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Bezig met laden... Zodiac (1985)door Robert Graysmith
Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. It is difficult for me to understand how this book has gone through multiple printings and is still being sold. Presumably the readers are people fascinated with these unsolved murders from 50 years ago and drawn in by the promise of never-before-available details. Unfortunately the book is so poorly written that I had to force myself to finish it (and then only because the "Z" title fit nicely into a current reading challenge). Other reviewers have complained about the amount of detail Graysmith includes, but IMO that's not the problem. It's the wretched writing! Much of the book alternates between police-blotter-like recreations of events, and descriptions of the author's efforts at detective work (for which he frequently applauds himself, albeit sometimes putting the words of praise into the mouths of other individuals). I found myself wondering more than once why the publisher hadn't forced Graysmith to submit to an editor with a well-sharpened blue pencil. This selection from page 2 is typical of his graceless efforts at description: "He put his Timex wristwatch with chrome case and band on his left wrist, and shoved a dollar and fifty-five cents, all in change, in his right front pants pocket. He pocketed a white handkerchief and a small bottle of Binaca breath drops." Seriously? He put his wrist watch on his wrist and pocketed items in his pockets? Sheesh! With so many wonderful true crime writers at work, it's unfortunate that this admittedly fascinating case was left to a cartoonist who happened to be at the right place and time. (No general criticism of the writing of political cartoonists intended - Tom Toles certainly excels at both.) But just because you work at a newspaper clearly does not mean you can write! Not my favorite true crime read. The writing was clunky and at times read too much like a police report. Admittedly, I didn't know much about the Zodiac killer only that he had never been caught - so pretty much all this was new to me. I never watched the movie and I never listened to a podcast on this so it was a lot to take in. I wouldn't be opposed to watching the movie or learning more about the killer - I just don't think this book was the right format for me. Maybe the writing style was too old - I'm really not sure. Interesting and fascinating, but not an easy read. I've only read one other true crime book before this one and that was [b:Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders|105992|Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders|Vincent Bugliosi|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347694754s/105992.jpg|1077715]. I'm not the biggest fan of true crime books. I prefer to listen to or watch true crime in the form of TV or podcasts. I have found that both of the true crime authors I have read have an air of being smarter than everyone else though that is much truer for Bugliosi then Graysmith. I think I liked this about as much as Helter Skelter though I was much more eager to read this one. I actually listened to the audiobook on 2X speed which made this a very quick read which I liked. Overall this was a solid true crime story. It's a little slow at first but I thoroughly enjoyed it. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
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A sexual sadist, his pleasure was torture and murder. His first victims were a teenage couple, stalked and shot dead in a lover's lane. After another slaying, he sent his first mocking note to authorities, promising he would kill again. The official tally of his victims was six. He claimed thirty-seven. The real toll may have reached fifty. He was never caught. "After jack the Ripper and before Son of Sam there is only one name their equal in terror: the deadly, elusive, and mysterious Zodiac. Since 1963, the hooded mass murderer has terrified the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area with a string of brutal killings. Zodiac, in taunting letters sent to the newspapers, has hidden clues to his identity by using cunning ciphers that have defied the greatest code breaking minds of the CIA, the FBI, and NSA.". Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)364.15230979461Social sciences Social problems and services; associations Criminology Crimes and Offenses Offenses against persons Homicide Murder History, geographic treatment, biography North AmericaLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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Robert Graysmith does a comprehensive job detailing each murder, laying out all the leads, and putting into perspective the roles of those chiefly responsible for breaks in the case, but by about two-thirds of the way through, he begins unspooling suspect theories that come across as anticlimactic. There is a lot of speculation and confirmation of leads, but there's a lot of rambling, too, and I had a hard time finishing the book.
For someone who doesn't know the specifics of the Zodiac case, this is a five-star read. For a hardcore murderino, it loses something by two-thirds of the way through. Since, to date, the Zodiac has never been caught, I imagine it's tough to write a suitable ending. ( )