The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer
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Book Reviews of The Executioner's Song
Book Review: Written with Fairness and Restraint; Accessible at 1000+ Pages
Summary: 5 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 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. 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. 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. Mailer inserts numerous breaks that allow you to take a breather. I was especially grateful for the breaks in a book over 1000 pages long that frequently plunged me into some pretty dark emotional places. 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. 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
Book Review: Norman Mailer delivers a masterpiece of work
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read the Executioner's Song several years ago and was fascinated by it then. I have just read it again and the same holds true now. Nothing that I have ever read before compares with this book. The true account of Gary Gilmore and those who's lives he forever affected will leave you literally haunted. The true story of one man's attempt to reintroduce himself into society after half a lifetime locked away in the prison system only to commit double murder a short time after he is out of prison. And his personal battle to make the State of Utah execute him only nine months after he was let out of prison is a tragic and gripping portrayal of American History.
Norman Mailer's delivery of this story is more like a window into the actual lives of Gary Gilmore and his girlfriend Nicole. It's not like your reading a book but rather being transported into their realm. I at times found myself completely depressed when reading certain parts of the book. I had to put it down for a time because it was upsetting. The book contains themes that deal with religion, sexual abuse, human rights, the law, suicide, love, and manipulation just to name a few.
I came away with the sense that I knew these people intimately. that I knew their friends and family members.I was caught up in the inner turmoil of the ill fated lovers Gary and Nicole. The last half of the book chronicals the lives of the lawyers, people who worked for the ACLU, and others who become involved with Gary. At times there are so many people involved in the circus like atmosphere that surrounds the case that you easily forget who is who.But this book is based on reality and these people all played a part in the case. Some large and some small.
This book is a keeper for one's bookshelf. An outstanding piece of American Literature from a gifted writer.
Book Review: A Brilliant, Colossal Project That is Worth Every Page
Summary: 5 Stars
Norman Mailer's book "The Executioner's Song" made me a fan of journalistic fiction. He was capable of using elements from a journalist's world while incorporating the necessary elements to turn this epic project into a beautiful, insightful novel. This combination is used to perfection as he was able to tell the story of Gary Gilmore, the first man to face the death sentence since its reinstatement.
The book is logically constructed focusing on Gary Gilmore and his life in the beginning then slowly shifts towards others with the ominous day of his execution approaching. It centers on his relationships made before the crime and after while always seemingly keeping an unbiased stance. What Mailer does such a good job of doing while constructing this narrative is incorporating all the other characters involved in Gary Gilmore; it was about his family, media, law enforcement, the Supreme Court, ACLU, and other agencies. The second half of this book is dictated by these people and organizations trying to be aapart of Gary's life and the decision that will either keep him alive or kill him.
The most interesting aspect of the novel is that Gary Gilmore wanted to be executed. He continuously tells Utah to carry out what they sentenced and stop putting of his execution date. This is quite a twist that makes Gilmore even more of an interesting character. The events of his life seem to have captured the whole country and he couldn't care less about them getting involved and pleads to be killed
This novel is the true definition of an epic; it has a large scope that encapsulates probably everything that surrounded these events. It is a testament to Mailer's ability to research and construct such a powerful narrative to tell a harrowing story.
Book Review: 1000+ pages of everything
Summary: 5 Stars
Is "The Executioner's Song" a novel or a piece of journalism? If you read the afterword and know what everything that is written actually happened you would think the latter. And it is, but the writing is so compelling it is also a piece of literature like Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood".
In short, the story is about Gary Gilmore, a villain who has been in jails and correction centers for most of his life but who has never been corrected, maybe even the opposite. He gets out of jail, works in a shoe store and meets Nicole, the number one person for him for the rest of his life. His life outside of jail is one of drugs, violence and a lot of drinking, until one day he brutally kills two people. He is then sentenced to get the death-penalty, which had a moratorium for few years. Even though many groups like the ACLU try to stop this he actually wants to get the Death Penalty. The last pages are excrusiating, does he get it or not?
Gary Gilmore was a menace, not a nice person who kept drinking and making other people's lives miserable. I had to be really careful not to feel some kind of sympathy for him however. Was het a victim of society and/or the prison system? In the end I actually was hoping he would not die.
The lives of the other people around him are also masterfully told. From his immediate family to the lawyers that came in later.
This book is great of you want a book about average Americans, about the legal system, the Death Penalty and interestingly enough also the Mormon Church.
It may be more than a 1000 pages but every one is worth it. The chapters are short and also divided into smaller parts. Because of the writing style you can put it away for a few days and pick it up again.
Book Review: It's About A Lot More Than An Execution
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is about nothing less than Human Nature and America. There is so much in this book to treasure that I would have to agree with other reviewers that it could have gone on twice as long. Mailer's incredible book does two things. First it uses an epochal event to paint a portrait of America at a certain point of time. Most notably, to me at least, it captures (1)the hypocrisy of America's growing focus on Law & Order at a time when it reinstituted capital punishment and (2) the capitalist greed that epitomized the fierce contest for Gilmore's life story.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, Mailer capitalizes on fascinating factual occurrences to tell stories that no novelist could dream up. Gilmore is a character that seems so intelligent, carefree and fun to be around that you just want to throw your arms around him...until he resorts to brutal, random and inexplicable acts of violence. The affection keeps coming back until you once again remember his visious acts. No author could have dreamed up a character that stirs so much ambivalence in the reader. As for Gary and Nicole's romance, who could have dreamed up the twists and turns -- the suicide pacts, Nicole's institutionalization, the difficulty of the relationship in person contrasted with its ease when the two are separated. Finally, no author could create such a complete look inside the criminal mind without having complete access to an actual criminal.
Sorry if I was long-winded. This book is a true treasure.