The Long Hard Road Out of Hell

by Marilyn Manson and Neil Strauss

Book Overview

The best-selling autobiography of America s most controversial celebrity icon, Marilyn Manson (with a bonus chapter not in the hardcover). In his twenty-nine years, rock idol Manson has experienced more than most people have (or would want to) in a lifetime. Now, in his shocking and candid memoir, he takes readers from backstage to gaol cells, from recording studios to emergency rooms, from the pit of despair to the top of the charts, and recounts...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060987464
• ISBN13: 9780060987466
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: It Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Really bad shape

To say this was acceptable was a pretty large stretch of the imagination. Extensive water damage. Binding is ripped on both sides and dust cover was missing. I purchase books from here frequently and I’m surely disappointed that this was in such terrible shape.

good book

i love reading books about famous people/rockstars and reading about how they got where they are now and the things they went through. it humanizes them because sometimes they can feel like larger then life yk? to know that theyve been through stuff that you or other people have been through.

I never got the book

I would have loved to write a decent review, but I never received my copy of the book. I ordered this and the Necronomicon the same time, but they shipped this out separately for some reason. It's been over a month.

Good book

Good book, Brian Warner is such a good writer. The book was kinda pricey considering when received there was a $0.25 sticker on the front. Not sure why there was such a big mark up on the price. I suppose decent people are hard to find.

would re-read if I still had it to see if my opinion changed

Took forever to read this despite my admiration for Mr. Manson at the time this came out. I forced myself to finish it because it was the first book I paid over $20 for! I had heard many of the stories he mentioned here previously in interviews & others were less than interesting. Actually, this book is no longer in my library due to lack of desire to ever read it again. P.S. Still a hardcore fan of the music, just not this book.

Fascinating Look at the birth of Marilyn Manson

This book was extremely fascinating. It really brings to life the transformation of Brian Warner to Marilyn Manson. It shows events in his childhood that helped to shape him into the person he is. With first person memories, he describes his childhood and the impact music played on his ambitions and goals. The book goes on to talk about the formation of his band and how the members met, discussing problems with band members and how the band had lofty goals that seemed unreachable. Later, opening for Nine Inch Nails, he became friends with Trent Rezner and later came to know Anton LaVey, both of whom had great influence on his life. Manson talks about how his rise to Superstar status changed his view on drugs, sex, other life aspects. He explains how he took on the the name Marilyn Manson permanently, stating that at a certain moment he realized Brian Warner was dying and Marilyn Manson was being born. Throughout the book there are moments where Manson remembers where he was when he came up with ideas for some of his songs including his version of "Sweet Dreams" and "The Beautiful People". The book also covers some of his own philosophies about love, homosexuality, and life. The book is beautifully constructed with photos and artwork which help with the understanding of what he is discussing. The book goes into great detail, allowing the reader to really understand why Marilyn Manson is the way he is. A fantastic read that, I believe, fans and non-fans would enjoy.

Marilyn Manson scares me

Well, not so much him as his image. Throughout the entire book I found myself covering many of the pictures and even avoiding viewing the cover. That said, the book is incredible. Despite, for some odd reason, my innate--almost unconscious, and especially irrational--fear of his image, I found myself especially intrigued by many of his 'uncommon' experiences. He is an incredible, thoughtful writer, and though I had only casual interest in (or even knowledge of) him before, it was very cool to get a peek into his mind and thought process (and to gain an especial appreciation for his musical works with this knowledge). I often found myself agreeing, and perhaps even looking at things in a new way. He lays his views out well, and sticks it to his (often hypocritical and just plain *wrong*) critics with justifiably pissed-off grace. And even through all the 'shocking' events throughout his long career he casually divulges and explains, there is a sense of true underlying morality. And though this is non-fiction, I did get a sort of sense of a 'happy ending'. Not in the cliche, sappy way of course, but as the book wraps up, after his self-reflection has examined and rehashed all the effed-up events of his earlier days, it seems as though there's a sort of change-for-the-better. An enlightenment that implies he's grown into a more mature person, and he's ultimately better than many of the things that he's been a part of.

Brilliant autobiography, to be appreciated even by non-fans

This book is co-authored with Neil Strauss, who is a master of the biography genre. I picked it up solely on the strength of Strauss's name and not because I am a Manson fan. This is a masterpiece of an autobiography and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes reading about life in the fastlane and unusual characters. Hearing Manson's story behind the music made me want to explore his music more, but you definitely don't have to be a fan to appreciate this fine piece of literature. One of the highlights of the book is reading about the Antichrist Superstar tour through Manson's tour diary. This was the tour that was constantly in the media for supposed crime and disgrace and violence. During the tour and the media frenzy, I always thought Manson was out to make headlines and shock, but to hear the story in his own words, he didn't have to do a heck of a lot to provoke the American Family Association. They invented enough on their own to make Manson into a scarier caricature of who he already was. Manson is depraved and twisted, and reading some of his narrative definitely has a gruesome allure. There's also a softer side here, that of a confused boy who first heard heavy metal music when it was played backwards over his Christian school's PA system to show the students the depraved Satanic messages it carried. Who wouldn't want to get into heavy metal after that? Manson was also repeatedly wounded by women and lacked healthy relationships. In this book, Manson disputs some of the rumors surrounding him, via a list of fake information posted by "fans" on the internet. I certainly had my eyes opened as some of the Manson myth was dispelled. Highly recommended to any music fan, pop culture fan, or fans of the memoirs of interesting people.

A very long hard road

After Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar record was released and his Dead to the World Tour came to a close. A large amount of people probably looked onto him as a dumb shock rocker and nothing more. This was his reaction to that. A book that a Manson fan or hater could indulge themselves into before they can decide to rag on him or not; to see the world through his eyes. I picked this up after becoming addicted to his music, and I must say this only draws me to him even more. If you plan to get his Antichrist Superstar record or anything prior to that, then this is a great companion. I bought this sometime soon after purchasing Antichrist, and I must say it certainly puts more things into perspective. It definitely helps if you want to understand the meanings behind the songs as well as the man and band themselves. I could not put this book down, I spent all the free time I had reading it (which is not much) and read it in 9 days. I have read it a second time since then, something I rarely ever do with books and yes, I do plan to read it a third time. Heck I lost it and bought it again it was so good. One thing that I found to be interesting is that because it was written during the antichrist Superstar Era, it has 16 chapters or sections, where as the record also had 16 songs. Both are also divided up into 3 parts. There are too many parts here to select as my favorite. And as many other people have said, there are also a handful of parts that may "stick to your ribs". So that's a warning to squeamish people, or maybe that was the point in the first place. The Long Hard Road out of Hell chronicles Manson's Birth, (which is quite funny to see him as a kid in the pictures with KISS style face paint) up until 1997 during his Dead to the world tour. If you ever had any questions about Manson they will most likely be answered in this book. It will also put aside all those silly dirty rumors you have heard about him. It leaves us off in 1997, it covers the albums Portrait of an American Family, Smells Like Children and Antichrist Superstar. It's been roughly 8 years and 5 albums since then and I feel a sequel is in order. I feel Manson did try and continue his work as an Author with the Holy wood Novel, but he felt it would be way too censored and thus never released it. If he were to make another autobiography, there might be too much time needed to fill in. Awe well, enough with my ramblings. If you are still not convinced to buy this masterpiece, then read some more reviews, and then come back to mine and see what you think. I hoped this helped either way.

This man knows his Hell

You wouldn't think a middle aged Southern conservative housewife like me would be caught dead reading something like this. The cover alone should scare me away. And the first word of the first chapter is one I wasn't allowed to say as a child. But with that first word Manson reveals immediately what his entire book portrays - Hell. The story mates his life with Dante's Inferno; even the chapters are structured as the divisions and circles of Dante's hell. This was a stroke of genius and makes for a fascinating read. Manson's life parallels Dante's journey through hell, and, like in the Inferno, it begins with pain and steadily becomes much worse. In the Inferno however, the protagonist with whom we identify is Dante, who is not one of the punished. We must guess at the psychic torment of the damned through Dante's conversations with them. Manson takes us on the same journey but as one of the condemned. He takes us inside his head to see firsthand the progressive blackening and relentless decay of his soul.But that is only one of the many levels on which this book operates. It is also the story of a man's struggle to come to terms with his own nature when that nature is something the world perceives as evil and he suspects they may be right. He has amazing self awareness, and the rare ability to articulate his inner battles in powerful, captivating ways. The book is riveting, for he is laying bare his soul for all to see, and he knows it is ugly.But by the end of the book, after he has sunk to the dark bottom of the pit, there is a glimmer of hope. He gains the sense that there may be some beauty hidden under all the self-loathing and screw ups that are his existence. Like Dante, Manson finally confronts Satan himself, and discovers the exit from hell.But if you are not up to all this psychological and metaphysical stuff, you can just enjoy the book on its surface. Wicked, outrageous, and at times hilarious, it is fast paced and full of action, but not for the prudish or squeamish. Be prepared for something that is probably worse than triple X and is quite disturbing. I have never heard Marilyn Manson's music and I'm not real sure I want to, as "heavy metal" just isn't my thing, but I stumbled upon this book quite by accident and must say it is one of the most entertaining reads I've ever had. I highly recommend it for anyone who has an interest in infernal literature, typically written by the righteous, as this is an equally compelling point of view from the debased sinner. The violence and shock rivals John Bunyan, but from the opposite side!