detailed, and the way Bugliosi built his case was extremely, extremely impressive. I feel like I learned a lot about how to run an investigation.
Point of view: You're a young woman of 17, holding a knife so tightly in your hand that your knuckles are white and worn from excitement. You babble about killing the rich "pigs" and the "blacks" and how your "leader" will lead to a revolution of genocide against black folk. As you play I-spy to pick a house, your eyes fall upon 1050 Cielo Drive. Inside, there are three friends and a heavily pregnant woman who, only that day, had started to arrange the nursery for her unborn son.
You not only kill her friends, but stab the woman. For a split second your limbic system kicks in and tells you "this is wrong. Save the baby." Instead, you sloppily clean up the crime scene and move on.
Paul Richard Polanski could have survived if a caesarean had been performed within 20 minutes. Instead, you write this on the walls:
This review goes out to Gem, who is my partner in discussing crime.
Remember that time we said Ted Bundy was attractive and then we had a simultaneous realisation that that's how he got girls to like him and get killed? Ah, the summer of 2013.
Love you boo <3
Onto Helter Skelter.
About three quarters of a mile directly south and downhill from 1050 Cielo Drive, Tim Ireland was one of ten counselors supervising an overnight camp-out for some 35 children at the West Lake School For Girls. The other counselors had gone to sleep, but Ireland had volunteered to stay up through the night. At approximately 12:40 am, he heard what seemed like a long distance away, a solitary male voice. The man was screaming "Oh God no, please don't, Oh God no, don't, don't, don't. The scream lasted 10 - 15 seconds then stopped. The abrupt silence almost as chilling as the scream itself....Ireland took a circuitous route from North Ferring road, South on Benedict Canyon road and West on Sunset Boulevard to Beverley Glen and Northward back to the school. He observed nothing unusual.
Final Thoughts
After finally finishing this book, my eyes have been opened. We all believe we are immune to cults and cultist rhetoric; however, there were times where I found myself actually liking Charlie. They were small moments, but they made me afraid of myself and what any of us could become when weaved into a dark cocoon.
Bugliosi wrote a transformative book. As the defending lawyer, he could have been much more biased in his observations, but his in-depth research of not only the jaw-dropping and mesmerising court case, but a section with a bittersweet understanding and look at Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring and all the others who were brutally murdered by Charlie Manson's group, was delicately handled.
There is another element I find that clears up immense misunderstanding regarding "brainwashing" of cult members. Many people see these as victims, but the three women who aided in killing an eight-month pregnant woman showed no remorse. These people should be held as accountable as Manson himself.
Look at these stone-faced, vile women's faces.
After reading this book from the perspective of a speech therapist, I would like to delve more into how cultists convince others - I'd like to look beyond the psychology and into the words.
No one is immune to the language of cultists.
You not only kill her friends, but stab the woman. For a split second your limbic system kicks in and tells you "this is wrong. Save the baby." Instead, you sloppily clean up the crime scene and move on.
Paul Richard Polanski could have survived if a caesarean had been performed within 20 minutes. Instead, you write this on the walls:
This review goes out to Gem, who is my partner in discussing crime.
Remember that time we said Ted Bundy was attractive and then we had a simultaneous realisation that that's how he got girls to like him and get killed? Ah, the summer of 2013.
Love you boo <3
Onto Helter Skelter.
About three quarters of a mile directly south and downhill from 1050 Cielo Drive, Tim Ireland was one of ten counselors supervising an overnight camp-out for some 35 children at the West Lake School For Girls. The other counselors had gone to sleep, but Ireland had volunteered to stay up through the night. At approximately 12:40 am, he heard what seemed like a long distance away, a solitary male voice. The man was screaming "Oh God no, please don't, Oh God no, don't, don't, don't. The scream lasted 10 - 15 seconds then stopped. The abrupt silence almost as chilling as the scream itself....Ireland took a circuitous route from North Ferring road, South on Benedict Canyon road and West on Sunset Boulevard to Beverley Glen and Northward back to the school. He observed nothing unusual.
Final Thoughts
After finally finishing this book, my eyes have been opened. We all believe we are immune to cults and cultist rhetoric; however, there were times where I found myself actually liking Charlie. They were small moments, but they made me afraid of myself and what any of us could become when weaved into a dark cocoon.
Bugliosi wrote a transformative book. As the defending lawyer, he could have been much more biased in his observations, but his in-depth research of not only the jaw-dropping and mesmerising court case, but a section with a bittersweet understanding and look at Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring and all the others who were brutally murdered by Charlie Manson's group, was delicately handled.
There is another element I find that clears up immense misunderstanding regarding "brainwashing" of cult members. Many people see these as victims, but the three women who aided in killing an eight-month pregnant woman showed no remorse. These people should be held as accountable as Manson himself.
Look at these stone-faced, vile women's faces.
After reading this book from the perspective of a speech therapist, I would like to delve more into how cultists convince others - I'd like to look beyond the psychology and into the words.
No one is immune to the language of cultists.
dark
informative
medium-paced
It feels like Charlie Manson, his cultish family, and the murders they committed are so infamous and ingrained in American popular culture that understanding what happened is almost a must. I am not a fan of true crime shows or books as it is has always made me feel uneasy entertaining myself by reading about brutal murders, unfortunate victims, and remorseless killers. What separates this crime novel from the rest is the sheer craziness of the perpetrators of the crime and Manson himself who nears the top of the pantheon of notorious American criminals. The book is too long for my taste but a must read for true crime fans.
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
This was a monster of a book. It was a thorough exploration of the investigation and trial. I did find it difficult to keep facts and people straight just owning to the level of detail and legal complexity of the case. The themes are definitely tough to get through and the content can be quite heavy, especially when discussing the ideologies the cult espoused
Wow. If you are a fan of true crime this book is for you. This book is about the Manson family and the murders. It’s amazing how Manson was able to manipulate and murder in the name of “love”