Charming Psychopaths: Winter's Child: Ed Kemper

Charismatic Killers, Book 1

By: Gina Kristie Page

Narrated by: Marcus Freeman

Length: 1 hr and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

The winter child lived and breathed amongst us for several years. He was brilliant as he moved around society, exercising his charm and wit as he observed seemingly normal people going about their lives. He always felt he was looking from the outside, and never able to get in to the normal structures of society. He desired love and acceptance. He coveted respect. It was a constant inward struggle to have peace and satisfaction, carrying around a burden of such magnitude that his soul was in constant anguish never knowing when the pain will end.
After all is said and done, what do we understand about the fragile nature of mankind, and the reasons behind a life like the winter's child? This is an inward look at the development and sum total of the life of Edmund Kemper, one of the most notrious serial killers in recent history. Is he insane, or evil? Was he born destined to be nothing short of an accomplished killer, or was he the product of a disfunctional childhood and subjugation?
The indivduals that seek out to kill and destroy are not unlike ourselves. Disappointment, fear, and frustration that we work to control at times leaks out in our most vulnerable moments. We might act vindictively toward a friend or a lover, in word or deed. We may believe we stand apart from the mind of a killer, but if we dared to peer into the depths of our own creation we can find that there is a little Ed Kemper in all of us.
This is the first in a series of short listens with main points from real cases. Some things have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.

©2019 Gina Page (P)2019 Gina Page

A Theological Take on Basic Kemper Details

I came into this wanting psychological study and theory-based discussion on Ed Kemper. I wanted something that delved deep into facts about his life and things that he said that could result in a variety of psychological topics.

Instead, I got a long, pedantic paper about the Christian origins of evil and the authors internal conflict regarding nature versus nurture with Kemper being the focal point. I enjoy Nature vs. Nurture quite a bit but this was highly slated towards evil incarnate while wafting some notions of nurture about to try to cover the bias.

The details about Ed were incredibly basic and bulked within the work by including details meant to get the reader to sympathize with Kemper as well as entertain a shock value from its emotional insight. Personally, I found it forced and, in many cases, likely very inaccurate.

I was just expecting more and I couldn't like the book because the work couldn't provide it. This is a fun start for beginners to true crime and serial killers though. It would make for a nifty leaping off point for those that are very sheltered to these things.