The Executioner's Song

Gary Gilmore was a real man who killed two real men and paid the ultimate price for his actions. What Mailer labors over here is an exercise in painting a portrait of a murderer with no moral compass. We learn about Gilmore, but not about why he murdered. Readers should be prepared to come to many of their own conclusions about the subject. Mailer has presented the man, now we must decide his intentions.This prize winner is worth every minute of your time.

Mailer's love of words, of thoughts, of ideas, and of characters shines through on every page. Gargantuan in its length, it is as compelling as a finely crafted short story. Brilliant at times, never less than superb, this song is a melody that will long linger..... Arguably his finest work, it, like Capote's IN COLD BLOOD, changed American literature forever.

I know it won a Pulitzer, that's why I decided to read it. Way too long and technical for me. I finished it just to say I did, but would not read it if I had known before hand. The guy was a sociopath. Very sad that the victims and their families are all but forgotten and minimized.

Mailer's grasp so often eluded his reach, yet he never stopped reaching further and higher. Sometimes he succeeded, more often he failed. He always carried the the burden of having written his most compelling novel on his first attempt, The Naked and the Dead, a book that remains a classic, if not the classic American war novel. But in the Executioner's Song affirms Mailer's undeniable greatness. You will may start reading this book with a preconceived notion of who Gary Gilmore was, and what happened to cause the state of Utah to execute him, and his decision to demand this punishment be carried out. When you are through, you will be amazed, repulsed, confused and perhaps angry. But you will know that you have read one of the greatest true-crime stories ever written. It can never surpass Capote's masterpiece, as In Cold Blood remains one of the most brilliant and unique books in American letters. But The Executioner's Song can only rank just slightly behind Capote's classic. If you read only on Mailer book, make it this one, you will not be disappointed. If you continue to ask yourself the "why" about Gilmore's life and death, seek out Mikal Gilmore's memoir A Shot Through the Heart. Mikal is Gary's youngest brother, and his recollections of their childhood and family life will leave you even more amazed, repulsed confused and angry. But Gary Gilmore's life and death has a resonance that far exceeds his troubled life, cold-blooded remorseless crimes, and final iconic execution.

I have been waiting from the time I purchased my iPad for "The Executioner's Song" to be released in the e-book format. I first read this story when I was in college. Norman Mailer's depiction of Gary Gilmore, his crimes and struggle to be executed by the State was eye-opening to say the least!