The Original Psycho, True Story of Ed Gein

I purchased this book because I wanted to know the Ed Gein story. And that is what I got; I found the book to be very informative. It of course covered the murders committed by Mr. Gein, but also gave a lot of information about his life including his mental and emotional status.

I purchased this book used through the store, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I enjoyed the detailed settings of the town, the people, and the backgrounds that were so meticulously researched.

I don't normally read crime books, but I purchased this one out of pure curiosity because I had a desire to research crazy people who obsess and constantly read these types of books, and to my surprise, I did learn something that was eye opening for me. Yes, it's true that people who obsessively read gore, torture, and all other forms of 'darkness', can likely BE serial killers themselves. It was a frightening realization for me because I happen to know of someone that fits this description!

I think this book is important because it also reveals how people can ignore mental illness because they don't want to infringe on a person's privacy, but in this case, if people had been more aware of Eddie's odd behavior, lives could have been saved. This especially rings true today with the internet and current obsession that some have to the point of obsessive, unstable behavior. If people would not be afraid to report abnormal behavior in others, then tragedies like the Eddie Gein story would never happen.

HERE WAS THE FASCINATING PART FOR ME:
Quoted from the book
"Eddie's professed aversion to blood was peculiar not only because he'd spent most of his life on a farm, where butchering animals was a standard part of his existence, but also because he seemed so preoccupied with violence. Eddie was a great one for reading and had a particular affection for true crime magazines, the kind with lurid covers of half-naked girls being assaulted by beefy men in trench coats and black leather masks.
Eddie couldn't get enough of these publications and was constantly recounting, for the benefit of anyone who would listen, some especially juicy lust killing he had just read about."

Yes, I would have to say, you are what you read! In Eddie's case, he was what he obsessed with.

This book was well written with an abundance of detailed facts about Ed Gein. If you're curious about this heinous killer, I suggest you buy this book. It will fascinate you. I don't want to give away some of the other facts that I felt were surprising...there was much in this book that I had not known before, and I felt the author did a great job of making this book one that I could not put down. Many SHOCKING things in this book, and I recommend it to anyone who has a fascination with Gein.

This book makes me want to sleep with a Caucasian Mountain Shepard and a Rocket Launcher....lol I've been trying for years to try and figure out what makes people so sick. I try and get inside of their heads & just cant do it. I keep thinking we can find a cure for them, but there's no cure for evil. Evil must be destroyed & I thank my God for prisons & The Death Penalty, in some cases.

I read this because living in the Midwest I remember my dad telling this story. however too much repeating of gory facts. I would rather know more about what drives a mind to do these horrendous things.

I was very diappointed in this book. I was expecting to read and to learn more about Ed Gein, than the town, cops, judges, and etc.... If you don't want a lot of information then this book will be good, if you wanted to learn more about Gein, get a diffrent book.

The pages of this book were in great condition, but the cover was bent completely in half. As someone who likes to keep her books in perfect condition, I was quite disappointed by the crease down the centre of the front cover.

'True crime' is often stranger than fiction. In fact, many morbid works of fiction, both books and movies, have been based on deviant characters like Ed Gein. There aren't too many fertile minds that could make up a character like Eddie, but his crimes have served as a model for several fictional characters popularized in the media over the past 57 years. I was born and grew up 22 miles from Ed Gein's farm. In 1957, at age seven, the true story of Ed Gein fascinated me. I still have the issue of LIFE MAGAZINE that featured his (then) unorthodox and horrifying crimes.

Harold Schechter is a renowned author of several "true crime" books about famous criminals whose activities take perversity to a new level. His writing is taut and factual, his books well-researched and the stories presented from several angles. DEVIANT tells the tale of a poor farm boy raised in a hostile and confusing environment, whose quiet demeanor hid a tortured soul and who began to "act out" severely after the death of his mother. Ed's activities went unnoticed for quite some time due to both his clandestine activities and his unassuming manner. Eventually some of his actions came to light and attention was immediately focused on him. Once under the spotlight, a series of alleged random events were recognized as being attributed to one man, the odd looking and acting Ed Gein. And oh boy, the things that Eddie had done!

Recently an investor tried to buy the Gein homestead in Plainfield, WI. in order to build an amusement park/roadside attraction to immortalize Ed. The local government voted down the proposal, preferring to let the memory of Ed Gein slowly fade (rot) away. I suppose it would be hard to be living in a town whose most famous resident was known for heinous acts previously unheard of. Kudos to Harold Schechter for being true to the case.

This is a well-researched book about Ed Gein, the mild mannered, Midwestern psychopath from Plainfield, Wisconsin who, in the nineteen fifties, would shock the nation with his gruesome crimes. Ed Gein would become the basis for the best selling book by Robert Bloch, "Psycho", as well as for the Hitchcock film of the same name. Accounts of Ed Gein's heinous crimes would also enter the consciousness of a young Tobe Hooper who, as an adult, would write and direct the classic cult film, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

The author writes a cogent, factual account of the life of Ed Gein and the grisly crimes that shocked the nation at the time of their discovery. It details the hold that Ed's domineering mother had on him, a hold that would manifest itself in unimaginable ways. It is almost hard to believe that this small, inoffensive man could be such a madman, but who but a madman would do what he did? Ed Gein, it was discovered, had turned his small farmhouse into a gruesome charnel house, replete with furnishings adorned with human flesh and bones.

Aficionados of true crime will find this book fascinating, as it is a well-written account of one of the most horrifying and bizarre series of crimes ever to be committed. Eight pages of photographs are included in the book and serve to provide the reader with a brief, visual glimpse into the life of Ed Gein, a man with a secret hobby so depraved that it would shock the entire nation when it came to light. Lovers of true crime accounts will be fascinated by this well researched foray into the life of a seemingly innocuous man from America's heartland who ended up being so deviant from the norm.

I have to admit, beforehand, that I started researching and reading about Ed Gein, the original "Psycho", because of films like Psycho and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. I wanted to find out more about the true man behind these heinous, and gut-wrenchingly poignant, films.

I decided to start with this book, Harold Schechter's Deviant: The Shocking True Story of ED GEIN, the Original "Psycho", because of the favorable reviews and glimmering reputation of the author.

It takes a special person in life to dedicate themselves to studying the dark and macabre of true life and that is just what Harold Schechter has done, and his passion for these flawed human beings is apparent in every page of this thrilling journey.

By now, we all know of the archetype that Gein "created": the son, obsessed and repulsed by his mother, that commits heinous acts that would make a rational human being vomit in disgust. We've seen it in "Psycho", we've seen it in "Chain Saw", and we've even seen it in "Friday the 13th", but Gein was the man who started it all.

Harold Schechter catalogs Gein's depressing upbringing, with an alcoholic father and a religious fanatic mother. This upbringing leads him to death and destruction later in life, and every step of the way Schechter documents the terror without ever falling to the cliche or the kitsch. He has interviewed, he has read and studied almost everything that was available at the time and his tireless research is impeccable and impressive.

Anyone who is looking to start researching or reading about Gein, or for anyone who is just looking for a really gruesome story to sink their teeth into, I suggest you pick up this book as soon as possible. That being said, this book is not for the lighthearted. Schechter holds nothing back and every disgusting act of Gein's is laid out on a white tablecloth, figuratively, for all to see.

I cannot recommend this book more highly... it is simply a terrifying journey, made all the more terrifying by the fact that this actually happened.

You know what they said: Truth is Stranger than Fiction. I add an addendum to that: Truth is more Frightening than Fiction.

It was an interesting book but fairly gruesome which was expected. I had never heard of this man or the crimes he committed. I can't say I understand what made Robert Bloch base Psycho on it but maybe the book is different from the movie. This guy is worse than Norman Bates.

Deviant, by Harold Schecter

Harold Schecter has written other books on outrageous murderers. The `Prologue' discusses Alfred Hitchcock's move `Psycho' with its monster that was copied in other films. `Psycho' seems horrible in part because the killer is someone who appears to be normal (until we learn the truth). Eddie Gein was known to act strange, and was the butt of jokes. Other subjects of Schecter's books were also known as "slightly strange". [Did anyone suspect the "BTK" killer in Kansas before he was caught?] The crimes in Plainfield Wisconsin inspired Robert Bloch to write a novel that was adapted to a popular movie. The actual crimes were too horrible to be part of the movie. He doesn't say why it was a popular movie in America.

Part 1 begins by describing "sand country", the least fertile area in Wisconsin. George and Augusta Gein had two sons, Henry and Edward. They lived on an isolated farm. Eddie was controlled and handicapped by his mother (p.23). Did they poverty affect their mentality (p.25)? Or was there some disease from a poor diet? Augusta's brothers never married (p.27). Henry's death was accidental (p.32). Augusta died of a brain hemorrhage at age 67 (p.35). Eddie was absolutely alone. Part 2 says small-town life has a "lack of privacy". Is gossip the main source of entertainment? Eddie was a friend to all (p.40). He was a dependable worker (p.42). Eddie didn't hunt animals (p.43), he loved lurid true-crime magazines and horror stories (p.49). There were some mysterious disappearances (Chapter 8). No bodies were ever found (p.56).

Part 3 tells of the disappearance of Bernice Worden in November 1957. Her son Frank was a deputy sheriff and suspected Eddie Gein (Chapter 12). The search of Gein's house revealed the murder victim. This house of horrors contained preserved body parts (Chapter 14). There was a post-mortem examination (Chapter 16). More body parts were found (Chapter 18), there was a media blitz. Eddie was not a taxidermist (p.121). Reporters collected hearsay to pass off as truth (p.126). [Still true today?] Some got their names in the newspapers (p.127) then retracted the story (p.128). Western Waushara County was a wild desolate area (p.134). Psychiatrists analyzed this case (Chapter 25). The news inspired Robert Bloch to write a novel "Psycho" (Chapter 26).

Part 4 continues the investigation. Two graves were disinterred to check Gein's claims. Gein was sent to a Hospital for the Criminally Insane (Chapter 29). Was this crime caused by horror comics and crime magazines (Chapter 30)? There were other cases like Gein's (Chapter 32). Gein was found to be "legally insane" (Chapter 34). Gein's seemingly normal life and his "grossly insane activities" was a sign of madness (p.230). The judge ruled Gein insane and sent him to the State Hospital (Chapter 38). This decision angered the citizens of Plainfield (Chapter 39). Before the Gein homestead was auctioned off, the house burned to the ground (Chapter 40). People were gratified (p.242). "Just as well." Crazy Ed was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's movie `Psycho'. "Norman Bates" became as real as other Hollywood monsters (p.252). "Hannibal Lecter"? Human bones were found buried near to the old barn (p.253). In 1968 Gein was tried for murder (Chapter 43). Guilty of the murder, not guilty due to insanity. Gein died in 1984 and was buried in an unmarked grave (p.269). Other films were based on Gein's crimes (p.271). [You may find some of the details in these pages to be repulsive.]

Ed Gein was the king of psychopathic losers. In spite of the horrific nature of his crimes it is almost possible to pity such an addlebrained childish idiot, even an idiot of such monstrous evil. In the end though, it is the evil that overshadows the pathetic incapacity of the man. Gein is of course the source for the films `Psycho', `The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and even `Silence Of The Lambs'. Never has so much been made out of such a loser. Unable to handle the difficulties of even his simple dissolute existence, Gein's addled brain took refuge first in necrophiliac fantasies and eventually in inept sex driven murder. He also made all sorts of totems out of his victims, from kitchenware to `clothing' and furniture. Schechter tells Gein's pathetic story in graphic detail, and like all of his books, Deviant is riveting. From the description of Gein's trash filled house to the details of the crimes, nothing is left out in this chilling book. The horror of Gein will shock you, his crimes are far worse than those of his on screen copies, but you will be unable to put the book down. This is the first book by Schechter I read, but after finishing it I promptly picked up all the others I could find, all were equally excellent. The book is highly recommended. I also recommend Deranged, Depraved and Bestial.

Edward Theodore Gein has become an infamous name in the legion of serial killers. Certainly others appeared after him, stealing some of the spotlight (i.e. the Zodiac, Son of Sam, David J. Carpenter, Ted Bundy, as well as the Night Stalker, to name but a few), but only Jeffrey Dahmer has come anywhere close to igniting a revulsion of horror at that shear twistedness of his crimes.
Harold Schechter does an incredible job at detailing the life of the sick, sad soul whose crimes, as well the urban legends spawned by them (i.e. the practice of cannibalism and taxidermy), gave birth to a slew of fictional, and quite popular, cinematic serial predators (Psyho's Norman Bates, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Leatherface, and The Silence of the Lambs's Buffalo Bill to name but a few). The author is also quite careful to separate the true crimes from the sensational hyperbole that erupted after their discovery. He also paints a sad portrait of the tortured family life where Gein's strange mental illness was formed, so that the reader not only comes away from this unputdownable book knowing the monstrous actions. We also know the sad, twisted, and lonely little man behind the monster. Highly recommended.

Something about the author’s writing could be just as off-putting as the atrocities he was describing. He spent a large part of the book highlighting the salacious tidbit hunting of the media, but sometimes his prose came across as just as shallow and sensationalized.

Harold Schechter presents 'Deviant', the true crime book about Ed Gein, the inspiration for Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Buffalo Bob in Silence of the Lambs. Schechter gives us a run down of Gein's life from childhood up to around age 12, then jumps forward into his adult life with the death of his father, brother, and mother. From there we get into the public interest of this man, the murders and grave-robbing followed by his arrest and institutionalization and eventual trial. The atrocities Gein performed are covered almost a tad bit lacking in detail but that's one of the good things of the book is the presentation of the facts rather than the exploitation of the crimes.

I'm split on this book. Schechter presents a pretty thorough covering of the events of Ed Gein and the media circus surrounding it. However, he spends a lot of time naming police officers, judges, and doctors that have little interest to us, the readers. After reading Schechter's excellent book on Albert Fish, I just expected more from this one on Ed Gein. Don't get me wrong, it's a good book but the flow just didn't work for me this time around.

Curiosity led me to this book of serial killer Ed Gein. Popular culture influences had led me to beleive otherwise untrue information regarding this long misrepresented stalker. The detailed book revealed an unbiased account of the killings and eventual capture of the small town man who led the nations fear factor for some time. Going into just enough detail as not to lose the reader in innumerable facts, the book gives accurate acocounts of his life and killings,with pop culture reference to spice things up. This is not a book for gorehounds but caters solely to true crime fans. The psychological aspects alone will keep you entranced for days. A solid read that doesnt pander to the blood and guts crowd.

This is a fascinating case study, a chilling and let's face it an oddly funny exploration of the dangers of being too dependant on Ma. The original Norman Bates, Ed Gein, committed some grusome crimes and yet not unlike the Hitchcock creation, we feel a certain sympahty for him. Gein was a lonely damaged man who found some rather eccentric ways to fill his void. It is impossible to hate this man despite the lives he took. There is a naive quality about Gein that make even his most bizarre actions, such as making a vest out of corpse's breasts, oddly touching. As with all of Schecter's books this is high end trash, it doesn't delve as deep as one might want but it dishes the atrocities in a suitable droll manner. The only downside is that some people find it a mite disturbing that I own a book called "Deviant", or that I find a certain aesthetic quality to his acts, but this material is not for the prudes...eh?

Honestly, whatta nut. Very good documentary about a very strange man from the North Woods. Of course, by now aficianados should expect that Schechter will get it right. And very stylishly so.
Apropos of nothing, my family originated pretty near that...and my father used to torment his mother (a very prim and proper lady) by asking for stories about "Cousin Ed." Needless to say, she found that about as amusing as Ed's woman suit.
Enjoy, campers!
BTW, the REALLY graphic pictures and wonderful line drawings can be found in the book written by the presiding judge at his trial, Judge Robert Gollmar. Hard to find, but well worth it.

A good book. Was very factual. Gave good description of how Plainfield became a town and what it looked like. Writer gave a good account of how the house looked and Eds response when caught. Described Eds home life and mother to a T. Wish it would have had pictures throughout the book, instead of at the end. Easy reading, not boring.

This is a well-researched book about Ed Gein, the mild mannered, Midwestern psychopath from Plainfield, Wisconsin who, in the nineteen fifties, would shock the nation with his gruesome crimes. Ed Gein would become the basis for the best selling book by Robert Bloch, "Psycho", as well as for the Hitchcock film of the same name. Accounts of Ed Gein's heinous crimes would also enter the consciousness of a young Tobe Hooper who, as an adult, would write and direct the classic cult film, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
The author writes a cogent, factual account of the life of Ed Gein and the grisly crimes that shocked the nation at the time of their discovery. It details the hold that Ed's domineering mother had on him, a hold that would manifest itself in unimaginable ways. It is almost hard to believe that this small, inoffensive man could be such a madman, but who but a madman would do what he did? Ed Gein, it was discovered, had turned his small farmhouse into a gruesome charnel house, replete with furnishings adorned with human flesh and bones.
Aficionados of true crime will find this book fascinating, as it is a well-written account of one of the most horrifying and bizarre series of crimes ever to be committed. Eight pages of photographs are included in the book and serve to provide the reader with a brief, visual glimpse into the life of Ed Gein, a man with a secret hobby so depraved that it would shock the entire nation when it came to light. Lovers of true crime accounts will be fascinated by this well researched foray into the life of a seemingly innocuous man from America's heartland who ended up being so deviant from the norm.

This is the best published overview going on Gein, but unfortunately, the research is erroneous on a number of key factual points.
What makes these points even more egregious is that the true facts here make for a much more twisted & compelling story than is presented in Deviant. I also take issue with the amount of fictionalization in the book, specifically dialogue.

There were moments when reading this book that I stopped and said, to myself, "Oh, no way. Wow. God." The crimes of Ed Gein were that shocking and many decades later remain as difficult to accept. In fact, the nature of Geins acts are so difficult to actually fathom that the narrative has an almost supernatural or mythical quality to it. I found myself wanting to believe that what was so just could not be.

The crimes of Gein happened in a town called Plainfield and in an era that we normally associate with car rides to the drive-in, Milton Bearle and sock-hop dances.

Most ordinary hacks could write an ordinary account of this episode of American crime and do a decent job of it. The story is just there for the taking.

But Schechter is not a hack. His prose is lean but telling. His rather understated narrative is remarkable. I felt like I was being gently led down a very dark and cold road by a warm and wise guide. One would have expected Schechter to play it up and go for the gore and the gruesome but he knows better. The facts speak for themselves Schechter does not get in the way.

This was a great book! I was completely obsessed with reading it. I finished it in two days. The prose wasn't terribly difficult. This book really went into the facts of the case in an interesting way. You end up feeling a little sorry for Ed Gein, but still never wanting to have been around him in any way. I recommend this book for anyone who loves true crime stories or like to read about psychopaths.

Ed Gein, America's most bizarre murderer, is finally revealed in this engrossing (no pun intended) work. Millions know about Ed's crimes, but up until now very few knew about his life. A wonderfully creepy book that made me take the long way home one night, instead of the short path I usually take by the graveyard.

I enjoyed Deviant from Harold Schechter very much, and having read Fiend and Deranged, I can easily say this is my favorite among the three (he has also written 2 other books, Bestial and Depraved, if you didn't already know). Although I would have liked a more detailed description of Gein's childhood, I thought the book was very graphic yet informative, and was an enjoyable book to read...and even learn from. Although the subject of necrophilia may not be everyone's cup of tea, Schechter did a good job comparing the Gein case to that of several other historical cases...A must read, overall...

Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about Ed Gein is in this gem of a book. I would honestly say that if you are at all interested in Gein and his crimes then pick this up, it's the closest you'll get to a bible being written about the guy!
Of all the books written about Gein this is by far the most superior. It is an unflinching and also at times sympathetic look at one of the wierdest killers in history.

Ed Gein was a sick man and his behavior fascinated us because he was obsessed with the dead. "Deviant" is correct! His story is creepy but we have to remember that he was so far over the edge of sanity that he isn't to be equated with some truly evil people in our world such as Bundy, Gacy or Manson. A decent account that reaches a bit too far.

This is one of only about two books written about Ed Gein, this is also the best. Schechter is able to tell the whole story of Ed Gein from all aspects while being totally truthful and not just trying to cash in. We get much insight about Ed Gein and get to find out what he was really like. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in finding out about this man.

The Deviant
By Harold Schechter
This book is about a shy, retiring farmer, Ed Gein, who was born in 1906 in La Crosse, Wisconsin to a drunkard no good father and a domineering mother who convinced her son that all women were evil, except her and to have nothing to do with them.
Well, of course, after his mother died, Ed got to visiting the local graveyards at night and digging up women and taking them home with him (this was long before there were singles bars).
He got all wound up in his work, did a lot of slicing and dicing but I won't go into all that here but needless to say, after he killed at least two or possibly as many as six or more live individuals, people began to suspect something was amiss around old Ed's place as some local kids playing there saw some heads hanging on his walls.
They finally locked him away for life in the mental hospital where he did quite well as it was the best place he had ever lived and he finally died of old age in 1984.
Now, when you hear someone talk about the "good old days" when everything was so much better, ask them if they ever heard of Ed Gein along about the time Elvis was getting started in 1957.