BOOK REVIEW

JOHN GILMORE's  THE  GARBAGE  PEOPLE

Since the early 70's Charles Manson and his faithful family have been the subject of numerous books, from the self-serving (Helter Skelter) to the questionable (Manson In His Own Words) and now after nearly 25 years in obscurity, Amok has reissued one of the first Manson books ever printed, The Garbage People.

In regards to Charles Manson, most of society would say that a hero has been made out of a monster and that releasing a book pertaining to him Is perhaps tantamount to murder itself. After all, the publishers and authors are making money from corpses, right? But what most of society does not comprehend, is that the system from which Manson was thrown created the monster which he became. The straight press, through their slanted reporting offered Manson to the counter culture as a hero. They gratefully accepted Manson while he took the title bestowed upon him and turned himself into a superstar. So do we need another Manson book to be issued (or reissued)? The answer is yes, as long as we can garner new and interesting ideas from reading it.

John Gilmore approaches Manson in an unique manner; not as the horror stricken outsider from the straight world, but as the jaded son of a former LAPD officer and a former starlet mother. Another thing that makes this book so different from many of the other Manson tomes is the abundance of quotes and conversations contained within its pages. Where Nuel Emmons claimed his book was Manson In His Own Words, Gilmore holds the legitimate claim to that title because a large portion of the book is written in Manson's voice. For this updated edition, Gilmore had in-depth conversations with Bobby Beausoleil and various other family members. For the first time in print, Beausoleil gets to tell his story, from his youth in El Monte through his crimes and his stay in prison. Beausoleil has lived a life that is as intriguing as Manson's and it is refreshing to see a new curve put on the story of the family. The bulk of this book is written in the voices of family members and that's what makes it interesting reading and not just another quickie Manson book out to make a buck.

The Garbage People includes 32 pages of photos which are the centerpiece of the book. You won't find page after page of an insane looking Manson staring back at you in this section. You will find pages of crime scene photos including morgue shots of the victims. These photos show the true ferocity of the violence committed on the victims. Saying these photos are disturbing is an understatement.

Like most people, I am a little leery when a "new" Manson title appears on the shelf but The Garbage People offers up enough of a different view that it warrants a purchase. True, some of the same old Manson material is in here but the style of the writing, the photos and the view from Beausoleil make this essential Manson family material.

Official John Gilmore Site