The Mad Sculptor

The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation

By: Harold Schechter

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's 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 these 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 20th century. Harold Schechter’s masterly 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 end.

©2014 Harold Schechter (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

amazing true crime

a great story about a forgotten tabloid murder mystery. very entertaining and easy to hear.

Tabloids gone wilder!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it was a great view into the history of journalism and what tabloids used to be able to get away with. It was also interesting to learn about how criminal investigations were conducted in the 1930's. I could easily see how investigators could be influenced by journalism and how people could be wrongfully convicted because of the lack of forensic science for crime scene analysis.

What does Peter Berkrot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings personality and life to the era that I may not have applied on my own. I probably would have read those sections to myself in more of a textbook tone and that would have done injustice to the overall story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No laughing or crying but a couple of cringe-worthy moments. Graphic retelling of crime scenes and some of it was especially hard to listen to just because of the nature of the crime.

Great , interesting story!!!

What did you love best about The Mad Sculptor?

I was amazed at the mind of the Mad Sculptor, Bob Irwin and how it operated and managed to stay free and untouched for years.

What other book might you compare The Mad Sculptor to and why?

I really don't think a comparison is possible. This is a unique, stand alone novel.

Which character – as performed by Peter Berkrot – was your favorite?

Bob Irwin, of course.

If you could give The Mad Sculptor a new subtitle, what would it be?

Totally Gone

Too long

What did you like best about The Mad Sculptor? What did you like least?

can't remember

What do you think your next listen will be?

I don't know

Which scene was your favorite?

So long I forgot

Do you think The Mad Sculptor needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, there couldn't possibly be more to this story

Any additional comments?

No

Interesting, but can be confusing

I have the Kindle version and will have to use it the next time I listen to this. You have to pay attention or you miss something.

As other reviewers pointed out, he does go off on a little bit of tangent, talking about other crimes. I'm guessing that was for context. I have another book from this author on serial killer Belle Gunness so I knew what to expect. This book differs from that one in that he went deeper into the killer's psyche to offer us a glimpse of his disturbed mind. Not bedtime reading!

If true crime is your thing, I recommend this book and the one on Belle.

A Forgotten Crime of the Century

Any additional comments?

Like the better novels in this genre, this is a fascinating and creepy look at the shocking crimes engendered by a truly distorted mind, and the ensuing media frenzy that would inspire the classic play (and later films) titled "The Front Page." The author gives us a keen sense of the time and place of these events, enriched by the thoughts of the people who came into contact with both the killer and his victims. One of the best of it's kind.

Enjoyable and Interesting

If you could sum up The Mad Sculptor in three words, what would they be?

Harold Schechter knows how to write. I have read many of his books but this is the first that I've listened to.

1930s murder

3.5 stars The author is particularly well versed in these types of novels. This book layers similar stories of gruesome crimes committed in 1930’s US. I was startled by how ferocious crimes committed against kids there were during this period.

The author had so much info and tried to describe the 30’s US lifestyle that the main crime story kind of got lost in the craziness. I got confused a few times trying to keep track of what/who/which crime was being discussed and how it tied into what the novel was trying to depict.

I appreciated the knowledge of the ‘comic book crusades’ – how comic books were said/blame for the rise in criminal behavior in the states…much like how penny dreadfuls were blamed in 1800’s England or video games are touted today.

I think this book suffered a bit with balancing certain facts to show the cohesion of events. Still worth reading and I enjoyed the info.

Not sure how all these stories go together

I am a fan of true crime, and I have read some of Harold Schechter's shorter works. That is why I gave this one a try. I liked the main story. I even liked the other side stories. However, I don't really understand why all these stories are together under the same title. I think I would have liked it better if the other side stories were in a separate volume and elaborated just a bit more. That's not to say there was anything bad about the book. It held my attention and the stories were interesting. I think the narrator was a good choice. He was perhaps the best part of the experience.

Another Fascinating Journey

When Schechter tells one killer's story, it never stays on a straight road to the finish. Exhaustively researched, you will learn anything and everything that impacts the culture of the time, the circumstances of the crime, and the response of the public. MYRIAD side trails lead down the backstory and previous doings of major players and provide another dimension of fascination

Schechter takes a thousand pieces of primary source material and stitches it together in a narrative style that reads like a novel. You disbelieve how he could possibly know this or that detail, but later find it referenced in articles, letters, and court transcripts

It's pretty damn fun to listen to