Not what most would expect from Marilyn Manson: Insightful, interesting and incredibly honest, surprisingly articulated and with equally surprising heart and intelligence. There's a hell of a lot more behind the facade.
I read this book in just under two days in the hospital after an operation, I couldn't put it down. Manson is very honest and surprisingly funny, he really gets his character across well and predictably shocks you but not neccessarily in the way you'd expect; more in the way he became what he is now; Marilyn Manson wasn't born Marilyn Manson, he was MADE through systematic and institutional abuse and tells wonderfully via his harrowingly disturbed grandfather, his ordeals in Christian school and the constant excess of drugs and alcohol abuse coupled with some horrible relationship choices.
This book was written quite early on, around the time of Antichrist Superstar and it is shocking how much happened at that early stage alone, if he were to write another book now, God only knows the kind of stories that would be depicted - and it is surprising to read how Antichrist Superstar was almost never completed and his career almost ended right there. It is a fascinating read for not just fans but newcomers as well, it shows how little we (fans and non-fans alike) know about Marilyn Manson from his lyrics and shows alone. Essential reading.