Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

 

The next book on my True Books 2020 list was Helter Skelter, the famous true crime novel about the Manson murders. I'd been interested in this book ever since I read and enjoyed In Cold Blood years ago. I wanted to try another true crime classic, and as this one is so highly regarded, it seemed like a good choice. I went into my reading not knowing too much about the subject aside from the fact that Manson was some kind of cult leader that ordered his followers to commit horrific crimes in the late 60s. So, I knew this story would be weird and creepy, but now that I've finished reading it, I can say that I definitely underestimated how bizarre and tragic it would actually be.

Helter Skelter was written by Vincent Bugliosi, the lead prosecutor of the Manson case. He opens the novel with a thorough and chilling description of the Tate murder scene, describing in detail how the bodies of five people, including the pregnant movie star Sharon Tate, were discovered by a housekeeper arriving at Tate's house on the early morning of August 9, 1969. Terrified by the gruesome and bloody scene, she ran screaming from the house and alerted the police. From that point forward, a massive investigation was launched that captivated the world. 

Over the course of the next several months, a strange story emerged concerning a curiously enigmatic man named Charles Manson and his "family," a group of men and women that lived with him in the desert. Manson had a lot of strange ideas, not the least of which was "Helter Skelter," his belief that a race war would soon end most life on earth, leaving him to rule over everyone that was left. His followers believed in his ideas unequivocally, and appeared willing to follow any instructions he gave them, including instructions to commit acts of violence. Manson and several of his "family" members were eventually linked to the Tate murders, as well as the murders of the Leno and Rosemary La Bianca, a married couple whose bodies were discovered in another horrifically bloody crime scene the next day. 

After Bugliosi explains how Manson and his accomplices were arrested, the novel shifts into the trial phase of the story. He goes through his work on the case step-by-step, explaining exactly how he prosecuted the defendants. A copious amount of detail is included, including pieces of interviews, descriptions of evidence, and court transcripts. The result is a genuine courtroom drama, full of literally unbelievable twists and turns. After the trial section ends, Bugliosi explains the fate of several people involved in the case and wraps up with some final thoughts on Manson's personality and influence. 

I really enjoyed this novel, but I had a tough time summarizing it adequately for this post. What I wrote falls woefully short of encapsulating everything Helter Skelter contains. There is an incredible amount of detail in this book's 670 pages. Bugliosi does an excellent job of presenting a vast amount of information in a way that is both organized and engaging. The pacing works well and although the novel was long, I wasn't bored while reading. He covers not only the facts of the case, but goes into enough background detail to try and show how matters progressed to the extreme points they did. This is one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" type of stories, and Bugliosi's meticulous research and clear explanations really helped to make this utterly bizarre situation understandable.

What stands out the most in Helter Skelter, of course, is Charles Manson and the incredible control he exerted over his family. He was able to convince them to commit a wide variety of crimes, ranging from burglary to murder, all to support his personal racist and sexist philosophies. Bugliosi explains that Manson was able to lure people to his side using a combination of hallucinogenic drugs, sex, and violence. He attracted lonely, often mentally ill, people to himself and exploited their weaknesses to serve his needs. There was something about him that many people found irresistible, and diving into his story to try and figure out what that special something might have been was fascinating. However, Bugliosi is careful not to glorify Manson throughout the text. His tone is appropriately somber throughout and he frequently reminds the reader that there is nothing glamourous or alluring about what Manson and his family did.   

Helter Skelter is an excellent account of a very unique crime in American history. The story is disturbing and fascinating and Bugiosi's insider account of it is very well-written. This is mandatory reading for true crime fans, and I'm happy to have picked it up for my challenge. 

Challenge Tally

True Books 2020: 12/14

Total Books Read in 2020: 69