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A review by lackof_shelf_control
Deviant by Harold Schechter
4.0
‼️TW: murder, violence, obscenities, graphic descriptions‼️
I’ve never read Harold’s work before, but he did a brilliant job of telling such a horrifying tale. True crime books can read a little textbook-y, but not this one! I was engaged the whole time. This is not a book for the faint of heart. It’s graphic, terrifying, and sad. The autopsy report of one of the victims was hard to read. The jokes about his crimes that were circulating at the time are appalling. I also learned a lot about him that I had no idea about. I was shocked at some of the things they found in his house especially because (I would argue) there were other items that were just as gruesome as the infamous nipple belt, but feel like that’s the one everyone talks about. I feel like he doesn’t get the mainstream coverage like Bundy and Gacy because of the question of his sanity. I found myself thinking, although no excuse for his actions, how sad and isolating his life was. This book really brings to light the age old question - nature versus nurture. I honestly feel like with Ed Gein it was a perfect storm of both. I think we often like to classify people as pure evil, which makes it feel unavoidable. If Ed Gein was insane, it speaks to the larger issue at play of mental health and the potential that all of his horrors could have been avoided if he had the proper treatment. Highly suggest this book for those who can stomach it!
I’ve never read Harold’s work before, but he did a brilliant job of telling such a horrifying tale. True crime books can read a little textbook-y, but not this one! I was engaged the whole time. This is not a book for the faint of heart. It’s graphic, terrifying, and sad. The autopsy report of one of the victims was hard to read. The jokes about his crimes that were circulating at the time are appalling. I also learned a lot about him that I had no idea about. I was shocked at some of the things they found in his house especially because (I would argue) there were other items that were just as gruesome as the infamous nipple belt, but feel like that’s the one everyone talks about. I feel like he doesn’t get the mainstream coverage like Bundy and Gacy because of the question of his sanity. I found myself thinking, although no excuse for his actions, how sad and isolating his life was. This book really brings to light the age old question - nature versus nurture. I honestly feel like with Ed Gein it was a perfect storm of both. I think we often like to classify people as pure evil, which makes it feel unavoidable. If Ed Gein was insane, it speaks to the larger issue at play of mental health and the potential that all of his horrors could have been avoided if he had the proper treatment. Highly suggest this book for those who can stomach it!