Marylin Manson: The long road out of hell

A friend of mine lent me Marilyn Manson’s “The long road out of hell”, his autobiography. Despite being at one of his concerts I wouldn’t count myself as a big fan, even though I will watch him again at this year’s NovaRock music festival.

After reading the book I’m quite ambivalent towards it. While the confrontation of his ‘diary’ and anti-Manson propaganda is great, it lacks authenticity somehow: an arbiter is missing. Manson himself does oscillate between artist and spoiled brat. Some of his interpretations of old stage shows sound artificial with the need to display things in another light. And his desire to shock people can be felt from page to page, sometimes it’s more interfering than helpful.

Manson reminds me of Anthony Burgess’ Alex, someone with too much power and possibilities and a moral framework that does not prevent him from exploiting others. Well, as long as those do not object to it, there’s nothing wrong with it.

The most disturbing parts of the book where the description of the state’s interventions and Manson’s saying, that he heard an advanced version of the (then unreleased) first pearl jam album (ten), but thought the album to be bad.

Also his relationship to Trent Reznor was enlightened. As I do like NiN (and am currenlty counting the four days till their concert in Vienna) those parts did seem more important than the most Brian Warner parts.. a sad conclusion for a biography.

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