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That being said, there's a lot of humor and humanity--and, yes, love--that sustains and entices you to the end of this book.Finally, if the book leaves you desiring to see the people wrapped up in Gilmore's story and to hear their voices, there is a good A&E biography available on YouTube. Mailer inserts numerous breaks that allow you to take a breather.
The subject matter--an all-access pass into the world of a killer daring the state to execute him and the "carrion" buzz he generates--provides ample opportunity for unease. There is plenty to unsettle the reader apart from the murders and execution.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The stories presented defy easy moral conclusions and the writing allowed me to feel relatively unencumbered in considering the many questions suggested by this work: questions concerning capital punishment; the prison system; the legal system; the parameters and responsibility of journalism; the nature of evil, of friendship, of family, of romantic love.Practically, the book is easy to pick up again even if you've taken a few weeks off from reading it.
At the same time, Mailer portrays nearly all of the players in this morbidly human story in a manner that elicits sympathy for, and in many instances admiration of, them. I found that irrespective of my personal feelings regarding the acts or politics of Gary Gilmore, of the people involved in his execution, and of those documenting Gilmore's story, Mailer's writing nudged me more towards empathy than judgment.
I was especially grateful for the breaks in a book over 1000 pages long that frequently plunged me into some pretty dark emotional places. Especially intriguing are examples of Gilmore's artwork and the interview with Nicole Henry (nee Baker).http://www.youtube.com/watch.v=fR-oM00ZKYE&videos=ueydt3tUrn0&playnext_from=TL&playnext=1
It also seems to get too deep into the particulars of the media frenzy surrounding Gilmore. This is the sixth Norman Mailer book I've read, and although tells a great story about Gary Gilmore, the killer of two in Utah in the mid-Seventies, it packs entirely too much information. namely that of Larry Schiller and his battle to aquire various rights to Gilmore's story. While reading this book, I found myself wishing more had been written about Gary and his life, and his relationship to his family and common law wife Nicole than about all the intricate details of the legal procedings after his sentencing. The back half of the book is loaded with seemingly endless milieu related to all the legal proceedings involving Utah's lack of mandetory appeal for those sentenced to death. though that story thread does have something of a redemption. All in all, it's a great book, but tends to drag.
Norman Mailer is an undisputable genius. Gilmore et al are thoroughly memorable personalities- I later checked him out vis a vis an A&E Biography on youtube.com.
Thirty years later I decide to "do it again" and I was not disappointed. I first read this book when it first came out back in 1979 when I was 26 and I loved it then.
This particular case entailed much controversy legally, historically, and Mr. The investment Mr.
Mailer devoted to the project is staggering. The entire situation was stunning as well as its developments.
It all left me breathless.Don't be daunted by the length- it's well worth the time.
Reads like butter. At least the first book (of two) was. Mailer's delivery is power packed. Simply astonishingly good and a must read for any thinking American. Can't be praised enough.
An exhasperatingly detailed book that only chronicles the end of Gary Gilmore's life. Does not delve into his childhood or family history. Goes into great detail on things that are of little interest and importance to the overall story. Reads more like a textbook than a biography.
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