The executioner's song

About “The executioner's song”

The Executioner's Song is a 1979 novel by Norman Mailer that chronicles the life of Gary Gilmore, a man who became infamous after robbing and killing two men in 1976. After being convicted of murder, Gilmore refused to appeal his death sentence and demanded to be executed. His insistence on facing the death penalty made him a public figure. The book explores his struggle against the legal system, which delayed his execution despite his wish to die. Mailer's work offers a detailed look at Gilmore's life and the circumstances that led to his fate.