The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story (2001) - Plot & Excerpts
"Oh, I was just in the right place at the right time..."...NOT something that many of the women in Ted Bundy's life would come to say about meeting America's Grade-A machismo pin-up boy. In fact, as far as I can tell, Ann Rule was the only person to actually benefit from knowing him. And boy, did she ever.To state it quite plainly, Rule is not what one would call a "great" writer. Or even really a good "writer." She repeats herself to accentuate her point like she's me writing like I talk when I'm wasted, which I'm fairly sure she's not. She says things like (and I'm paraphrasing here) "I couldn't have testified in Ted's defense. That was just something I could not do." Really? Could you do it, Ann? Could you?!? Wait, I'm confused...so you're saying you could do it or you couldn't do it? You see what I mean.Additionally, she frolics in a minefield of cliches. I suppose when you are discussing something as sensitive as a serial killer's dump-site for a battered, raped, & strangled 12 year old girl's body, you sorta need to bust out a little bit of the old flowery sympathies and "oh, the humanities." And when you find out that you were close, personal friends with a psychopathic killer, people expect a pretty heavy-handed amount of "woe is me, I never really knew him, will I ever really know anyone, why was I so stupid, who am I, God?" Debra Morgan ballyhoo. Whatever. Regardless of her lack of authorial prowess, Rule was fortunate enough to work with a nice young man at a suicide hot-line in Seattle who was willing to help her out. Good ole' handsome Ted. Friend. Student. Son. Eldest brother. Fiance. Volunteer. Outdoorsman. Future politician. Saver of drowning children. Chaser of purse-snatchers. Purse-snatcher. Kleptomaniac. Psychopath. Chauvinist. Power-monger. Rapist. Sadist. Serial murderer. Necrophiliac. Con-artist. Liar... ...One thing that you can definitely say about the guy is that his interests were diverse. And his "interests" would lead him to commit some pretty shittastically evil crimes. And LOTS of 'em, with ever-increasing voracity and viciousness. And now, Ann Rule had her big break book idea! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! I won't dwell on this point for too long, as Rule has been getting shit about this for decades. I will simply say that she was, in fact, in a unique position to write a fantastic book, and she kinda botched it. Maybe it was supposed to have been Truman Capote working at that crisis hot-line back in 1974.All the same, I enjoyed the book for the sheer fact that I am so fascinated by Ted Bundy. This dude was a smooth operator, which makes him (to my mind) one of the most terrifying serial killers of all time. I mean, just watch the man at work...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ9jqF...That video also contains my favorite "accidental black comedy" quote of all time: "I have been impolite." -Ted BundyAll the same, he was one of the most high-functioning psychopaths ever to have been caught. Which makes him someone worth knowing, and knowing well. I won't get too preachy on you here, but I would think that his unique manifestation of psychopathology...the viciousness of his crimes combined with his ability to function somewhat in the spotlight simultaneously...to schmooze his captors so successfully that he was able to escape from jail TWICE and avoid recapture despite his existence on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list...to stand as his own attorney, and make thousands of women fall in love with him and fight for his cause and truly believe his innocence despite all of the evidence to the contrary....that he was able to live for 9 years after his initial death sentence on his own legal prowess alone...the simple fact that he was JUST SO GOOD AT BEING A SOCIOPATH would make him a worthwhile specimen. He had all of the "skills" of such an individual maxed-out to as extreme a degree as his dark side was. In my opinion, this fact alone would have been good enough reason to keep the asshole alive, especially considering the massive advances we have had in genetics and neuroscience since he was executed in 1989. Findings which suggest not only potential methods of early detection of psychopathology, but also argue for the unfortunate inevitability of much of the violent crimes committed by antisocial personalities when early physical abuse and brain damage are added to the fire. Which makes a whole other argument as to their sanity at the time of their crimes. Which would make an even further argument concerning their eligibility for execution. ALSO, it would just fucking make sense to study these people so we can catch them early. Understand them. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that we could eventually maybe even HELP THEM. I know...how dare I?Regardless of all that, I believe that I know at least one little lady who might like to know a bit more about genetics and their influence on antisocial behavior...whether she knows she should or not... Anyway, I've been reading this under the radar and off and on for some time, and I'm glad to finally be done with it. I didn't want my goodreads friends to know me as "you know, Kristi. That chick who needs an entire YEAR to read a book by fuckin' Ann Rule." Anyway, it was ok. Read it for its subject matter rather than its literary merit.Or just watch this:http://www.guba.com/watch/3000024509/...
Ann Rule, a former police officer and author for the magazine True Detective, worked with a case of serial murders in the 1970's. Eventually, something made her remember her colleague at the Seattle Crisis Clinique. Was it possible that a man she had known for several years - and worked with at a place where humanity and empathy are essential - could be something else than a sweet, modest man?This is the story of Ted Bundy, who murdered approximately 30-100 people in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and Florida. The reason can only be speculated on. His childhood was peculiar and probably left a mark. Later, the break-up with his girlfriend humiliated him and might have revealed his vulnerable self and building rage. All the victims were women, and resembled her. Disappearing day and night, in a park or on university campuses, kidnapped or murdered in their beds at home, they had all brown, long hair, parted in the middle.The book, first published in 1980, is about these truly horrible and incomprehensible events, and written by a friend of the murderer. This is the revised 20th anniversary edition, with the added afterword about the aftermath and an interesting reflexion about additional murders that fit the profile and might, according to Ann Rule, be commited by Bundy. He was on a killing rampage in the 70's, but some experts, Rule included, think that his first murder happened during his teenage years in 1961, when an eight-year-old girl disappeared in his neighborhood.Like many biograhies, the main reason is to tell a true story, and the writing is rather ordinary. The flaw is merely the somewhat repetetive passages and the sometimes over detailed descriptions, such as the rambling of names of the police officers, judges, jurors and endless attorneys, and what clothes everyone wore. None of this is interesting and it doesn't contribute to the story. Of course, some of the names should be mentioned, but not all of them. It only slows it down. Another thing that makes it feel drawn-out is the several chapters following the epiloge. Even though they tell some interesting facts they drag on for a long time and slows down the pace. However, the story, as many true stories, stands for itself, and especially the psychological aspect of the novel makes it interesting.Ann Rule had always liked her friend, and, at first, had a difficult time believing he was guilty. It was interesting to finally meet the real Ted Bundy, the grandiose and not so modest man. At some point during the trials, he was beginning to show his true self, the unpredictable, hostile person that he had been trying to hide. Being in a delicate situation and needing all the help he could get, he decided to fire one attorney after another, thinking he would do better by himself - in total, he had fourteen attorneys. Suddenly, he was both defendent, defence attorney and witness at the same time. But the attorneys came in handy when the death sentence was signed. What's most surprising, he survived three death sentences.Bundy was very intelligent and knew how to claim his rights. He demanded certain benefits in prison and his manipulation granted him the kind of freedom he needed to escape – twice. It's almost comical. Another thing outrageous and really tragic is the investigators destructive ability. They kept damaging the case by destroying evidence. The mold of Bundy's teeth was destroyed during preservation, and the remains of two of the victims were cremated by mistake.As much as this book is a psychological thriller, it is also a portrayal of a man with profound darkness, and his difficulty to control it. It's about the core of a murderer, the human part of a psychopath and the broken part of a human. Not being able to feel emphathy and guilt makes it easier to commit a crime. A hate of women so profound that it's impossible to even try to imagine it is clearly a factor that fueled his antisocial personality. All together, what was needed for him to be able to commit these crimes was manipulation, a quality he was in possession of. As Rule puts it, people with antisocial personality are charming and able to manipulate the other sex. Even when Bundy was convicted of all these murders, there were still young women in his life, believing he was innocent and doing everything for him.This book, one among many, tells us that we should listen to our sudden unexplainable hesitation or instinct, however ridiculous. When meeting this kind of man, the warning signs are subtle and easy to overlook. In some of the cases, the women who survived said they had felt a moment of doubt, or just an uneasy feeling, but ignored it. In a sorority house, where two women were murdered, some of the other tenants felt an unexplained panic creep up on them that night when walking in the hallway, which made them lock themselves in their rooms. That probably saved their lives.Finally, the book is about a woman's doubt and want to believe in a friend's innocence, despite the signs indicating otherwise, and eventually realizing that he is a stranger. That awakes the question. Do we really know the people among us?
What do You think about The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story (2001)?
Ann Rule's "The Stranger Beside Me" is probably the most frightening of all the accounts of Ted Bundy's murderous career. Why? Because Rule was a former policewoman, she considered Ted Bundy a co-worker and friend and never saw the sociopathic personality lurking behind his charming facade. As a society, I think we want to believe that we can easily spot those Bundys, Dahmers, Gacys . . . and Rule's book emphasizes the fact that we cannot. Those monsters blend in sometimes seamlessly with the rest of us. Rule's book does a huge service to Bundy's victims by recognizing them as more than just "Bundy victims". Reading about their dreams, their goals and their daily lives makes the horror of their deaths sting even more. Rule's sadness over the story comes through in nearly every page - - sadness at the loss of lives and sadness over what Bundy's life could have been and what he could have offered had he not been so consumed by murder. Having known Bundy before he became infamous as a serial killer, Rule gives insight into Bundy's personality and character, from his childhood, through his adolescence into his political and legal aspirations, all the while fostering a murderous rage toward women. An insightful book, one that makes you check and doublecheck your windows and doors and pray that you never cross the path of someone like Bundy. Definitely one of Rule's best books. Highly recommended.
—Lori
These sorts of stories fascinate me. Ted Bundy - a guy who has everything going for him, a student of law, incredibly intelligent and an amazing future ahead of him turns out to be one of the most brutal and terrifying serial killers in America. This is as well as being blessed with good looks and women practically falling at his feet - I can't make sense of it. It's frightening that if Ted Bundy hadn't confessed I may not have believed it. I'm not a supporter of the death penalty, even in extreme cases like this so the ending left me feeling a little angry. He had 2 hours of confession and a lot of details were skipped over because the blood thirsty American public 'demanded' a verdict, maybe it's because I live in Britain but surely cheering and punishing a murderer by effectively murdering them is sort of backwards? Can you really say you hate jam and then have it on your toast for breakfast? I don't know haha. But despite my personal beliefs this book hooked me from the start, it's definitely deserving of a 5 star rating
—Grace
Students? Are you a teacher? I teach first graders. Anyway, did you know Ann Rule wrote a work of fiction? It is called Possession and is very frightening and well written.-Mona
—Brenda
