Happy Like Murderers - Gordon Burn

Having read a lot of articles, newspapers and books about the Wests, I still didn't think I knew that much about them. Studying the psychology of serial killers has been a hobby of mine for a while now and find it very hard to find decent material without the sensationalism of journalists getting in the way. I was recommended this book by a good friend who shares the same hobby. When starting to read the book its starts off with the history of 25 Cromwell Street where the Wests finally landed in I think 1971. The previous owners and tenants, their lifestyles and habits. The book does not leap straught into the murders, the abuse of their children ...  Read the complete review

I picked this book up three months ago, cheaply, after having heard it was a compelling read. I was also attracted by the publisher’s name (Faber & Faber). A lot of serial killer books tend to be spurious trash, exploiting the victim’s deaths for narrative reasons or the author’s glory. They tend to be badly written and edited mixtures of presses clippings and testimonials from people barely connected with the original crimes. Thus I always find them depressing, full of cod psychology and damning titles such as "beyond evil". This annoys me as I think the word 'evil' stops people questioning what causes the behaviour of these ...  Read the complete review

This is a difficult read. Gordon Burns is almost cruel to his reader in the purity and bareness of his style. The story told in the pages of 'Happy Like Murderers' of the life and times of Fred and Rosemary West, is not in anyway titillating or salacious. Gone are the tabloid headlines about sex parties, and instead the reader is presented with something that feels very much like wading through autopsey reports and witness statements. The repetition and colloquial language used serve successfully to suck you in to the reality of this tale. It stops being an old news story, and starts to breath, as the total horror of events surrounding ...  Read the complete review

There have been many books written about Fred and Rose West, but none of them is anything like this. The text is gripping, Gordon Burn writes like a novelist rather than as a journalist transcribing facts. But that's not to say that the facts aren't there, far from it. The full awful truth of what went on is revealed in graphic detail. The suffering of the murder victims is matched by the suffering inflicted on the West's children. Highly recommended, and far more frightening than most fiction. ...  Read the complete review

I had my first doubts about this book when I learnt that the cover photo was designed by Damien Hirst. Like a book with a quote from Nietzsche in it, this suggested to me that the author has Pretensions to say something Significant - and I think he has too. Fortunately, this doesn't seem to be too obvious most of the time, and apart from an “unheimlich” in a discussion of Fred West's fascination with the vagina I didn't spot any signs of full-blown academitis. I didn't spot any signs of an attempt to explain the Wests’ behavior in biological terms either, and unlike the lack of academic jargon that, for me, wasn't a plus. ...  Read the complete review