Zodiac (Robert Graysmith, 1986)

I review books way too seldom here at Ex-Ninja, but it might be because I don’t read that much nowadays. I prefer watching movies and then, from time to time, read non-fiction books about stuff that might interest me. True crime might be a cliché to read, especially for a fan of genre cinema - and as a genre it’s not actually hailed as the top of the crop. But I rather read an exciting book about real events than yet another thriller from the mind of a bored gun-for-hire. Like documentaries True Crime books are hardly objective, there’s always an author behind it who sees the case with his or hers highly subjective eyes. I love and respect that, because no matter what you write - or film - it’s more or less impossible to be objective. Robert Graysmith has always been a controversial figure in the world of Zodiac, and I think most of it comes from people being jealous. He’s a successful author, private investigator and cartoonist - no wonder some lesser known Zodiac-experts (and random nobodies) can’t stand him.

Personally I think he’s a storytelling genius, and it’s just brilliant HE WAS THERE, from the beginning, more or less in the middle of the investigation (which became even more involvement in David Fincher’s brilliant film from 2007) up to the end - which might not be an end yet, and also got a chance to use it for his own purpose - to write down the story of the Zodiac. I mean, no one else did it in the same detailed way - and in his first book from 1986 he gives us so much details it’s hard to understand how much work he must have put into this. While the movie in an elegant way makes his work, his story, easier to understand, the book is packed with about everything you want to know about the case - from the killings - both the confirmed ones and the ones that might be connected, and sometimes those who obviously have nothing to do with it, but adds an extra perspective to the case. I love how he works like it’s a real mystery story he’s writing, adding red herrings all through the story, resolving those he can towards the end.

The biggest difference from the movie is that he wasn’t friendly with journalist Paul Avery. Avery is just a supporting part here, one journalist specializing in the Zodiac case, and Inspector Toshi seems to be a closer ally. But except that it’s fairly close to what the movie set out to tell us. It’s easy to feel that Graysmith can’t let go of the subject, he’s working so hard and long it’s difficult to understand how he could keep up his real job as a cartoonist. I guess it wasn’t until 1986, when the book came out, he finally could be the writer and investigator he obviously wanted to be from the beginning. I guess it takes something with some kind of syndrome to do a thing like this. Some years later he followed up with a new book, Zodiac Unmasked (which I will read sooooooon), which deals with him focusing on one suspect. What feels refreshing in Zodiac is that he’s not really sure yet. He’s still analyzing the facts, and more uses a gut feeling regarding his favorite suspect. The proof isn’t there yet, even if it’s strong enough to make it a good choice. Better than some of the other names popping up from time to time.

Robert Graysmith’s Zodiac also gives a very colorful and realistic story about the politics, police and society in the 70’s. Sure, it might have been enhanced by the movie, but the absurd amount of details makes it very convincing. You feel you’re there, beside Graysmith, during his endless trips around the states, searching for witnesses and follow up leads. This book is now my favorite together with two similar, later, works; Douglas Preston’s The Monster of Florence and Richard Lloyd Parry’s People Who Eat Darkness, where the authors - obsessed like few others - becomes more and more involved with the actually cases than they planned to be from the beginning.

Fascinating stuff.

Comments

[Megatron]

"This book is now my favorite together with two similar, later, works; Douglas Preston’s The Monster of Florence and Richard Lloyd Parry’s People Who Eat Darkness, where the authors - obsessed like few others - becomes more and more involved with the actually cases than they planned to be from the beginning."

I haven´t read nay of them...maybe one day, you should check out Anders Sundelins fascinating true crime book "Den magiska Cirkeln", very entertaining about the Sala gang that spread murder and mayhem in the swedish countryside in 1930´s.

Thanks Fred.