"Fascinating true crime case study set in 1930s NY"
The Mad Sculptor
By: Harold Schechter
Genres: Historical | Mystery Historical
Posted: February 25, 2014
The "Cast of Characters" in the beginning of the book is very helpful in keeping names straight. One of the things that Harold Schechter does in this book, as well as in other true crime books he's written, is give some historical context to the crimes described. I find it interesting reading about the physical landscape and social climate of the point in history in which these crimes take place. I also enjoyed reading about the various public figures of the day like the lawyer Samuel S. Leibowitz and psychiatrist Fredric Wertham.
After reading this book, I plan on checking out one of the books on Leibowitz listed in the author's bibliography. For readers, like myself, interested in the history of forensic science the book discusses Alexander Gettler and how he was able to help solve a case using scientific methods at the time. I found it intriguing how he was able to link forensic evidence to the suspect in an age before DNA testing, and without computers and other modern inventions. In this book, the author discusses three other crimes which were committed in the same general area as the crime featured by the author. They are interesting cases and I enjoyed the author's dry wit when describing all the particulars.
It's obvious how much research went into this book, and specifically the Robert Irwin case. The book goes into detail describing Irwin's parents, their background, his early life and events leading up to his crime. It all makes for a wonderful case study. The detail and the direct quotes made me feel as if I was right there at that place and time. I was fascinated by the look into the criminal justice system of the time and what was involved with trying to successfully maintain an insanity defense. This book also spotlights the yellow journalism that was rampant at the time. This is one of the only authors for which I will read the notes at the back of the book. The notes are definitely worth reading, both for a little extra detail as well as the bibliography. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next true crime book by Harold Schechter.
Book Summary
Beekman Place, once one of the most exclusive addresses in Manhattan, had a curious way of making it into the tabloids in the 1930s: “SKYSCRAPER SLAYER,” “BEAUTY SLAIN IN BATHTUB” read the headlines. On Easter Sunday in 1937, the discovery of a grisly triple homicide at Beekman Place would rock the neighborhood yet again—and enthrall the nation. The young man who committed the murders would come to be known in the annals of American crime as the Mad Sculptor. Caught up in the Easter Sunday slayings was a bizarre and sensationalistic cast of characters, seemingly cooked up in a tabloid editor’s overheated imagination. The charismatic perpetrator, Robert Irwin, was a brilliant young sculptor who had studied with some of the masters of the era. But with his genius also came a deeply disturbed psyche; Irwin was obsessed with sexual self-mutilation and was frequently overcome by outbursts of violent rage.
Irwin’s primary victim, Veronica Gedeon, was a figure from the world of pulp fantasy—a stunning photographer’s model whose scandalous seminude pinups would titillate the public for weeks after her death. Irwin’s defense attorney, Samuel Leibowitz, was a courtroom celebrity with an unmatched record of acquittals and clients ranging from Al Capone to the Scottsboro Boys. And Dr. Fredric Wertham, psychiatrist and forensic scientist, befriended Irwin years before the murders and had predicted them in a public lecture months before the crime.
Based on extensive research and archival records, The Mad Sculptor recounts the chilling story of the Easter Sunday murders—a case that sparked a nationwide manhunt and endures as one of the most engrossing American crime dramas of the twentieth century. Harold Schechter’s masterful prose evokes the faded glory of post-Depression New York and the singular madness of a brilliant mind turned against itself. It will keep you riveted until the very last page.
by: Harold Schechter
New Harvest
February 1, 2014
On Sale: February 18, 2014
Featuring: Veronica Gedeon
368 pages
ISBN: 0544114310
EAN: 9780544114319
Kindle: B00E3E4XMU
Hardcover / e-Book