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The Executioner's Song cover art

The Executioner's Song

Written by: Norman Mailer
Narrated by: Maxwell Hamilton
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Publisher's Summary

Norman Mailer's Pulitzer Prize-winning and unforgettable classic about convicted killer Gary Gilmore now in a brand-new edition.

Arguably the greatest book from America's most heroically ambitious writer, The Executioner's Song follows the short, blighted life of Gary Gilmore who became famous after he robbed two men in 1976 and killed them in cold blood. After being tried and convicted, he immediately insisted on being executed for his crime. To do so, he fought a system that seemed intent on keeping him alive long after it had sentenced him to death. And that fight for the right to die is what made him famous.

Mailer tells not only Gilmore's story, but those of the men and women caught in the web of his life and drawn into his procession toward the firing squad. All with implacable authority, steely compassion, and a restraint that evokes the parched landscape and stern theology of Gilmore's Utah.

The Executioner's Song is a trip down the wrong side of the tracks to the deepest source of American loneliness and violence. It is a towering achievement - impossible to put down, impossible to forget.

©1980 Norman Mailer (P)2018 Hachette Audio
Crime Fiction True Crime Biographical Fiction Literary Fiction
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What listeners say about The Executioner's Song

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Profile Image for Shaun Savoy

Extremely Long but I enjoyed it

Very detailed, and very long. But such an intriguing story. I like that your given a solid break down from all the different sides.
I was born one year after this all happened and I managed to never hear of this story. Worth the listen.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Ryan Ford

Try it

Negative reviews of the narrator stopped me from purchasing this books many times. I desperately wanted to hear the story so I finally chose to purchase anyway. Yes the narrator is not great but I can assure you the story is definitely worth overlooking the poor narration.

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3 people found this helpful