Ann Rules ? What dooyoo Think ? (Ann Rule in general)

Member Name: Glasgow Girl

Product:	Ann Rule in general
Date:	05/06/02 (116 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ann Rule : a very well thought of writer.

Disadvantages: A style of writing that is a little 'too involved' ?

Ann Rule has been described as being,
? ... the foremost true crime writer in America ...? (1) and
? ... the best true-crime writer I have ever read ...?
this by dooyoo?s very own ?nikkisly?,
a dooyooer whose opinions I both read and value.
?Nikkisly? also finds Ann Rule?s style of writing ?easy to read...? and it is here that I find myself to be most at odds with this particular opinion.
To me, Rule?s writing style is a little ?disjointed??
Maybe it?s me, maybe I have become too used to an academic style of writing, one that I?ve ?force-fed? myself this past year and more.
(a strictly ?self-administered habit?,I might add).
Then again, on perusing the pages of dooyoo, I find that one other dooyooer may have hit upon what it is that ?jars? in Rule?s writing style, when ?salgal? says, ?These stories are written with Ann Rule's wonderfully involved style.? Maybe that?s it: maybe Ann Rule?s style fails to appeal to yours truly as it is too ?involved?.

In my defence, I should say here and now that, as yet, I have only read one of Ann rule?s books and, yes you?re probably right, I should really give some of her other books a ?run for their money?.
I?ve read and enjoyed then opinions written about some of her books here on dooyoo and maybe, just maybe, I?ll get around to reading some more of Ann Rule's books ...soon.
One of her books I would like to get my teeth into as it were, is her book about Ted Bundy.
"The Stranger Beside Me" is a book which
(in case you?ve been living on the moon or watching too much football for the past decade)
is Rule?s oh-so-personal story of the infamous serial killer, Ted Bundy who, it turned out used to be a 'close' friend of Ann Rule?s.
I genuinely look forward to reading about the ways in which their two lives interlinked and separated over the years;
- as Rule became a Seattle policewoman -
who then turned just hap
pened to become
a crime journalist ...
and the oh-so-good-looking serial killer, Ted Bundy, who became the steady boyfriend of one women and a serial killer of many more.
Just how their two lives impacted, one on the other, has fascinated me for a long time now, and one day I?m determined to read Rule?s ?inside story?.
- I mean - which came first?
The crime writer or the realisation that she ?knew? a serial killer?
You have my permission to tell me - if you know - it won?t spoil my reading enjoyment - in this particular case, very little could.

In Ann Rule?s favour, she appears to have an excellent Homepage (1) and it?s well worth a visit, - whether you are a fan or not. There?s a few really good links
1)to her book,
2)to her bibliography and,
most interestingly for all fans of the ?True Crime? genre,
3)a link to pages which give the latest news of individuals who she has included in her books.
I found this link both original and interesting, and partly as a result,
I?m seriously considering re-evaluating my opinion of 'Ann Rule in general',
even although, frankly,
I do not enjoy her style of, or her overall approach to, her writer?s craft.

I'm away now to read my next 'Rebus'novel, which means there will be something positive for me to write about sometime soon ...
GG

Ann rules Homepage can be found at:

(1) http://www.annrules.com/

Summary: