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Even after a second reading twenty years later, Mailer does a better job of capturing Utah and its dichotomies than any outsider ever has. The intricacies of the novel bring out topics that remain timely, specifically our treatment of those accused of a crime, the operation of our criminal justice system, the individual rights of those convicted of a crime, the entire tenuous structure of capital punishment turned on its head when the convict demands the state act in the same cold, calculated ma
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At well over 1,000 pages, this book is a commitment. That said, it's well worth the effort - Mailer does an excellent job setting up this tale of how people and their community handle behavior at the extreme edges of what people can do. Gilmore's intense love for Nicole Baker sets up against his lack of empathy for those he killed, and Mailer's plain reporting style is an ideal vehicle to tell Gilmore's fate. Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in capital punishment, no matter what side
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