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ksd1441's review against another edition
1.0
I do not mind true crime. I enjoy watching Criminal Minds. I understand why it's a popular genre. Many have a certain curiosity for the macabre; and delving into the deranged minds of criminals gives us a glimpse of how humanity can go to hell in a hand basket in no time flat. My issue with this book was not the content, not exactly. Sure, Albert Fish was a particularly disturbed individual and he did some horrible things. If he lived in a more current time, perhaps he would have been able to receive the help he so obviously needed. As a "story", it was interesting enough. But as an overall piece of work, I cannot agree with it. I can divide my grievances into two categories.
Gripe #1: The Writing Style
Oddly enough, if you read the acknowledgements at the end, he dedicated this book to his editor for doing such a fantastic job ("as always"). I'd like to have a serious talk with this editor and how much work she actually completed with Schechter. Not only were there typos and grammatical problems, but the sentence structure and overall layout of the book provided a very choppy picture. At times, it was difficult to read, dipping into the realms of high school history reports. The run-on sentences could have been easily fixed with some added punctuation. Or, even better, cutting whole sections out entirely. I think Schechter could have made the same, if not a better, impact with 100 fewer pages. There were paragraphs that did not even relate to the current content. There were entire chapters I honestly skipped after I realized he decided to go on a field trip tangent about some other event. There are good and bad ways to incorporate related ideas. With Deranged, it felt like the author could not keep his focus. And this led to repetition and over-the-top, long-winded "theories." I think he took a lesson from the Dempsey lawyer; because it also took Schechter 15,000 words and 45 typed pages to get out one statement.
Gripe #2: WHERE ARE YOUR SOURCES?!?
I cannot, in my right mind, give a nonfiction title greater than 1 star if there is no bibliography, index, footnotes, or any recognition from the author that he used outside sources to compile his book. Any researcher, librarian, or freakin' high school student, knows that a source is not credible if they do not cite resources. I'm not asking for much, just some proof that what Schechter presented was factual. He did quote some newspapers, which was nice. However, I still wanted those newspapers to be listed in a bibliography, or at least a note of which database he used to find the prints. Without it, I have to say that Schechter painted a fictional portrait of a serial killer. The accounts in this book are way too specific to be real. It reads like fiction most likely because a lot of it is. The dialogue has no basis, and plenty of it would not have been recorded in any form. So how did Schechter know who said what and when? It was conjecture. And I'm fine with conjecture, as long as the author makes a note of it! Erik Larson--author of Devil in the White City, among others--at least gives us that. He adds a forward to his books that lets us know that some conversations were fabricated to help with the facts. Any nonfiction writer worth his salt should know this. I. Do. Not. Trust. Schechter. And his lack of refinement in this category really irked me to no end. Sure, I could do my own research to back up his information, but that's not the point of reading nonfiction. I should not have to double-check the author's work. Nonfiction should not come with homework (unless you are writing a paper and using it as a source, hah!). For all I know, Schechter wrote this book by looking through blogs and Wikipedia. So, no. Just no.
Gripe #1: The Writing Style
Oddly enough, if you read the acknowledgements at the end, he dedicated this book to his editor for doing such a fantastic job ("as always"). I'd like to have a serious talk with this editor and how much work she actually completed with Schechter. Not only were there typos and grammatical problems, but the sentence structure and overall layout of the book provided a very choppy picture. At times, it was difficult to read, dipping into the realms of high school history reports. The run-on sentences could have been easily fixed with some added punctuation. Or, even better, cutting whole sections out entirely. I think Schechter could have made the same, if not a better, impact with 100 fewer pages. There were paragraphs that did not even relate to the current content. There were entire chapters I honestly skipped after I realized he decided to go on a field trip tangent about some other event. There are good and bad ways to incorporate related ideas. With Deranged, it felt like the author could not keep his focus. And this led to repetition and over-the-top, long-winded "theories." I think he took a lesson from the Dempsey lawyer; because it also took Schechter 15,000 words and 45 typed pages to get out one statement.
Gripe #2: WHERE ARE YOUR SOURCES?!?
I cannot, in my right mind, give a nonfiction title greater than 1 star if there is no bibliography, index, footnotes, or any recognition from the author that he used outside sources to compile his book. Any researcher, librarian, or freakin' high school student, knows that a source is not credible if they do not cite resources. I'm not asking for much, just some proof that what Schechter presented was factual. He did quote some newspapers, which was nice. However, I still wanted those newspapers to be listed in a bibliography, or at least a note of which database he used to find the prints. Without it, I have to say that Schechter painted a fictional portrait of a serial killer. The accounts in this book are way too specific to be real. It reads like fiction most likely because a lot of it is. The dialogue has no basis, and plenty of it would not have been recorded in any form. So how did Schechter know who said what and when? It was conjecture. And I'm fine with conjecture, as long as the author makes a note of it! Erik Larson--author of Devil in the White City, among others--at least gives us that. He adds a forward to his books that lets us know that some conversations were fabricated to help with the facts. Any nonfiction writer worth his salt should know this. I. Do. Not. Trust. Schechter. And his lack of refinement in this category really irked me to no end. Sure, I could do my own research to back up his information, but that's not the point of reading nonfiction. I should not have to double-check the author's work. Nonfiction should not come with homework (unless you are writing a paper and using it as a source, hah!). For all I know, Schechter wrote this book by looking through blogs and Wikipedia. So, no. Just no.
crystalbreezy's review against another edition
5.0
Cannibalism, pedophelia, masochism, piquerism, paraphilia, horror and so much more! A truly sickening read, I highly recommend to true crime lovers!
arcaneviolets's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child death, Child abuse, and Death
tyjada's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Very good, mostly straightforward writing of the case that certainly kept me turning the pages to learn more of this gross killer.
Only can say that it could have possibly been shorter, less repetitive of some points.
Only can say that it could have possibly been shorter, less repetitive of some points.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Pedophilia, Torture, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
dannireadsallthetime's review against another edition
3.0
Albert Fish one of kind absolute weirdo pyscho killer. Kills and eats kids and likes to self-inflict pain on himself, and got away with it for years and years. I had heard a bit about him but this book really showed more of an insight into him and his background. I am still reeling from the fact that he has 6 children and was married twice and everyone just said he was a little strange, and didn't really think much about what he had been doing. A completely different time he lived in. Interesting read for more of an insight into Fish.
lcunningham29's review against another edition
2.0
Skip to the second half to actually get to the details
fairbanks142's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
3.5
Harold Schecther always does an amazing job in his profiles of the depravity of humanity. His biography of Ed Gein ("Deviant") was the first of his book I read several years ago, and I am still emotionally affected by the care and even sympathetic understanding he took to convey the tragic conditions which shaped the man.
With "Deranged", I did not get that same approach to the subject. Not that this is a horrible read, it is quite good, but it is more examination of his crimes and apprehension than the circumstances which may or may not have shaped him to be the monster Albert Fish was.
With "Deranged", I did not get that same approach to the subject. Not that this is a horrible read, it is quite good, but it is more examination of his crimes and apprehension than the circumstances which may or may not have shaped him to be the monster Albert Fish was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, and Child death
katrinaburch's review
5.0
WOW. I've read a lot about the different serial killers over the ages but I've never heard of Albert Fish (and I suspect many others haven't either). Schechter takes the reader through the events prior to Grace Budd's abduction, who Fish was, and his subsequent trial. Fascinating story about a man many people haven't heard of. If you're at all a fan of Criminal Minds, or like True Crime, I highly recommend this book. Though I will say a warning: It is not for the faint of heart. I have read lots of serial murders/crime/forensic books and this case by far takes the cake for gruesome. The only minor complaint I have, is that, at times, it seems a little disjointed in how all the pieces fit together but Schechter does eventually bring them back all together in the end.
zakcebulski's review against another edition
5.0
I have read a lot of true crime... and this book had been on my list for years now, and I finally got along to reading it.
Holy shit, this book was brutal, absolutely brutal. I have become pretty desensitized to a ton of the true crime books or documentaries which I have read, or viewed but there is something about Fish that absolutely terrifies me.
Schechter's writing is, as always, absolutely stellar in every way, and I adore the way in which he crafted this story to read like a Christie-esque mystery novel.
The details of this case are stomach churning, and, there is a sense of hopelessness prevailing through this entire book that only ends, I found, when Fish is caught. Though I knew his end, I still felt happy when I knew that the Gray- Man had been taken off of the streets.
The way that the author shows such sympathy and compassion for all of the victims is always appreciated, as there are some authors of true crime who seem to relish in exploiting the victims, which was not in this case.
I would recommend this book to any true crime reader, but, just know, that the fiendish adjective used by Schechter is near an understatement. Fish conducted acts which I have never heard of before reading this book, and they still scare me a bit to this day.
Holy shit, this book was brutal, absolutely brutal. I have become pretty desensitized to a ton of the true crime books or documentaries which I have read, or viewed but there is something about Fish that absolutely terrifies me.
Schechter's writing is, as always, absolutely stellar in every way, and I adore the way in which he crafted this story to read like a Christie-esque mystery novel.
The details of this case are stomach churning, and, there is a sense of hopelessness prevailing through this entire book that only ends, I found, when Fish is caught. Though I knew his end, I still felt happy when I knew that the Gray- Man had been taken off of the streets.
The way that the author shows such sympathy and compassion for all of the victims is always appreciated, as there are some authors of true crime who seem to relish in exploiting the victims, which was not in this case.
I would recommend this book to any true crime reader, but, just know, that the fiendish adjective used by Schechter is near an understatement. Fish conducted acts which I have never heard of before reading this book, and they still scare me a bit to this day.
mloucks's review against another edition
5.0
I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge and the prompt was a book set in the 1920. It was interesting to learn about a serial killer i did not know much about.