The Executioner's Song

I purchased this book from Amazon in 2020 and read it for the first time back then. I'm an attorney and found the discussions about the legal system and legal process in Utah to be fascinating. The entire story, although extremely sad from all perspectives, shows that truth IS much more interesting than fiction, at least in my opinion. Yes, it's a BIG book at 1,086 pages, but I was riveted by the true story and Mailer's way of telling it and so it seemed like a fast read to me. I picked it up off my shelf again about a year ago and started to leaf through it and ended up reading it again from start to finish. I usually donate my used paper-back books to charity, but this one I will keep and will likely read yet again. I may see if there are any hard-cover versions available which I would like to add to my permanent library.

The tale of Gary Gilmore is one of those "You can't make this stuff up" kind of stories. Gilmore, whose name shall live in infamy, spent 18 of the last 22 years of his life in reform schools and prisons for crimes mostly in the nature of robbery and burglary; he was 36 years old when he was executed for murder by the State of Utah in 1977. Beginning as a tale of a career criminal, the Executioner’s Song evolves into what is tantamount to a modern-day morality play. During a release on parole, in a terrible twist of fate for his victims (a gas station attendant and a motel manager), Gilmore, in the course of robbery, murdered two people (family men both) in cold blood, execution style, for no greater reason than he needed money to buy a used car. Gilmore is tried, convicted and sentenced. Sentenced to death, that is, in a case that culminated in the first state-sanctioned execution in American history in the prior ten years. His sentence, or more accurately, his resigned acceptance of his sentence, is the very crux of this story. Having languished in “the system” for so long, Gilmore is adamant that he does NOT want to spend the rest of his life in prison and, more significantly, that he will NOT fight or appeal his conviction or his sentence. Ironies are rife and abounding in this story, to the point where it would be comedic…if it weren’t so tragic. Gilmore is both cowardly and brave at the same time: cowardly in the dastardly acts he perpetrated with seemingly no moral compunction, but brave in his acceptance of his fate with no vacillation and no trepidation, fully steadfast and prepared to take his lumps. Throughout the story – while everyone else, it seems, is trying to save his hide - Gilmore is unwavering in his determination and has no second thoughts about accepting what is doled out to him. It is almost darkly comedic to read of his angry reactions full of cuss words upon learning that the Court has granted him yet another stay of execution. He is quite prepared to die, and chooses death by firing squad as his preferred method. The overriding irony of this story is that while Gilmore himself is accepting of his fate, all manner of third-parties, including the ACLU and NAACP and members of his own family, are rallying and litigating on his behalf (against his wishes!) to appeal and/or stay his sentence. The notion of “mandatory appeal” is one I found particularly intriguing. Did Gilmore have the “right” to waive an appeal? Is it Constitutional to allow an execution to proceed without at least one appeal? Since these issues posed such a novel legal encounter at the time, the courts – local courts, appellate courts and even the Supreme Court of the United States – were bombarded with appeals and various requests on Gilmore’s behalf (regardless of his own intentions), resulting in a whirlwind of orders, stays and writs. There is a harrowing description as the book nears its climax of how, on the eve of his scheduled execution date, a small group of attorneys takes a treacherous helicopter flight over the mountains to the Tenth Circuit Court to try to stave off the execution. When that fails, the matter is taken to the U.S. Supreme Court in an “eleventh hour” attempt and there is a scene – just like in old Hollywood movies – where the Warden is awaiting a call to say that the execution is off. (Except in this case, the call comes in to say that the execution is NOT off, and Gilmore is ultimately put to death, on January 17, 1977.) In addition to the “mandatory appeal” question, there is also great hair-splitting on the question of “day versus time,” i.e. if the execution cannot for whatever reason be carried out at the exact time of day as set forth in the order of execution, does that nullify the sentence? Or can the execution still legally take place at another time during the same day? In a secondary stroke of irony, during his incarceration, Gilmore makes not one but TWO suicide attempts. In addition, he embarks on a month-long hunger strike. The authorities ensure that each time he is at death’s door, he is revived, all for the end of putting him to death anyway! Bottom line is that The Executioner’s Song offers up a banquet of ironies and legal and moral conundrums. Then there is the love story. During his (brief) period out on parole Gilmore meets and falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl by name of Nicole, who almost serves as his muse. In fact, the two are so obsessed with one another, they actually enter into a suicide pact. A good part of the beginning of the book is devoted to this symbiotic relationship and it serves to underscore yet another great irony in this story: Apparently Gilmore was a gifted artist and poet and could even be a tender lover, as evidenced by his love letters to Nicole, many of which are excerpted throughout the book. And yet at the same time he could be prone to fits of anger and rage, enough to end in a cold-blooded double murder. Ironically (once again), Gary Gilmore is larger in death than he ever was in life, certainly larger than the two poor souls who so tragically lost their lives to his violent outburst, whose names have been practically lost in the mists of time. As for the way this book is written, this is going to sound downright iconoclastic to the mighty Norman Mailer, but I wasn’t terribly impressed with his style of writing. In fact, I found some of his turns of phrase rather awkward and at times even cringe-worthy. Citing but one example on page 990: "….his bowels flared up like a calf bawling." That being said, I certainly was impressed with his thoroughness and this book (weighing in at 1109 pages) is no doubt an ambitious undertaking. Moreover, Mailer excels at describing the machinations of the attorneys involved in this case and the veritable circles upon circles of appeals by outside parties and parties acting without Gilmore’s consent, encompassing state, circuit and Supreme courts. He also describes to a “T” the ghoulish members of the press and other hangers-on who want a piece of Gilmore and strive to make a buck off of him. The Executioner’s Song is fact but reads almost like a legal thriller. The actual execution is a “down to the wire” experience such as you might read in a work of fiction or view in an old-time movie-of-the-week. But this is NOT a work of fiction; instead Mailer’s tale ranks among the classics of true crime, right up there with Truman Capote and Joe McGinniss and Joseph Wambaugh. The story is told in excruciating detail. This may be a criticism in the early chapters of the book, but edging toward story’s end, the tension mounts and we are given a sense of immediacy such that the reader can almost hear the clock ticking inside his head. We are walking that last mile side by side with Gilmore. And it doesn’t end with the execution, as we are subjected to the gruesome descriptions of the autopsy and the cremation, as well as touching excerpts from his eulogy by his family and, oddly enough, the attorneys who had gotten to know him so well over those last few nerve-wracking months. All in all, this was a good easy-to-read book that will really draw the reader in and pose numerous life questions to ponder, not the least of which is the morality of capital punishment and the taking of a life in vengeance for another.

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.

But needlessly long. Minute detail on meaningless characters. Could have been half as long and twice as riveting. But worth the effort.

Beautifully written, this is my favourite of Mailer's books. Even more powerful is Gilmore's brother's (Mikal, a Rolling Stone journalist) account of his family story. It is called 'Shot in the Heart' and is the most heart-rending true story of abuse and pain and the different ways people deal with pain that I have ever read. It also contains the creepies and most believable ghost story I have ever read.

Had a copy which I read while back in school. Unfortunately as time goes on we move to the latest hot bestseller. This book should be on school curriculum everywhere as it gives insight how society can help create sociopathic criminals. It's still a facinating read that makes you not put it down. It is also important as it may get readers to try other books by Norman Mailer. An author who at the time was a cultural icon. Take the chance buy the book and read away

It was very interesting the argument that it has to be an appel when someone is setenced to death, with his concent or not.

Well, I didn't think I would do it but, I did. All 1,000 odd pages and now I can't find another book to equal it. There were about two or three places in the book where I found my interest waning a bit, the media deals being done and the amount of different characters involved, but Mr. Mailer hauled me back in again. I can see why The Executioner's Song won the Pulitzer prize. It is a book that really gets you thinking about the whole circus that was Gary Gilmore's execution. I can't decide if Gilmore was a very clever individual and playing the State at a game of chicken by making his death wish appear to be an illegal suicide thus dragging his sentence out for years and years with legal wranglings or if he genuinely wanted to die. The man was a master of manipulation and clearly intelligent so, my first question about his agenda would fit. Don't let the size of the book put you off buying it. You will finish it. Highly recommended.