Midnight Express in Obsessed with True Crime

Nov 16, 2009 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: true-crime, biography, travel

I'll admit that this was a surprisingly good book, in spite of the fact that I really have a dislike for the author. I had seen the movie decades ago, so I had (I thought) a good idea of what I would find in the pages of this particular piece of literature. It wasn't long before I realized that the movie had been fictionalized to the point of being a totally different story.

I can't work up any sympathy for the author, a bisexual smuggler who brought his ordeal on himself through his selfishly mo ...more

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Aug 16, 2016 ♥ Marlene♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, non-fiction, drugs

How weird really that I had never read this book while I love to read books about people in foreign prisons. This is the most famous one so why did I not pick it up sooner? I think because of the movie.

Vaguely I recall having watched the movie as a teenager and that I was shocked and liked it. That is what I recall) but that is why I probably did not read it. I have a tendency to not read a book once I have watched the movie because when I do that the characters of the book will look like the on How weird really that I had never read this book while I love to read books about people in foreign prisons. This is the most famous one so why did I not pick it up sooner? I think because of the movie.

Vaguely I recall having watched the movie as a teenager and that I was shocked and liked it. That is what I recall) but that is why I probably did not read it. I have a tendency to not read a book once I have watched the movie because when I do that the characters of the book will look like the ones in the movie.
Meaning I cannot make up my mind how people might look. Okay this is nonfiction so it is not a big deal but this is why I always try to read the book first. I like to make up in my mind how characters look and how they talk and such.

That being said apparently the movie was not true to the real story. They changed some things and added others.

(view spoiler)

Finished this book yesterday and I can say I really liked it. I liked his honesty most of all. Most men especially in that era would not have written how they made love with another man but he did and made it sound soft and beautiful.

He was young and apparently headstrong and I so felt for his parents. I have made mistakes in my life so I do not make judgement on him(like some other reviewers)
Yes he was selfish at times and very stubborn at others so I am very curious how he is now. How are his parents?

While writing this review I visited his wikipedia page and it says he wrote another book.

"Hayes has now written the sequel books, "Midnight Return (Escaping Midnight Express)" and "The Midnight Express Letters--from a Turkish Prison, 1970-1975", a collection of the original letters written home to family and friends during his imprisonment"

Not sure I want to read more. It sounds to me more like earning some more cash but I will check it out.

Anyway there is nothing about the relationship with his parents who did help him with money.
I recommend this book not for the writing but the story will draw you in. ...more

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