Published in 2001, The Long Prison Journey of Leslie Van Houten by Karlene Faith, is an examination of Leslie's life with Manson, in prison, through her retrials, and back into prison. Parts of the book were used as source material for the film Charlie Says. The book definitely stands on its own but is also a great companion read after watching the film.
Karlene Faith wrote The Long Prison Journey out of her experiences working with Leslie Van Houten, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel during their early days of incarceration, immediately after their capital sentences were overturned. The women were now facing sentences of life with the possibility of parole (there was no life without parole provision at the time), and the warden of the California Institution for Women asked Faith to put together a tutoring program, with an eye towards helping the women break away from Charlie's influence, and to enable them to reintegrate into the prison population, and eventually society. It should be noted that Faith became friends with the women, particularly Van Houten.
The book is broken down into several parts, most of which deal with the psychology of the Manson Girls, Faith's interactions with them at the prison, Leslie's retrials, and a short section of excerpts from Leslie's letters to Faith. Anyone looking for any fresh details on the crimes or victims will not find it here: any aspects and details of the crimes are briefly touched upon in the various sections.
Faith comes at her subjects from a definite feminist perspective. The girls are presented as victims, in a way, of Manson's physical, sexual, and emotional/mental abuse. This abuse is covered in depth. Faith was interested in re-educating and raising the consciousness of Leslie, Pat, and Susan, in order that they could begin to think for themselves and process what they had done. Faith lays out in detail her conclusions regarding what she feels was her success in doing so.
The real value of the book is in the details it gives regarding the women during their incarceration. Most of the TLB related literature focuses on the crimes and the time leading up to it, as well as what life was like in the Family. Not many have decent coverage of what their lives were like in prison. Of interest as well is the analysis of where the women were at mentally and emotionally, before, during, and after Manson.
Is The Long Prison Journey of Leslie Van Houten worth reading? Mostly yes, but with a few caveats. If you do not have a decent amount of knowledge about TLB, the book will not be of much interest. It doesn't cover the crimes and trials in much depth. If you feel that the women cannot and will never change, the book is not likely to change your mind. For anyone looking for a glimpse into the women's lives and minds during incarceration, anyone interested in more information of Leslie and her subsequent trial, or anyone interested in the subject of reform or rehabilitation, it is definitely worth picking up.
Karlene Faith passed away in 2017. You can read her obituary here.
Karlene Faith
Jay thanks for the article. I believe your succinct review accurately describes the book.
ReplyDeleteFor myself this book, along with the one written by Nikki Meredith, ranks near the bottom.
For others, who are not mainly interested in facts but feelings, this book may be very suitable.
The movie also used “The Family”, by Ed Sanders, as a source.
I've had some good ding-dongs over the years with St Circumstance about this book. He hates it and thinks it's crap. I feel it's a good book that one needs to be at home with nuance in order to fully appreciate.
ReplyDeleteAny swill that tries to portray the Manson Family members as "victims" of Charlie should be immediately discarded. They all were responsible for their own actions and should all die in prison...
ReplyDeleteWhat else ya got?
There's a difference between easy life Charlie and the 'gang,' the semi-permanent young tourists at the Spa Spahn.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, brother Charlie did, for most of his life have it easy: from the time he arrived in the now corrupt state of California, till he spent at least several years after the trials for the murders at Ciello and Waverly, he had it made. Even prison before March of '67 was not a bad ordeal, it was hardly as in many nations, lousy as hell.
Yet, geniuses, the difference in at least one aspect was that brother Charlie (praise the Lord and pass the free cooked food and 'lay back' girls') whenever bum Charlie wanted was: he knew he was crazy. How 'bout that?
And, as you're happy to read and enjoy what I'm saying, get this as you look at pics and videos of guru Charlie in prison as he decided to embellish and enjoy his type of 'craziness' with humor and some, you know, musings and some enjoyable philosphy and 60's style bull and 'run around' words. Nothing new for me, I saw numerous of these guys in those days and even into the 70s. They had no more straight on valuable direction for you to live life, than weirdo Timothy Leary did.That is, what did he think was life going to be like when the un-educated, un-read kids there he, Charlie, preached in front of were 40 or 50 years old? Free pot and acid taking? Sex whenever and food and a roof from...and how..? I thought about these things when a room I sat in here and there, in Denver and Boulder, Colo way, late 60s, when I heard talk by guys I thought, this way-'just how do you know and didn't you come from this same society, you really don't have answers...' But, in fairness, some meant well, but I said to some, 'where are we gonna be in 10 ot 20 years, anyhoo?'
What do we do for a living? How about kids and your so-called 'free living.'
I'm gonna trust a bunch of grubby pot smoking people talking in circles?
The prison journey of dear Susan Atkins and Leslie and Patricia was pretty much the same. So? Now, consider how most of you have spouted hate and all-knowing judgments about the criminals I just mentioned.
And the persons, aside from Patricia, that actually committed and started the horror of iniating the murders, by their own hands, Beausoleil, Grogan and Tex, you rarely condemned! And actually, some of you were unhappy, angry when some of us attacked the character of the cold blooded murderers cave man Grogan and Beausoleil.
Then, we had the hypocricy of some of you attacking St Circumstance as he gave reasons why nice eyes Leslie should not be released! Why, after, as I said above, you wrote hate against Susan and Leslie, regularly
And one more thing...(thanks Columbo, for that) notice how the family background had negative effects on the heads of most of the Spahn Club members. Some bad parenting, some problems the parent or parents had a hard time with (Susan's father and medical bills, no mother in the home, now) Susan's very lousy relatives. We know about Diane Lake and Ruth Moorehouse and there were 1000s like them across the nation, ungood family life and on and on
Though there are some situations where understanding and second chances/breaks are worth doing, I say that cold blooded murder, most of the time, should be met with capital punishment/the death penalty. You take away someone's life, we take yours, not free everything in prison for you. Then, Susan and Leslie would meet the consideration of so many years in prison, but Grogan and Tex and Charlie should have met the original sentences. Start with ugly Grogan, hang 'em high or, at least, a seat on old sparky (electric chair) or gas or poison.
Interesting...quite interesting...hmmm
Thanks for this review Jay! A lot of people on this blog have disagreed with me, but this book (along with VB's Helter Skelter) are my favorites mainly because of the rigorous tenacity of the authors. For me, so many TLB books (including Sanders') are full of conspiracy theories and loop de loop. I think Manson was just a lazy, young punk and neither smart nor sophisticated enough to pull off all the stuff many books claim. But the books and their reviews are always interesting to read!
ReplyDeleteYou review was relevant and timely, and it makes me want to read the book again. Thanks!
I will read this book thanks to the review. I thought the film 'Charlie Says' was near the mark. It made me flinch at times. I also rate Dianne Lake's autobiography. I agree with Monica about Helter Skelter. I picked up the book at a boyfriend's house about 25 years ago and casually started reading...
ReplyDeleteChet Miller said:
ReplyDeleteAny swill that tries to portray the Manson Family members as "victims" of Charlie should be immediately discarded
Unless of course, you happen to have grasped the reality of nuance and the concept of paradox. Because then, you could get around issues without having to be black-and-white about them. You could actually understand what someone actually meant and maybe even agree with aspects of their perspective, without having to give up your cherished position.
They all were responsible for their own actions
No one denies that at all, least of all Karlene Faith in her book.
and should all die in prison...
Well, unless Elderly Leslie goes on a Granny rampage of shoplifting and slapping up 👋 🙀 neighbourhood cats, that one's already out of the bag.
grimtraveller said...
ReplyDeleteUnless of course, you happen to have grasped the reality of nuance and the concept of paradox. Because then, you could get around issues without having to be black-and-white about them. You could actually understand what someone actually meant and maybe even agree with aspects of their perspective, without having to give up your cherished position.
This should be inscribed at the top of every social media discussion page on the world wide web.
Well said, Grim.
This asinine author just doesn't get it. The victims in this brutal murder suffered every imaginable horror before dying, yet......Leslie is the real victim. Yawn........
ReplyDeleteDespite some protestations expressed by some of the braindead here that are sympathetic to LVH, she should have remained in prison and died there, just like Krenwinkel and Watson hopefully will. None of them are victims, and to those that think they are, I hope one day you stand in front of the grave of your murdered love one, with nothing but love, forgiveness and understanding in your heart for the person(s) who put them there.
ReplyDeleteAustinAnn74 said:
ReplyDeleteThis asinine author just doesn't get it. The victims in this brutal murder suffered every imaginable horror before dying, yet......Leslie is the real victim. Yawn.......
Just one question, Anne.
Have you read the book ? If yes, then I'd have to say that you have not read it properly and that you have to have ignored a whole lot of what is in there to conclude that Karlene Faith generalizes Leslie as a victim.
If no, then you simply have no freedom to express an opinion. It would be like me expressing an opinion about your street, having never been there or even seen it.
Chet Miller said:
Despite some protestations expressed by some of the braindead here that are sympathetic to LVH
Can you be more specific who you're referring to ? Try as I might, I can't find any protestations here.
she should have remained in prison and died there
By what authority do you conclude that she should have stayed in prison and died there ? There's a reason that countries and states or local authorities have laws.
Now, if you were saying that if left to you, she'd have remained in jail, then that's a different matter and you'd no doubt have loads of supporters.
None of them are victims
Well, that depends on a number of things. Firstly, it depends on whether or not you genuinely believe that because a person commits murder or any other heinous crime, that automatically wipes away any scenario, past, present or future in which the perp may have been, is, or will be, a victim.
Secondly, for me, one could easily have been a victim in a number of different ways but that in no way justifies murder, neither does having been, being or going on to be a victim in whatever way equate with being the victim of a murder. Unless it is murder, of course.
Charles Watson was fairly recently the victim of a stabbing {ironic, eh ?}. The fact that he's a mass murderer doesn't change that. But his being a victim of that stabbing isn't on the same level as that of his victims.
Hence the importance of nuance and paradox. There are many different types of victims.
I hope one day you stand in front of the grave of your murdered love one, with nothing but love, forgiveness and understanding in your heart for the person(s) who put them there
You got some quaint hopes there, Chet ! 😏
Interestingly enough, Rosemary LaBianca's daughter did exactly that and the consensus of every person I have come across that has spoken about her is that she was crazy.
Fayez Abedaziz said:
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, brother Charlie did, for most of his life have it easy
If not knowing your Dad, being rejected within a couple of years by the guy that's married your Mum and given you his name, and then after he's left, having your Mum spend a number of years in jail while you're left with your relatives, one of whom dresses you up in a girl's dress because you came home crying from school when you're 5, then knocking around with your Mum while she knocks around with a succession of fellas who can't stand you being around, get given away to the authorities by your Mum, get bullied and raped and abused in the very institutions and sometimes by, or with the approval of the very practitioners that are supposed to help you ¬> if all that is the easy life.....well, let's just say it's a good thing he didn't experience the hard life !
from the time he arrived in the now corrupt state of California, till he spent at least several years after the trials for the murders at Ciello and Waverly, he had it made
That is true when you look at it from the point of view of someone whose view of the world {and the experiences to back up the view} is reasonable, not when you have 32 years of being part of a "hunt or be hunted" world.
Charlie Manson will never have any justification for what he went on to do. But it is naive in the extreme to suppose that he "was just born bad," that he entered the world fully formed.
Nuance, Fayez, nuance. To not look at the life of Charles Manson and honestly grapple with what he experienced, especially in that time, is a cop-out. Doesn't mean you have to like, agree with or admire him.
Even prison before March of '67 was not a bad ordeal, it was hardly as in many nations, lousy as hell
I think you watched way too many Disney films where Snow White gets love from the 7 dwarfs, where Dumbo wows everyone by flying and where Pinocchio becomes a real living boy. There is enough literature on prison conditions in the USA in the years up to 1967 for you to construct a house with it all and live in it !
Ask Albert DeSalvo or Richard Loeb if prison prior to 1967 wasn't a bad ordeal.
And the persons, aside from Patricia, that actually committed and started the horror of iniating the murders, by their own hands, Beausoleil, Grogan and Tex, you rarely condemned!
Have you actually read the number of things that have been said on this site about those three, in just the last 8 years ? They've rarely received any free passes here.
And actually, some of you were unhappy, angry when some of us attacked the character of the cold blooded murderers cave man Grogan and Beausoleil
Like who ? Who has been unhappy about anything you've said about Clem or Bobby ? Any flak you've received would be regarding the fact that much of the time, your writings are, let me be a gent and say, "hard to decipher" or your supposed dalliances with Susan Atkins, which many here {myself included} simply don't believe. But you have your fans here too, as does Mario III
Then, we had the hypocricy of some of you attacking St Circumstance as he gave reasons why nice eyes Leslie should not be released!
St wasn't attacked for giving his reasons. That's the point of a comments section, to make comments. Go back and read the thread, if you will. I will leave it at that.
Fayez Abedaziz said:
ReplyDeleteyou wrote hate against Susan and Leslie, regularly
They were part of a troupe that committed horrendous murders. They lied about it. They played games with that, overriding how they knew the victims' families felt. Susan changed her stories more regularly than we change our underpants. Leslie took a while before she actually took responsibility for what she did.
Don't dismiss the reality that many, many people were and still are angry with them for that. Are you suggesting that people just forget about it and say, "Oh well, what game shall we play today ?" You say people wrote hate. I agree. But arguably, at times, they got off lightly. When people's sensibilities are rocked by events, it's a poor show to just dismiss their feelings because you had the hots for one of the perps.
notice how the family background had negative effects on the heads of most of the Spahn Club members. Some bad parenting, some problems the parent or parents had a hard time with
Yeah. I have long felt that the backgrounds of all of the murderers contributed to where they ended up. But they didn't contribute to murder. And saying that they contributed is not a way of saying that they were causal factors or that it was the parents' faults.
Grogan and Tex and Charlie should have met the original sentences
But what does that even mean ? Grogan's sentence was countermanded by the Judge. But irrespective, that the death sentences were rescinded had nothing to do with them or their case.
In response to grimtraveller re: Rosemary LaBianca's daughter, I for one do not think she is/was ever crazy. What I think is she was always very high -strung and possibly susceptible to going along with the crowd--really joining into a particular belief system rather than approaching different ideas carefully and with discretion. She was the type of girl who screamed wildly at the Beatles concert while my sister was more reserved, as I was told. Just one of many examples I recall from over the years.
ReplyDeleteAfter the shock of the murders, I imagine Sue struggled for a long time in her personal life and then found Christianity--her version that is also aligned with the concept of forgiveness to one's enemies. That's probably all there is to the story.
As far as the book about LVH (and the others, I presume?), I don't plan to read it so no comment on the quality of the writing or anything like that. However, I did read a couple of reviews and was quite relieved to note that the book apparently doesn't go into too much detail or focus on the actual murders. This is what hurt me the most over the years, to this day. If there was a way to stop it legally I would. It is sickening to think that millions of people all around the world know or read in detail what happened to my father and stepmother over and over again.
ReplyDeleteNote to above: I am talking about the hundreds of books and movies made for profit that go into the same old gory details for effect and to sell their product. I don't believe the average person gets into the nuances but only the sensationalized aspects of the story. That is offensive to me personally. By contrast, groups such as this one are a place for informed, knowledgeable criminal justice discussions etc. That is not offensive. I get it that we are all still grappling with this topic, horrible as it is/was, to this day. Of course, main topic nowadays seems to focus on the parole releases. That's why I have been hanging around lately. I don't expect everyone will agree with me honestly I have not yet even told people what I really think because I am still deciding for myself. It seems wrong but I could be wrong. I even laughed a little when someone here referred to Elderly Leslie shoplifting like some kind of homeless person (I added that second part, we all assume she has housing and always will). I don't care what she does in the outside she doesn't seem to be hurting me personally and I am unfortunately a very self-centered person. I only worry about myself. I leave it to all of you to figure out what the long-term pros and cons may be for society etc. And I thank you all for that. It gives me some measure of comfort to realize there are people who still care deeply about Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. I think they would have appreciated that too.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Sorry for the run on sentences! I know better but I was doing a whole stream-of-consciousness writing style, as in Faulkner books🙂
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments, Louise. Your perspective is like none other and appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThat's for sure, definitely like no other lol! I often wonder what my dad would think about how I turned out. He was just so special to all of us in the LaBianca family. Nobody can forget him. Thank you for your kind words 🙂
DeleteMany times I've been alone and many times I've cried,
ReplyDeleteanyway you'll never know the many ways I've...
those are the words from the song The Long And Winding Road by Paul (pass the vegetarian menu here please) McCartney
what do you think of that?
Brother easy living grim:
it's true that Charlie was really dealt unfair and hurtful things, situations, as he was growing up, as an innocent child. And, I'm sure there were many times that he was alone and cried about the cruelty and unfairness of it all. That's one of the reasons why I mentioned terrible conditions in many a nations prison systems.
Now, at the same time, I never heard Charlie say any words of regret for what happened to the murder victims.
I mean, no guilt at all?
I keep thinking, has anyone ever asked Charlie what and why of the night of the Cielo events? A direct question, such as: what did you tell Pat, Tex, Susan and Linda to do on that evening? All four of the criminals said you told them to get ready with changes of clothes...go with Tex...get in the car...
"I don't know," as the saying goes, but I don't know how and why some people don't have a guilty conscience when somethings they initiated or did cause misery to others.
The closest I noticed of Charlie having any regrets was with the interview with
Diane Sawyer, for a 1993 television show.
Some of us who have seen so much, can look back at some of what we did and when 'alone we cried' at some mistakes and people we hurt in different ways, I have and do, at times.
You know, sometimes when I think of what happened to Steve Parent's family and their reaction to his murder, how they held on to each other the first couple days after the murder and cried themselves to sleep, that is more than enough to say, right there, inpose the death penalty on the killers of Cielo and Waverly
probably not on Susan and Linda, at the time of the trials
Louise said:
ReplyDeleteI for one do not think she is/was ever crazy...I imagine Sue struggled for a long time in her personal life and then found Christianity--her version that is also aligned with the concept of forgiveness to one's enemies. That's probably all there is to the story
I've had quite a few heated discussions with people on the various blogs about this. You'd be surprised just how many people have mooted the notion that because she later forgave Charles Watson for murdering her Mum, she was complicit in the murders. All kinds of daft theories came about regarding Sue. As a Christian myself, it's very real to me. Forgiveness is at the heart of being a Christian, and particularly, as you point out, forgiving one's enemies. Not easy....but possible. I've always argued that she did the right thing in forgiving Watson, but the wrong thing in coming out to bat for him in a parole hearing back in 1990. Her heart was in the right place, but her maturity as a Christian wasn't, at that time.
After the shock of the murders, I imagine Sue struggled for a long time in her personal life
Vince Bugliosi said she had a nervous breakdown.
Sorry for the run on sentences! I know better but I was doing a whole stream-of-consciousness writing style
Stream-of-consciousness writing often nets some pretty profound insights.
I am talking about the hundreds of books and movies made for profit that go into the same old gory details for effect and to sell their product
I actually threw away a book back in '95 when I saw pictures of the gore in it. I was actually shocked. I guess I'm less minky about it now, because looking at the pictures has been a useful exercise in ascertaining certain matters. But prior to seeing the pictures, in fact, prior to 2015, I never had any curiosity about them. Looking at those kinds of things isn't really my cup of tea. I certainly wouldn't want corpse pictures of my Mum or brother or wife or kids etc plastered all over the internet. Or books.
I have not yet even told people what I really think because I am still deciding for myself
That's one of the most interesting things I've read this year.
Fayez Abedaziz said...
ReplyDeleteI never heard Charlie say any words of regret for what happened to the murder victims. I mean, no guilt at all?
I keep thinking, has anyone ever asked Charlie what and why of the night of the Cielo events? A direct question, such as: what did you tell Pat, Tex, Susan and Linda to do on that evening? All four of the criminals said you told them to get ready with changes of clothes...go with Tex...get in the car...
He's been asked that since 1970. He denies giving any direct orders to kill anyone. He has said a number of slight variations about the extent to which he knew what was going to happen, things like "I didn't know what was going to happen, but I didn't not know."
His thing was always, how can he feel remorse or guilt ? He didn't have anything to do with anything that happened. But in Michal Welles' "Manson and Me: The Human Side of Charles Manson," he apparently admits to having recurring nightmares about Sharon Tate and trying to reason with her ghost. Maybe he did. Or maybe he was putting the author on, just to see whether or not she would print whatever he told her.
What Susan, what brother Charlie were you hoping for?
ReplyDeleteWe were young once like you too
and
later Susan said she had nowhere to go, no family, her relatives didn't want her
so what about when
Diana Ross sang
'when you look behind you there's no open door
once we we were standing still in time
chasing the fantasies that filled our minds'
just like some of the 'boomer' kids at Spahn town
that generation,my generation. a couple million of us bums
let's ask where you thought you were going to
'did you like what life is showing you?'
well
'now in looking back at all we planned
we let so much just slip through our hands
why must we wait so long, Susan, Leslie and Catherine
before we see how sad the answers to some questions can be?'
but
what were you really hoping for
do you even know?
I think some of us loved someone
but you know we thought we wanted to be free
did you even know what that means
do you know
a general praphrase of this song 'Do You Know' Diana(big beautiful eyes) Ross
all those years for so many young people growing up in the 60s- just my luck, I say to myself sarcastically, sometimes, I was also
But this song has some of the best, most heartfelt lyrics/words to help define our feelings and hopes of being young in the mid-late 60s
Perhaps, Grim, you might consider something of interest here, as you are one of the
Christains in this world
This song has had the effect on me several times, that had me break down crying.
On one of my visits to Jerusalem, this one in 2007, I walking inside the old walled city when I was somewhat at a loss as to how to get back to the main gate and to the buses to go back to where my family originated in a town not far from Jerusalem.
As I walked, there were two fellas standing in a doorway, fellow Palestinians. I asked them for ditrections. They were pleasant and asked my from what town I was from and was I a Christain. I said no, I was of the Moslem heritage.
They looked at me with some of the saddest eyes I have ever seen.
Back in my family home town, I walked around some hills and thoughts came into my mind about what I had done back in the states. This song played in my head. I thought of some things I had done and some people and the thoughts were the same, then this song played in my head and I cried. That's because I asked myself the same questions: about what I had and was doing- 'what about morality, what about religion?'
Then
it happened again as I fell in a meadow in the Colo mountains wheb a 'hippie' girl left me
yeah, I know this is personal stuff but none of us liveed/live in a vacuum, on 'an island.'
For untold thousands, so many that were there and got caught up in situations and influences of the so-called whatever labels that were put on the 60s,I guess we may apply these words to some of the 'kids' from Spahn: now in looking back...why couldn't we see. How sad the answers can be. Now, what do you see
I forgot to mention that the two fellas I had asked directions from were standing ina doorway, where the sign over the door read: The Third Station of The Cross.
ReplyDeleteThey were helping maintain it and to help with guiding pilgrims that walked through and past the stations Jesus walked
thank you
Thanks for the comments everyone. The book is definitely not for everyone- my main interest was in whether or not the author presents a sound case for their opinion, and if it adds anything to the study of the case. Just reviewing the book and saying that it was an interesting read does not necessarily equate to wholeheartedly endorsing the author's opinions. If you are doing a deep dive into the psychology of the women, specifically the three covered by the book, by all means, read it. Any one with a casual interest in the events, or that does not want to see a different opinion on the woman (other than the mainstream ones), you can avoid reading it and not lessen your understanding of things.
ReplyDeleteThe reasons for my being here is to look at the women (the psychology behind them- why did young women, albeit troubled, kill for someone?), the conspiracies (just looking at them and hashing them over doesn't mean endorsement), and the pop culture (for lack of a better phrase) aspects of the whole episode. This book definitely worked for me.
Louise said:
ReplyDeleteIt seems wrong but I could be wrong
Can I ask you, do you generally believe in rehabilitation ?
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