Ryan 11/11/02

Expos. 3 Ms. Gokturk

Deviant by Harold Schechter is a biography on one of the most disturbing murderers ever captured, Ed Gein. The book was very interesting. The graphic detail and vivid description kept me turning the pages. The book can be separated into two general parts. The beginning is a biography of Gein’s life up to the time of his capture. The second half of the book focuses on the legal and social affects of Gein’s crimes. Schechter successfully described the people’s shock to Ed Gein’s murders. He has written a number of books on similar criminals and has given a lot of detailed information.

What would you think if I told you that movies like "Psycho," and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" were all influenced by one man? Well, it’s true. Wisconsin has been described as the "great, dead heart." The isolation, poverty, and broken down farms have given it this name. When Augusta and George Gein gave birth to Edward Theodore in 1906, nobody on earth could have predicted how extreme isolation and a domineering and religious mother could affect him. His strong love for his mother would send him into a psychosis like nobody had ever seen before. Known as a quiet yet polite man, Ed was the typical "weirdo" of Plainfield, Wisconsin in the 1950’s. His was the house that was haunted to the local children. Who would have ever thought that their fantasies would be somewhat right? The "evidence" that was found in Gein’s "dead house" shocked law enforcement officials and mortuary specialists all around the country. After viewing Gein’s home, Coroner Russel Darby described it as "the most revolting thing I’ve ever seen." Ed Gein would change America’s view of Plainfield forever.

Schechter mixed a biography with a documentary in Deviant. One of the most impressive qualities of this book is the amount of information given and it was easy to understand. However, there was irrelevant information that made some parts of the book very boring. For example, the first chapter is a long description of Wisconsin to set the mood. While it provided some very good points and proved that Schechter did a great deal of research, it mentioned events that were unrelated to the story. The descriptions of Ed and his house of horrors are what kept me from putting the book down. The account of what was found in Ed Gein’s house painted a vivid picture in my head of the disgusting living quarters as well as his mother’s boarded up rooms, preserved in dust. While reading the book, I found myself feeling sympathetic for Gein. Schechter managed to capture all of the opinions surrounding the murders. He also started each chapter with a quote related to the murders, necrophilia, or death.

Deviant is an excellent book for anyone sixteen years and older. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the criminal and human mind. If you enjoy classic horror films such as "Psycho," this book is for you. Mr. Schechter will introduce you to the granddaddy of gore, Ed Gein.