Summary and Analysis of The Executioner's Song

Book excerpt: So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Executioner’s Song tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Norman Mailer’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This summary of The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer includes: Historical context Part-by-part summaries Detailed timeline of key events Profiles of the main characters Important quotes Fascinating trivia Glossary of terms Supporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer: Norman Mailer’s Pulitzer Prize–winning The Executioner’s Song tells the story of Gary Gilmore, the convicted murderer whose death penalty sentence became a lightning rod for public debate over capital punishment. Though it reads like a novel, the book is a magnum opus of creative nonfiction, drawing from reams of documents and countless hours of interviews to paint a nuanced picture of Gilmore and the events that led up to his 1979 execution by firing squad. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.