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Buddy Reads
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The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer (Atty. Monique, LS and K.D.) Start: Monday, June 4, 2012
Sige, I'll bring it on Saturday. Tinitingnan ko nga sya kanina. Sabi ko, anobaito, nagdagdagan pa ang libro ko. Supposedly pag nag-memeetup, dapat maka-dispose hahahaha. Buti na lang hiningi mo hahahaha. Ikaw na audiobook queen!!!
Wow, thread is up! Thanks, Kuya. :)Hey LS, looking forward to reading your thoughts on the book, as well. :)
Waaah, I want to join din. Hay. Kaso kasi, this is such a dooorstopper!
Plano ko rin kasing basahin ang An American Tragedy sa July. Medyo makapal din. Ayaw ko namang mabaog. Nabaog na kaya ako sa Ulysses, hahaha.
Angus wrote: "Waaah, I want to join din. Hay. Kaso kasi, this is such a dooorstopper!"Di ba we love doorstoppers? Kaya nga I already bought Jacob de Zoet! :D
But doorstoppers on top of each other? Hindi ko alam, hahaha. Then Lord of the Rings 1 din sa June, right? Sige, magnilay-nilay muna ako. :D
Onga, Angus. Baka di mo na ma-appreciate ang binabasa mo pag sunud-sunod na doorstopper hahaha
Absolutely, LS. The more, the merrier! :)
Heto na: where's the reading plan? I want to join!
YEHEEEEY! *clicks heels in the air*Kuya Doni, reading plan po, please. :D
WAIT. Gosh, I just remembered I am still not done with Ulysses. I really can't make up my mind, hahaha. @_@
Monique, I am giving you the honor of setting the reading plan. Kasi pag ako, baka masyadong mabilis :)
Kuya, I'll try po kasi digital copy yung sa kin, mahirap matantya yung pages/chapters. Sabihan ko po kayo later. :)BUDDY: Make up your mind na! On hold muna ang Ulysses, sige na. :P
Kuya Doni, I skimmed my (digital) copy and thought of having a one-chapter-a-day reading plan, as follows: Day 1: Gary
Day 2: Nicole
Day 3: Gary and Nicole
Day 4: The Gas Station and the Motel
Day 5: The Shadows of the Dream
Day 6: The Trial of Gary M. Gilmore
Day 7: Death Row
Day 8: In the Reign of Good King Boaz
Day 9: Exclusive Rights
Day 10: The Hunger Strike
Day 11: The Holiday Season
Day 12: Pressures
Day 13: Into The Light
Day 14: The Fading of the Heart
Kindly let me know if this is alright with you. Kasi po kung hahatiin natin by pages, baka buong June natin babasahin ito. Thanks po. :)
I love it!1 chapter a day!
DEAL!!! :)
Maiiyak ka raw dito!!!!
Kuya, I think the pages per chapter are substantial. Merong around 50 pages lang, merong almost 100. Pero kaya naman natin yan, ayaw ko rin pong matagalan ng pagbabasa sa isang book. Hehe. LS and Buddy, is the reading plan OK with you? :D
Sino nagsabing nakakaiyak ito Kuya? Alam ko nabasa na ito ni Ms. Ronnie, pero di ko alam kung ano reaction nya except na mahaba yung book. :)
Monique, a foreigner friend here in GR. Naiyak daw sya sa dulo.BTW, I found my copy this morning! P795 from Fullybooked. I bought it in 2009. Imagine 3 years na sya at madilaw na! hak hak.
Mahaba nga ang mga chapters. Pero sige, puwede namang mag-advance ang lolo nyo (dahil nakita ko na ang copy ko!) at magpo-post na lang ng thoughts on the scheduled dates.
Oops, I'm not joining. I can't commit to door-stoppers now, maraming projects sa office. :(
Busy pero nakalog-in sa Goodreads, hahaha!
Angus wrote: "Busy pero nakalog-in sa Goodreads, hahaha!"TSEH! Haha. So Ghostwritten is still OK for June? :)
Pero sige, puwede namang mag-advance ang lolo nyo (dahil nakita ko na ang copy ko!) at magpo-post na lang ng thoughts on the scheduled dates.
Will also do some advanced reading para makasabay sa flow ng discussion. Tapusin ko lang itong last book ko ngayon. :D
Sige, Monique. Tayo na ang parehong madaya :) Pero excited ako dito sa The Executioner's Song. Kasi kung ako lang, baka di ko pa babasahin ito. Eh kaso, Pulitzer na tapos landmark case pa ito sa US. Then, my kuya read this when he was in high school! Ganito kakapal. So, parang challenged naman ako. Kasi sobrang middle age na ako tas di ko pa ito nababasa!
Haha! Cheating ba yung kung magco-compare notes naman tayo as scheduled? :D Interesting sya kasi death penalty. Hehe. Good luck to the three of us! :D
Buddy: Buti na lang naremind mo ako, hahaha! Sige, sige, Mitchell overload na ito! :D(Actually, nagdadahilan lang ako na maraming projects, although marami nga naman. I am just not in the mood to read Norman Mailer now, and I feel that I NEED to finish Ulysses this June. Matagal na siyang natengga.)
Angus, I understand. Ulysses rules! Kung may uunahin ka talaga, yan na! Ikaw na! :)
KD: Don't get me wrong. Gusto ko lang siyang tapusin dahil si ka OC-han ako about not finishing books. :D
I'd like to get you wrong because I have a feeling that I will turn out right :)
Ay sus, nanggugulo ako sa thread niyo, hahaha.
Day 1: Part One - GARY - Monday, 4-Jun-2012Gary, a 40ish man comes out of prison after an accumulated 18 years of his last 20 years on earth. His crime: robbery. He goes to stay with his uncle and auntie. He tries different kinds of jobs: helping his uncle in the shoe-repair shop, as an painter and the chapter (or part 1) closes with him doing mechanic's job. He is getting a car with the help of his employer.
He sucks when it comes to relating to women. He has no table manners. He drinks a lot. He seems to be a total wreck in the head as he thinks of raping women and robbing banks. In short, he is psychologically destroyed and I am not sure whether the prison did this to him or he is like that even before his last imprisonment.
My thoughts
Easy read. Almost no trimmings in the storytelling. Almost, because there are parts when the narration becomes "distant" like when Gary is referred to as "him" or "a man" instead of using his name. It felt like being in a court.
There is also some kind of a tease. Mailer did not give Gary's profiles right away. I had to estimate his age when Nicole was introduced in the story. The are also some descriptions of how Gary looks like (tall, etc) but nothing direct and in one place. He is all negative to me except the fact that he draws well. This part of him reminded me of the boy in Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. Vern (the uncle) feels that Gary can still be saved.
Questions in my mind: (1) if Nicole can live on welfare. Is an ex-convict who is still jobless no allowed to get welfare from the government? and (2) if you were Gary's relative or friend, would you be scared? Would you not flee right away once you hear him talking about raping girls or robbing a bank? At one point Gary says "Are you not afraid of me?" I almost answered, sure I am and then I drop the book hak hak.
Day 1: Part One - Gary To echo your observation, Kuya, this appears to be an easy read. The narration cannot be any more straightforward, and that's an advantage to us considering that we're in for the long haul.
Gary seems to have a problem in his psyche, but I don't want to judge too hastily. He spent practically most of his life in prison, so that probably factors in as a major reason for his outrageous behavior. But, outrageous IS outrageous. He sounded so intelligent in his letters to Brenda that it felt like a disappointment when he began to take advantage of Vern and Ida's hospitality and generosity, and even broke his parole just to have a good time.
On that note, I have to say that I admire Brenda's parents for their welcoming attitude towards Gary. They gave him a lot of leeway and opened their doors without the least hesitation, and that's what people like Gary badly need: a second chance. It's now up to the ex-con, in this case Gary, how he'll take that chance to start rebuilding his life. Unfortunately, we might be expecting much too much from him.
As to your questions, to which I'll give my opinion:
(1) Nicole's situation, that is, having a child, is quite different from that of an ex-con. Whereas Nicole has nothing to prove to society in general, Gary still needed to convince the authorities that he has reformed so much so that giving back his absolute, complete freedom will benefit, not endanger, the society. Government wouldn't spend good tax money if an ex-con turns out unworthy of that coveted second chance.
(2) I'd be really scared, I will not be a hypocrite and deny it. But Gary is their relative, so maybe if a close relative would come to me and tell me that he needs me because he'll be released on parole, I'll try my best to help out. But maybe not with my daughter around. :)
Just my two cents. :)
Thanks, Monique. Yes, at first, the thickness of the book is overwhelming until the time that I am reading it and find it too readable. On #1 - I have to ask my kuya about this.
#2 - Mailer has not given yet the background how close Vern and Gary's mother or father. If Gary was close to them and their kids, I think the welcoming attitude of Gary's relatives is justifiable. Anyway, Brenda can be really straight and frank to Gary. I really admire her husband who did not grow up with Gary and the ex-con even sleeps in their house (sometimes).
Day 2: Part 2 - GARY AND NICOLE - Tuesday, 5-Jun-2012If Part 1 is about Gary, this one is about Nicole. Her life prior to living in with Gary.
My thoughts
Loose morals of some young people in the US. I used to think of American youth like this especially when, during my time, Filipinos who possess green cards, would postpone their immigration to the US until their kids are teenagers or young adults. Why? They say that it is better to have your kids raised here with Filipino values. I held on to this belief until I met my nephew and niece in the US several years ago. Matitino naman! :) I mean, siguro nasa pagpapalaki rin yon.
Nicole is sexually abused as a prepubescent girl by her dad's buddy. She lets her big boobs be touched by her good-looking boy classmates. She writes nasty obscene letters. She escapes from her house until to party at night. She falls in love only to be asked by her lover to fuck all his friends. Sad.
Now this "free-spirited" (daw) woman meets the lunatic ex-convict. They fall in love with each other. Can't wait to see what happens next hak hak.
KUYA: With regard to my answers, I really have no idea about the welfare program in the US, so it was just an opinion. If Kuya Joselito should know anything, I'd love to know about it po. :) Mailer hasn't said anything about Gary's closeness to Brenda's family yet, which included her parents, Vern and Ida, but we can deduce as much from Brenda's and Gary's childhood, when they spent a lot of time with each other. Brenda had fond memories of both Gary and Aunt Bessie, Gary's mother, and Brenda kept corresponding with Gary through letters all the time when Gary was in prison. So I thought they were as close as families can get, and it was only natural that Gary would come to them when he was released on parole. :)
Day 2: Part Two - Nicole
Sex, whoring, drugs, lost childhood. I pity Nicole for having lost her innocence at a young age, and can't say that I can blame her for what she turned out to be. I don't want to call her names, but with everything that she went through - and she clearly did all of those things consciously - she can only be called a slut. She was in a nuthouse, giving the idea that she must have had a screw or two loose, but then her parents weren't completely blameless, either. They could have given her so much more, and if they had, maybe Nicole would have turned out a better person and not a maniacal, slutty woman.
Nice combination, haha. But they seem to complement each other well, and find that they have a kindred spirit in the other, so let's see how this unfolds in the next part. :)
Day 3 - Part 3 - GARY AND NICOLE - Wednesday, 6-Jun-2012Now the drug-addict, war-freak, irresponsible Gary is living with the slut, sex-addict, scatterbrained Nicole, Mailer introduces the people around them. There is a chapter here with the two attending a family event in Nicole's house and oh boy, theirs is a dysfunctional family! No wonder, Nicole becomes who she is now!
My thoughts
I don't know how to feel about this book. It's an easy read but it is becoming repetitive. I know that this was based on a true murder case. Mailer, like Capote in "On Cold Blood", researched the story behind that landmark case and painstakingly interviewed all the people involved with Gary. So, this book came out as another non-fiction novel.
It's an easy read but it does not have anything deep. No thought-provoking lines. There are times when I felt like Mailer is fooling me. Rosebeth - the 17-y/o sex kitten. OMG, is it possible? I mean most of the people here think of nothing but SEX especially the girls. Then Gary is thinking of getting that truck, then one time he has all these expensive pistols and then one time he does not even have enough money for a new battery yet he has money to buy for six pack (beer, right?) and the drug Frional(?). Then Nicole sleeps around like sex-maniac! Malingat lang si Gary, may iba na syang kasiping!!! Parang nagiging porn yong book.
Yet, I am okay. I will continue reading this only because it is easy to read. Sometimes, it feels like listening to a drama on the radio.
Day 3: Part Three - Gary and Nicole The trouble with non-fiction, or books based on true events, is that they tend to be monotonous. The author can of course take liberties with the storytelling, but because he is constrained to just stick to the bare facts, I would imagine how difficult it would be to improve on the prose. Such is the case with this book, which although quite readable, tends to become overly boring.
But that's not to say that Part 3 wasn't entirely interesting. In this part, Gary's relationship with Nicole takes a wrong turn, and every single thing that is wrong about Gary's psychological makeup begins to show. Why would he hit a woman, and someone whom he supposedly loves? Why would he shoplift six-packs? Why would he hit cars and run into trouble with the law despite full knowledge that he was merely out on parole? Why would he (and Nicole) engage in deviant sexual conduct with a minor? Why would steal a horde of guns? Why would he steal speakers from a drive-in? Why, why, why?
Nicole is as screwed up as Gary is, in my opinion, but Nicole managed to get a grip on her life before it became way too late, if it isn't already. For the many wrong decisions she's done in her life, staying away from Gary is the most intelligent move she's ever made. At least, when she finally stood firm on her resolve to keep away from him, she had already proven how much she did love him when she went to Pete and threatened to kill him should he continue to press charges against Gary. Whereas, for Gary's part, I didn't see how he was able to show Nicole how he appreciated her. Nicole is still the slut that she is, but between her and Gary, she had more of a future than he has.
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There are times when I felt like Mailer is fooling me. Rosebeth - the 17-y/o sex kitten. OMG, is it possible?
We are much too conservative in our culture for this kind of sexual deviancy, but I think that yes, it IS possible.
...and then one time he does not even have enough money for a new battery yet he has money to buy for six pack (beer, right?) and the drug Frional(?).
Indeed, what was Gary thinking all those times??
I looked up Fiorinal and found that it is a brand of aspirin/butalbital/caffeine, usually used as a pain reliever. Here are a couple of helpful links:
What Fiorinal is
On Fiorinal Addiction
Just because they presented good conduct in jail doesn't make them any better or less than a criminal.
Parole is for the purpose of giving a convicted criminal a second chance at life, for reform. This is because man is innately and morally good, and penal laws look into this innate goodness to reveal itself after the meting out of the punishment/penalty upon a convicted person. Doesn't everybody deserve a second chance? :)
LS, thanks for keeping up with us. Yes, I know that he said he stole the six-packs but I just couldn't believe that he was able to do it very frequently. Anyway, I think this 1st half of the book are based on the testimonials or interviews done by mailer to the people who got involved with Gary and Nicole so he probably accepted them as told during the interview.Monique, thanks for the info. Reading the book fits my early morning reading schedule to a tee so no more available minutes to Google hak hak. I also know that you are the best reading buddy for this book because it will become legalese (my impression while reading the blurbs) in the second half. Yes, I agree also regarding this Part 3 being repetitive and oh yes, for me, it is too much sex. Thank God Part 4 that I read this morning was a lot different.
Day 4 - Part 4 - THE GAS STATION AND THE MOTEL - Thursday, 7-Jun-2012
Now the real action begins. Gary murders Max in the gas station. Then Gary and Nicole's sister (forgot the name while typing this) check in at The Holiday Inn (bigla kong na-miss ang hotel na ito hak hak).
My thoughts
Gary is really a crazy fellow. He shoots Max inside the bathroom while the poor man is working as a service station attendant. Not the same as the gasoline boys here because it is self-service there. More on cashier so Max has money and Gary even stole all those. Namigay naman kay Brenda at pinang-hotel nya.
I felt sad reading about the murder this morning. The writing is now interesting since parang nagiging testimonials na talaga ng mga witnesses, etc. I like the way the character is introduced. The paragraph begins with the character's complete name then what he saw the day the killing happened or the days around it.
And no more sex this time. Even Gary and Nicole's sister did not have sex inside the hotel. Good.
Day 4: Part Four - The Gas Station and the MotelIt would turn out that the two places mentioned in Part 4 are the scenes of Gary's consecutive murders - locus criminis in Latin, and as we call it in legal terms. Poor Max at the gas station, and innocent Ben from the City Center Motel. Lives wasted, and for what?
When Nielsen was interviewing Gary in jail, attempting to elicit a confession, he kept asking Gary, Why? Why did you kill those guys? This was exactly what I had been asking myself since the beginning. What was actually going on in Gary's head? I felt like there was something wrong with him psychologically. I especially thought about that part when he killed Max in the gas station bathroom: when he first fired against Max' head, he said, This one's for me. And then he fired a second shot and then said, This one's for Nicole. I was like, what the hell was that about?? Whatever did the guy do to him and Nicole to deserve such a cold-blooded death?
The story is getting interesting so far, but I am fearlessly predicting that this is as interesting as it can get. After the actual murders, the legal processes and trial are routine and may become, well, too legal for readers who are not too familiar.
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And no more sex this time. Even Gary and Nicole's sister did not have sex inside the hotel. Good.
Haha! It seems that you've had enough of the sex talk. Pampainit lang daw yun, haha! :D
Oh, and Nicole's sister's name is April. Crazy girl. :))
Monique: You are absolutely right. This now is becoming very interesting. At the end of the previous part, in Gary's letter to Nicole, he hinted that he killed those two because of the truck.
Day 5 - Part V - THE SHADOW OF THE DREAM - Friday, 8-Jun-2012
Then at the start of this part V, I was struck when Bessie said: "Oh God, he was in prison so long, he didn't know how to work for a living or pay a bill. All the while he should have been learning, he was locked up."
Bessie said it all. This sums up all the previous events since he comes out up to the killing. When he is struggling walking to work with snow everywhere, he say why not rob a bank. It's a pity, really. The government has this parole program but it does not work for all especially for people who have traumatic or unhappy childhood. This part opens with the young Gary who is afraid of being beheaded and his mama coming to his side when nightmares come to him while in bed. I just felt so lonely this morning reading this part.
Alisin na lang ang mga sex scenes ng Part II hak hak. But looking back, I think it is part of the flavor. Kasi sex is always part of our lives and if Sigmund Freud is to be taken seriously, everything boils down to it parang sabi nya.
I have not finished reading the whole of Part V because I worked on double shift (up to 11:00 p.m.) yesterday. But tomorrow is a Saturday so I will catch up. I am also excited because THE TRIAL OF GARY GILMORE will begin tomorrow!
I am enjoying this book now. I am also enjoying you as a buddy. Very appropriate buddy for this kind of book.
Day 5: Part Five - The Shadows of the Dream[Was that a long read or what? Whew!]
The first half of Part Five was a narration about who Gary was from the perspective of Bessie, his mother. Through Bessie's memories, we are given a glimpse of who Gary was as a child: precocious, just like any other, but already showing signs of being disturbed. Bessie attributes everything to Gary's discovery of his birth certificate showing that "Gary Gilmore" wasn't his true name. As a child, that must have had an impact on his young mind - that maybe he was an illegitimate child, that maybe his parents aren't who they really are. I would think that it was the event that made a tremendous impact on Gary's mental stability.
Nicole's attempt to kill herself because of Gary was just too crazy. But she had lucid moments when she knew that, in her words, she was in love with a man who was going to be dead. Sleeping around with random men seemed like Nicole's way of filling in the void that Gary's absence created, but she knew it wasn't enough.
While in jail, Gary befriends another inmate, Gibbs. They both size each other up, but I think Gary is far more mentally disturbed that Gibbs could ever be.
I have a couple of questions regarding this part:
(1) What was the "Oldness" that Gary had been referring to when he spoke of his dream, the one about him getting beheaded and that had been recurring ever since he was a child?
(2) Was Gary referring to razor blades as that "Silver Sword" that he is in control of? Or a way to die in general?
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Kasi sex is always part of our lives and if Sigmund Freud is to be taken seriously, everything boils down to it parang sabi nya.
True. I cannot agree with you more that sex is part of the narration - it could even be a means of making the reader understand the kind of relationship that Gary and Nicole shared. :)
I am enjoying the book, too! It is a laborious read, but since it is quite readable, I have no problem with its length at all. :)
And finally, just because I didn't know how hacksaw blades look like:
Monique: Those were my two questions too. I don't know what those "Oldness" and "Silver Sword" are. The second one seems to have an image later when the things that Nicole brings to the prison is opened. Day 6 - Part 6 - THE TRIAL OF GARY GILMORE - Saturday, 9-Jun-2012
Gary does not want Nicole to testify. Aside from her, no one else can give the jury anything positive about him. His employer does not want to do it because he gets comments from parents of his other employees that he has an ex-convict in his payroll. His mother, who is having hard time to believe that he has killed those two, is arthritic so she cannot travel.
Dead end. Death row.
Atty. Monique: If you were Gary's lawyer, what would you do?
My thoughts
Gary has given up all hope. Obviously, he is even now preparing for reincarnation. This is something that he believes in since he was a child. However, I could not really feel connected to his character. Ewan ko. Di ako naaawa sa part na ito. Kasi, di ko masakyan yong pini-picture nya sa mind nya na nakikipag-sex si Nicole kung kani-kaninong lalaki. Ito namang si Nicole, ang ubod ng kulit. Kinukuwento pa. I laughed at bit on that part regarding hacksaw. Para ka palang si Nicole, walang idea kung ano yan. Natanong tuloy sya kung sino raw papalayain sa prison cell? "She had a hard time keeping a straight face" says the book.
I am enjoying most parts. It's just that at this point in the story of "In Cold Blood" umiiyak na ako. But not for Gary Gilmore. Di ko pa sya masakyan. Baka sa susunod na parts.
Day 6: Part Six - The Trial of Gary GilmoreI haven't even finished reading this part, but already my head is bursting with things to say!
Okay, first. Gary's court-appointed attorneys, Esplin and Snyder, are clearly up against the wall from the moment the case was tossed onto their laps. There was a part in the narration that said that the prosecution had very tight circumstantial evidence - that if the evidence that was available to them were to be translated into the alphabet, then A to Z would be complete, with just a couple of letters missing and maybe one that is smudged. Otherwise, the case might as well have ben won from the very beginning.
The part about psychotic vs. psychopath was much too technical and medical for me that I glossed over it. I thought it was a long and tedious portion that merely served to demonstrate the efforts of Esplin and Snyder to get an insanity plea for Gary, to no avail. As opposed to what I had been speculating sine the beginning, Gary had no trace of insanity, mental disturbance, or mental problem at all. He appeared to be fully in control of his mental and emotional faculties, making his defense practically inexistent and his lawyers' lives hell. Also, the absence of any mental problem leads to the conclusion that, yes, Gary is just one cold-blooded murderer.
The trial proper was simply a narration of what we already know: that the prosecution would be having a field day, that the defense is a lost cause. The witnesses are unimpeachable, the physical evidence much too clear. No wonder Gary was uncooperative: he knew there was practically nothing that can be done to save him.
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If you were Gary's lawyer, what would you do?
Parang sumasagot lang po sa bar exams ang drama ko: It depends, Kuya. Kasi, the legal system in the US is very different from ours. Doon, jury system sila, so the judge is merely there to facilitate the proceedings and make sure that the rules of procedure are observed. Sa atin, we don't follow the jury system. The judge is the sole arbiter and person who will appreciate and weigh the evidence, and render judgment.
In Gary's case, and if it were tried in the US, I would do nothing different from those done by his lawyers. Malaking bagay ang jury votes, kasi maraming tao ang titingin sa ebidensya. Tapos, may human emotions din na factor - hindi mo alam, yung mga members pala ng jury, may mga asawa o anak na katulad lang nung mga pinatay ni Gary, so makakaapekto yun sa boto nila. So, if these murder cases were tried in the US, and I were Gary's lawyer, I'd have done the same thing that Esplin and Snyder did: try my best to discredit the prosecution witnesses, rest the case and hope for a chance on appeal. I could offer witnesses to create an alibi for Gary, but considering Gary's previous transgressions, that even all of his friends refused to help him, I don't think it would help any.
On the other hand, if Gary were tried in the Philippines, and I were his lawyer, there are 2 options available to me: I would present witnesses to create an alibi for Gary (in the Philippines, positive identification and corroborated alibi can do wonders, even from witnesses who did not see a thing), or bribe the judge. Haha! Kidding. :)
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I am enjoying the book so far because I even learned a thing or two about the US criminal system: the difference between First- and Second-Degree Murder, and the fact that they even have mitigation hearings to determine the penalty to be meted out. Sa Pilipinas, kapag napatunayang ito ang krimeng ginawa mo, meron na agad karampatang parusa. Life kung life imprisonment, death kung death penalty.
Good that you mentioned about the psychopath vs psychotic. I thought I would comment on that in my yesterday's post. Kaso nakalimutan ko. Yes, it was there because the two defense lawyers checked the 8-inch documents regarding a handful of doctors, psychiatrist, etc. to find out if they could use anything to show that Gary was insane. Kaso, wala. 129 pa ang IQ nya at sa vocabulary, 2 lang ang na-miss nya.Day 7 - Part 7 - DEATH ROW - Sunday, 10-Jun-2012
As I expected, I enjoyed this part. It started and ended up strong. It opened with flashbacks on Bessie with her 4 sons. Then I was caught off-guard when I learned that Gary was raped by two boys when he was young. Another revelation that I thought was obvious but I missed obviously, was the two victims were both mormons. And they lost their family "haunted" house because of unpaid taxes and her mother was begging the Mormon church to loan money to her. The Mormon church did not agree.
Also, Mailer seems to indicate that there was some kind of evil spirit in the house that contributed to how Gary and probably the other son, Gaylen, turned out in life? Haunted with evil spirits kasi but somewhere in this part Gary mentioned to one of the characters that despite the spirits, one has to be in control. So, meron talaga kaya lang in control si Gary. Sana, ginamit na lang na excuse yon for insanity. Puwede kaya? I mean, in his answers to the prosecution lawyer, sabi nya parang yong pagbaril sa victim (#2) parang yong ang susunod na dapat mangyari. Alam nya, pero wala syang magawa. Di kaya yong spirit yon? Di ba tinulak ng spirit yong tatay nya kaya nahulog sa hagdan?
What do you think happened in that first incarceration of Gary when they administer Prolixin to him? Nagbago raw sobra ang personality ni Gary after that. I thought the drug is the same sa Frional (yong ginoggle mo) pero hindi pala. Mayroon din palang mga ganoon sa US prisons. Akala ko dito lang. Even in that part when Gaylen was denied admittance to the hospitals, I was shocked. Grabe.
What if death was a mistake? (p481) is the best quote so far. If you are in the act of committing suicide and then you realize that what your doing is wrong. Panic mode. Ha ha. Gago ka kasi. Teka, what do you think Nicole will do? Will she commit suicide once Gary is shot (Nov 15)? Kawawa naman 2 anak nya. She said, "I think they are better off without me." Isa pa itong gaga. Hak hak.
Half-way rating: currently at 4 stars. Depending on the EASTERN VOICE, this could go down 1 star or go up 1 star or stay at 4. Teka, bakit western at eastern ang division? Abangan!
Day 7: Part Seven - Death RowMore perspectives as to who Gary Gilmore was - possibly attempts to make the reader understand his psyche. Grace, a family friend, describes who Gary was as far as she knew him. In he end though, she found that she wanted out.
Okay, WHY would Gary even entertain the idea of Nicole committing suicide for him? All I could think of is that he just can't bear the idea of anyone else having Nicole physically, not because of love. What a complicated mind Gary has!
REACTIONS:
Honestly, I don't know what to make of the part about their old house being haunted, and if it had anything to do, even, with Gary's personality. It sounds to me like a far-fetched idea to blame spirits or ghosts for the consequences of your actions, especially since all evidence point to the conclusion that they were deliberately done.
As to the rape, yes, I think that it may have had a negative effect on Gary, but remember that Gary eventually did the raping himself. The first incident, when he was the victim, may have seriously damaged his personality, and so he felt the need to take revenge. I remember reading something about how a lot of people didn't want to cross his path because he was vengeful and scary.
Also, the administration of Prolixin left its effects on Gary. Kung kinailangang i-administer yun sa kanya dahil sa sobrang pag-uugaling pinakita nya sa kulungan, siguradong nakasama yun sa kanya.
I also couldn't believe the hospitals in the US would turn Gaylen away. Akala ko dito lang nangyayari sa Pinas.
Finally: gaga talaga si Nicole. I might be merely misunderstanding her, pero para mag-isip syang magpakamatay para lang kay Gary at di nya naisip mga anak nya, ewan ko sa kanya. She might be right, then, in saying that her children are better off without her.
End of Book One, yay! :)
Day 8 - Book 2 - Part 1 - IN THE REIGN OF GOOD KING BOAZ - Monday, 11-Jun-2012I thought I would Google to find out who King Boaz was until I realized that this must be Dennis Boaz, the new lawyer of Gary. :) He seemed like a gentle intelligent man at the start. What with the signs like the numerology of the accident. Until towards the end of the chapter when he seems to be enjoying the attention by giving interviews to the press and all the plans for movies, etc. Gary is right. The whole thing is becoming a circus. I was struck by what he said to Nicole: "Oh baby wish we was just back in Spanish Fork tending your little garden, making love." --> parang di nag-register ito sa akin. All the stories prior to this are full of raw sex, killings, drugs, etc.
This part ended with Nicole writing her last will and testament. So, tuloy na tuloy na ang suicide ni Nicole. I think she will even be dead first before Gary because of the repeated "Stay." This is crazy. Gary wants to die yet the Utah Government is not yet ready so they are postponing the execution. Ganoon pala yon: 6 dedicated rifles then only 1 of them is loaded. The employer of Gary will be one of the shooters. Kalungkot din. Imagine kung ako yan, then my current employer will shoot me hak hak.
The next part is long but I am working on 3 shifts tonight. Walang tulugan. Pero during the lull periods I will read the book. I also bought "Sophie's Choice" so pag natapos ko ito earlier, I will switch to that.
BOOK TWO: EASTERN VOICESDay 8: Part One - In the Reign of Good King Boaz
For me, the really exciting part, i.e., Gary's trial, is over and done with, and so these subsequent chapters are sort of a waiting-it-out period until the time he is actually executed. New characters are introduced just as soon as they enter the drama that is Gary's life, like Dennis Boaz, the guy with the writer-first-lawyer-second drama, and Tamera, the reporter who befriends Nicole and whose ulterior motive can be so easily discerned.
The Stay given by the Governor of Utah was a mockery of his execution, Gary thinks. Everyone must be suddenly wondering what kind of person Gary is: instead of pulling all the stops to get a stay on his own execution, he is the one insisting that it push through as planned.
Nicole is a crazy, crazy woman, thinking of suicide and even smuggling in some pills in prison through the, uh, most unusual way. But I have to admire her persistence. Even when all reason has left her, she still persists.
REACTIONS:
Ganoon pala yon: 6 dedicated rifles then only 1 of them is loaded.
I think our own Jose Rizal was executed in the same manner. Not all of the guns are loaded, and the person who has the loaded one doesn't know it. I'm not sure but I think this has been how it's always been done. :)
I thought I would Google to find out who King Boaz was until I realized that this must be Dennis Boaz, the new lawyer of Gary.
In fact Kuya, there IS a "King Boaz" in history. That is, biblical history. Boaz is the husband of Ruth and the father of Obed. Check out the Book of Ruth and Boaz himself. Unless I'm mistaken. :D
Happy Independence Day, Buddy Monique! Tayo ba'y tunay nang malaya? LOL."Unusual way" - oh, yes. I still remember that scene. It felt painful for Nicole to recover it because it went really up inside her vagina. I would not want to imagine how it went for Gary. Eww.
I did not Google "King Boaz" anymore. I am sure you are right.
Day 9 - Book 2 - Part Two - EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS - Tuesday, 12-Jun-2012
Not sure if it was because I worked for almost 24 hrs yesterday (6:00 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.) so I was not really able to appreciate this part of the book. The one that struck me was the scene when Brenda is talking to Gary. The SOB intentionally took the drugs after Nicole took hers to make sure that Nicole would not survive and have other men in her life. OMG, so selfish. So, manipulative. So, son-of-a-bitch (SOB). LOL.
The rest of the story is here is about the Boaz being edged out (fired) by Gary in favor of Vern and the new layer. This is because Gary sold his rights to a film producer to make a movie out of his life. Mahabang usap usap ito at parang di ako masyadong interesado. However, smooth operator rin yong film producer; he knows how to play his cards so well. He appealed to Gary's sense of propriety (meron pa ba sya nun) when he said that he will give part of the proceeds to the victims' families.
Quite a boring part. So far. But again not sure if it was my sleepiness this morning or that whole circus just did not appeal to me. But I liked (really liked) that scene with Brenda. Tough lady!
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I have a spare trade paperback edition. I am willing to give it away to whoever will join Monique and me.