Zodiac by Robert Graysmith Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Zodiac
Book Review: A good read, but fast and loose with some facts
Summary: 3 Stars
I enjoyed Graysmith's book, and the movie based upon it, but the second half of this book degenerates into semi-absurdity. Graysmith presents many facts about the murders and the murdered, as well as the investigation regarding Zodiac. So far, so good. But when the trail goes somewhat cold, he begins to postulate various things about the killer and his motives. Graysmith attempts to tie many murders that were not conclusively linked to Zodiac with various astronomical and astrological events. I'm not an authority on astrology, but his astronomical coincidences stretch credulity. He speaks of 'aphelion', Saturn ascending, various Jupiter occurrences, solstices and equinoxes and attempts to show how these might have influenced Zodiac. Hey, might be true, but he names so much astronomical stuff that it seems completely without pattern. After all, there is ALWAYS some type of astronomical event occurring. And Graysmith attempts to define "aphelion", but gets it wrong. It's obvious that he has only a limited understanding of astronomy and it's not enough to make his case convincing.
Other faults include his mention of various relationships or events involving the victims, but he never follows through. Why did the guy have on 3 shirts and 3 pairs of pants on a hot summer night? What did the girl know about a previous murder? These and other questions go unanswered. That may not be Graysmith's fault, but he spends too much time building them up to just leave them hanging. A cursory mention would have served much better.
Graysmith also attributes a bit too much glamor and mystery to the codebreaking and codemaking in the case. Surely, the initial break of Zodiac's first cipher was a masterful accomplishment ... but to claim that the NSA, CIA and Naval Intelligence couldn't break the codes, then some amateurs (and later Graysmith himself) did what they could not is also absurd. First, I think it likely that if the NSA did break the code, they'd keep quiet about it. More likely is that none of these agencies really took the time to try. And as far as making the codes: Zodiac could easily have accomplished that from reading one of many children's books on the subject.
Okay, why three stars then? He does a good job at presenting the cold facts of the murders, and of tying together some other possible Zodiac activity. There seem to be few places where one can read the entire story of the Zodiac in any coherent fashion, and here Graysmith does a good job. It's still an interesting read.
Book Review: Absolute BEST in true crime, 5 stars!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
My professor assigned this book in my class (the orginal had a yellow cover, this one has the new movie poster as the cover!). I had read it many times in the past but it was great to read again. This book, ZODIAC, is memorable, frightening, well written and intensely researched. Robert Graysmith certainly put in the time to write and research this book. You will be scared by the descriptions of the crimes and the taunting letters the killer leaves behind. This book is hard to put down and is a MUST READ for true crime lovers. This was the first of it's kind when it came out. It includes all the photos and text of the letters. Graysmith does a wonderful job telling the story with his writing, making you feel like you're there watching this mystery unfold. You feel that the events are taking place right then as you read because of the formatting of this book. It's like you're reading a police file with the date stamps and exact location and times of each scene and event. If you're a fan of true crime books, this will be one of your favorites because of the amazing detail the author provides and the mystery surrounding the case. You won't regret taking the time to read this book. It's very chilling and it's very hard to put down, the best of it's kind that I've read.. It's a must read if you are new to the Zodiac case.
The book details the case of the "Zodiac" killer that was active in San Francisco in the 1960's. This is an account of one man's personal involvement in this case. The author worked at the San Francisco Chronicle at the time and took 10 years to write this book. He was there. This book describes the author's own investigations. It's a frustrating case for many reasons. I can't imagine a more detailed account of these crimes and since Graysmith was right there during the action, his opinions are absolutely valid. The author provides a tremendous amount of details about the police investigation and the letters.
I have to laugh at some of the reviews posted about the orignal yellow Zodiac book and the author. There are obviously a few people who believe the killer is someone different then the one stated in this book. There also are a lot of fanatics that have their own theories or competing books or websites (or whatever!) that obsess on every little detail as you will notice when you read the reviews for the original book. Most believe this book is dead on, myself included. I guess this is a genre that unfortunately occasionally attracts some rather odd/obsessed people. Most people just enjoy a good mystery or are intrigued but some take it too far. Mostly everyone loves this book but beware of the fanatics who want to be responsible for solving this crime and will spread lies about anyone else who makes a valid attempt. Such as this author and others who have written books about this case. If you don't like the book or agree with the main suspect, fine, but have real reasons.
I believe this to be the best account available of these crimes. This book is a classic and wouldn't be in its 37th printing and being made into a movie this year if wasn't thought of highly by many. So the best advice is that you read it and see for yourself, form your own opinions instead of letting someone else make them for you.
Book Review: Book decent, anxious to see what the movie does....
Summary: 3 Stars
This was a decent book to read, but nothing that knocked my socks off. It was very detailed and after awhile I found myself just kind of skimming the pages because I felt after a few chapters the book was getting very formulaic in its description of the events. I'm anxious to see the movie.
Book Review: Deadly Killer, Dull Book
Summary: 1 Stars
A terrific new cover for the paperback edition, the legacy of America's most notorious uncaptured serial killer, and a tie-in to a well-regarded David Fincher film can't disguise the fact that "Zodiac" the book (first published in 1986) is one extremely slipshod piece of work.
There's ample warning from the first page in that truth is taking a holiday even if death isn't. Author Robert Graysmith channels the mind of David Faraday, taking in the sights of the Golden Gate Bridge just hours before being killed by the title figure, a serial killer who terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s. Faraday didn't have a chance to share these observations of his, so they can only be fictional constructs sent up by Graysmith to give his true-crime book a novelistic feel. It's a small moment of irritation that grows steadily as the pages turn.
First come accounts of each of the Zodiac killings. These are decently presented in some cases, with Graysmith delivering some of the same flair for setting that made his Bob Crane murder book "Auto Focus" such a good read. Unfortunately, he also reveals that book's difficulty with exposition was not a one-time thing. He mentions intriguing clues (an early victim's escapades with dangerous pals, a rumored recording of the Zodiac phoning in one of his crimes) and raises questions (why was one of Zodiac's victims dressed in several layers of clothing on a warm summer night?), but he drops these and other tangents just as soon as he picks them up, never tying them together or providing context within the larger scope of the crime.
What was Graysmith, a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle, doing at the center of this case? He notes the Zodiac's use of cryptic lettering.
"As an editorial cartoonist you develop a strong sense of justice, a need to change things, and as a painter and cartoonist I worked with symbols every day," he writes. "The tools of my career were being misused, appropriated by a murderer."
If that sounds less than convincing, Graysmith goes on to decipher one of Zodiac's cryptic notes to the media, explaining that he did so by taking his commonly-used words from other writings and grafting them onto promising-looking patterns. Then he discloses the message he got out of it, revealing a jumble of catch-phrases and clearly random words.
It's clear that operating without any professional sense of discretion or detachment, Graysmith became too enmeshed in the drama of Zodiac for his own good. He visits the former hangouts of suspects, like a movie theater where he talks to a guy he is sure knows more than he is telling. Meanwhile, he notes footsteps on the floor above.
"I had a feeling that at any moment a stocky man in a black hood could step into the room holding a pistol," Graysmith writes. This episode occurs in 1978, nine years after Zodiac's last known murder. Needless to say, no hooded stranger appears.
The whole book is like that, full of twists and turns leading nowhere. He spends a chapter on a psychic who comes up with the numbers "2" and "11" before leaving the case, and another on the phases of Saturn during each of the killings. By the time Graysmith finally begins to discuss a suspect he believes is the Zodiac, he employs the pseudonym "Bob Starr" because of the threat of a lawsuit. Here's an idea: Stick to the facts, then the guy can't sue you.
Well, now the guy can't, 'cause he's dead. Graysmith mentions his name now, in a long paperback postscript devoted to the movie. While authorities have apparently ruled him out, no one has mentioned another suspect to take his place. That gives Graysmith a sliver of credence, no one else has come up with a better. Yet it is likely the wrong name.
I didn't care so much about that. I just felt my intelligence insulted by Graysmith's poor writing style and overall turgidness. "Zodiac" performs the amazing feat of making murder as exciting as accounting, only this time the book doesn't balance.
Book Review: Detailed Story
Summary: 4 Stars
Incredibly detailed story with tons of factual information. Graysmith does an excellent job of displaying the facts of the Zodiac case along with his own opinions. Some questions, however, are left unanswered, which is frustrating, but that is because the case will probably never be solved completely. One of the biggest unanswered questions for me was why were the authorities never able to track down Kathleen Johns; she was the only surviving victim that spent a significant amount of time with the Zodiac. She was the only victim to actually see and hear zodiac and live.
Graysmith's story is very similar to the movie however, there are a few details to the case that were left out and have a good amount of meaning relating to the case. Overall, it is a good read and will leave you wanting more.