Zodiac by Robert Graysmith (2007)
Jun. 22nd, 2007 11:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lightreadsA very thorough recounting of the Zodiac killings and the long investigation, told by a newspaper cartoonist who became obsessed with the case and involved with the major players. Graysmith lays out the known facts, reproduces the full text of the Zodiac letters for the first time, and conducts his own investigations of the major suspects.
Man. I’d forgotten, but this is a hell of a story. It reminds me not to be too hard on a lot of thrillers and cop shows, because in fact you cannot make this shit up.
Anyway. A deeply compelling book, which owes more to the story it tells than to Graysmith’s writing. I mean, give the man credit – it’s thorough and factual and generally free of bullshit. But every once in a while, as if he just can’t take all that calm intellectualism for another second, Graysmith breaks out into some rampantly emogothic speculation about what Zodiac felt like as he wrote one of his letters, or spits out a line like, “and the dark hunter kept thrusting.” Not that the sexualized violence isn’t appropriate, because it is, but really.
Graysmith is generally moderated and thoughtful in his speculations and theories, but he’s just so close to the case that he occasionally pops out some frankly laughable idea that gives significance to the vaguest coincidence (OMG, the map Zodiac used was made by a manufacturer whose name sounds like the surname of the father of one of the victims! OMG!) And when I say something is outlandishly fictional in the context of Zodiac, I mean it’s pretty freaking unbelievable.
It’s a great book, though, and Graysmith is right to be proud of this first and most thorough collection of the facts (not to mention his pretty impressive personal work, up to and including cracking one of the Zodiac’s nastier ciphers). Absolutely worth it, if this is your thing.
Man. I’d forgotten, but this is a hell of a story. It reminds me not to be too hard on a lot of thrillers and cop shows, because in fact you cannot make this shit up.
Anyway. A deeply compelling book, which owes more to the story it tells than to Graysmith’s writing. I mean, give the man credit – it’s thorough and factual and generally free of bullshit. But every once in a while, as if he just can’t take all that calm intellectualism for another second, Graysmith breaks out into some rampantly emogothic speculation about what Zodiac felt like as he wrote one of his letters, or spits out a line like, “and the dark hunter kept thrusting.” Not that the sexualized violence isn’t appropriate, because it is, but really.
Graysmith is generally moderated and thoughtful in his speculations and theories, but he’s just so close to the case that he occasionally pops out some frankly laughable idea that gives significance to the vaguest coincidence (OMG, the map Zodiac used was made by a manufacturer whose name sounds like the surname of the father of one of the victims! OMG!) And when I say something is outlandishly fictional in the context of Zodiac, I mean it’s pretty freaking unbelievable.
It’s a great book, though, and Graysmith is right to be proud of this first and most thorough collection of the facts (not to mention his pretty impressive personal work, up to and including cracking one of the Zodiac’s nastier ciphers). Absolutely worth it, if this is your thing.
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-22 05:17 pm (UTC)weird like meinterested in people who kill other people in bizarre ways to get their kicks.. . . unrelatedly, but my God do I have munchies.
You feeling better?
no subject
Date: 2007-06-22 05:55 pm (UTC)weirdlike me interested in people who kill other people in bizarre ways to get their kicks.i r subtle, yo. i know, it's shocking!
. . . unrelatedly, but my God do I have munchies.
this isn't any cannibalism in this book, is there? ;)
You feeling better?
i was, until a piece of grit hit me in the eye when i went out for lunch. ow, ow, and ow, and is the universe trying to tell me something about this being the week for punching a hole in myself?
no subject
Date: 2007-06-22 05:59 pm (UTC)this isn't any cannibalism in this book, is there? ;)
Nope. But I could point you to some books . . .
i was, until a piece of grit hit me in the eye when i went out for lunch. ow, ow, and ow, and is the universe trying to tell me something about this being
the week for punching a hole in myself?
Aww, poor you.
Speaking of, you still doing that? Need help?
no subject
Date: 2007-06-22 06:21 pm (UTC)the scary thing? almost immediately my eye felt better.
Speaking of, you still doing that? Need help?
still the plan (unless someone drops a piano on my head tonight or something) (knocks on wood). :) want to help with the preliminaries tonight? i could bring chocolate....
no subject
Date: 2007-06-22 06:27 pm (UTC). . . what does it say about me that having my superpower be making people feel better is pretty disappointing?
Yes and yes on help and chocolate.
I wonder if you can get away with just trimming really short. I'd forgotten how uncomfortable shaving can be for two or three days.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-22 07:11 pm (UTC)*pets you* you can still make republicans apologize for being stepped on! doesn't that help?
Yes and yes on help and chocolate.
mmm, chocolate.