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Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original "Psycho"
The truth behind the twisted crimes that inspired the films "Psycho," "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," and "The Silence of the Lambs."..
From "America's principal chronicler of its greatest psychopathic killers" ("The Boston Book Review") comes the definitive account of Ed Gein, a mild-mannered Wisconsin farmhand who stunne
...morePaperback, 256 pages
Published
May 11th 2010
by Pocket
(first published 1989)
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I normally don't read a lot about "real" serial killers, preferring to stick with the fictional kind, but this book was highly recommended by a friend, and I quickly saw why. For me, the case of Ed Gein was obscure; I knew next to nothing about him before reading this book, even though I have visited the general area in which the events took place (Wisconsin Rapids, and I'm pretty sure that we drove through Plainfield on our way to visit a friend in Neshkoro). Anyway, I'd never really ...more
Mothers, be careful how you raise your boys, especially if you're an overbearing religious wackjob who thinks the best lesson she can impart is that all women are wanton, wicked and deserve to be punished as this could lead to a host of mental illnesses and some terrifying life choices on the part of your child...
Ed Gein is infamous as the inspiration behind more than one of our cinematic bogeymen - Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs' Buffalo Bill being the most...more
Ed Gein is infamous as the inspiration behind more than one of our cinematic bogeymen - Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs' Buffalo Bill being the most...more
If you have a sick fascination with serial killers, as do I, this book will be intriguing, addicting, and incredibly creepy. Gein is said to have been an inspiration behind the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a favorite of many horror movie fans, including this one, which made the book all the more addicting.
Rather sensationalist, but due to the nature of the subject it is difficult to be otherwise. What was lacking, and what I was interested in, were the psychological theories/reasons put forward by the forensic psychiatrists why this man sank into degradations so utterly uniquely bizzare and terrible.
This is the story of the guy who inspired Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs. Like Dahmer, a little pitiful man named Ed Gein, raised by a dominant mother and abusive father, drifted into insanity after the death of his mother and proceeds to murder two women, rob the graves of several others and uses their body for multiple goulish ends.
Easy read, well written, but overly simple, this book does not delve significantly in depth into the mind of Gein but j...more
Easy read, well written, but overly simple, this book does not delve significantly in depth into the mind of Gein but j...more
Well, I love Hitchcock so in that regard I was fascinated. It's a pretty unusual story and I always like the macabre and the psychology behind it. Ethics and psychology are fascinating topics to me.
I also really enjoy Schechter's writing style!
The scary thing about this book is that it's more twisted in some ways that the movie Psycho ever was...
I also really enjoy Schechter's writing style!
The scary thing about this book is that it's more twisted in some ways that the movie Psycho ever was...
This was a highly disturbing book mostly because it was true! I don't know how I missed this in the headlines when it came out. If you don't have a strong stomach, skip this book. What IS interesting is that the book and movie, "Psycho," was based on this wierd man's story.
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Ed Gein was on of the weirdest true cirme stories.... This guy start out as a grave robber, stealing body parts from the dead and eventually killed at least one person... He was the basis of the horror movies "Psycho", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Derranged".
Good book and scary. I always wondered if Ed Gein was one of the first psychpaths what happened back in the 50's or in that town in Wisconson that caused such a break with reality.
What he did is almost tame compared to what we are seeing nowadays.
What he did is almost tame compared to what we are seeing nowadays.
Gwen
added it
The true story about Ed Gein was the basis for Hitchcock's "Psycho". While the movie Psycho scared me from taking a shower for years, it's nothing compared to the real life of Ed Gein and what he was able to do in a small Wisconsin town.
Because he was believed to be slow witted, this man was able to terrorize a town and still walk about unnoticed. Gein was sick but the man had skills... he skinned these women and preserved their skin so well that he was able to sew pieces o...more
Because he was believed to be slow witted, this man was able to terrorize a town and still walk about unnoticed. Gein was sick but the man had skills... he skinned these women and preserved their skin so well that he was able to sew pieces o...more
Poorly written for sure, but if you're a ghoul like me you need to know the full story of Ed Gein, instead of just the awesome details you get off of rotten.com and wikipedia.
This is the second Schechter book that I read and I liked it much better than Fatal: The Poisonous Life of a Female Serial Killer . However, I still find it a little weird that a nonfiction book has absolutely no sourcing...the historian/researcher in me just can't quite get passed that fact.
However, this book reads like fiction and it is clearly very well researched. I honestly did not know that Psycho was "based," quite loosely, on the Ed Gein murders.
Overall, a very ...more
However, this book reads like fiction and it is clearly very well researched. I honestly did not know that Psycho was "based," quite loosely, on the Ed Gein murders.
Overall, a very ...more
Ick...this sicko Ed Gein was wacked! For those who know nothing about him - he was the basis for the character in "Psycho." I remember my dad reading something about this dude way back when I was a little girl and the book had a lot of black & white crime scene photos... The images of the skulls on the bedposts stuck in my mind all these years. And I wanted to read more about this quack, especially b/c he was from Wisconsin. Why are there so many high profile sicko serial killers f...more
I've always heard about Ed Gein and what he had done but never knew the details. This book not only gives details but also has little tidbits about other monsters I'd never heard about. When all is said and done Ed Gein was a sicko genius.
Jim and I read this book aloud to each other and it really freaked us out. I think I had nightmares about it, but fairly well written.
I was truly fascinated by this bizarre man and what he did. The depravity of many other murderers pale in comparison to Ed Gein.
If you like thrillers of true life accounts then you will love this book! Read all about Ed Gein's life and how he was found out!
What really surprised me about this book was how well written it was. I was expecting some hack job (bad pun), but it was interesting and thoughtful.
Recommendation from my friend Mike. Lived up to expectation and plan on acquiring more of Schechter's books.
Suzie
added it
A good book to read during the holoween time, really gross in some parts though, i never did fully finish it.
Amy
added it
One of the most disgusting true crime books I've ever read, what a sick puke!! LOL
Robert Bloch's Psycho is supposedly based on Ed Gein (whose last name rhymes with fiend).
This book makes me think Gein needed some big time meds and a better mommy.
Unbelievable! I'll never complain about my neighbors again!
ive read this book 3 times.
very insightful.
Sick & twisted.
This is a scary book about a scary man.
To say that Ed gein was psycho is an understatement! if you like true crime or you enjoyed Hithcock's movie "PsychO", then I would recommend this book. It was a really quick read.
Seriously disturbing, like nauseating disturbing... but a very interesting book!
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Harold Schechter is a professor of American Literature and culture at Queens College, the City University of New York. Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend,Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death
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