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    Life After Death
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    Life After Death
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    Life After Death
    Audiobook10 hours

    Life After Death

    Published by Penguin Random House Audio

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In 1993, teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr.-who have come to be known as the West Memphis Three-were arrested for the murders of three eight-year-old boys in Arkansas. The ensuing trial was marked by tampered evidence, false testimony, and public hysteria. Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life in prison; while eighteen-year-old Echols, deemed the "ringleader," was sentenced to death. Over the next two decades, the WM3 became known worldwide as a symbol of wrongful conviction and imprisonment, with thousands of supporters and many notable celebrities who called for a new trial. In a shocking turn of events, all three men were released in August 2011.
    Now Echols shares his story in full-from abuse by prison guards and wardens, to portraits of fellow inmates and deplorable living conditions, to the incredible reserves of patience, spirituality, and perseverance that kept him alive and sane while incarcerated for nearly two decades.

    In these pages, Echols reveals himself a brilliant writer, infusing his narrative with tragedy and irony in equal measure: he describes the terrors he experienced every day and his outrage toward the American justice system, and offers a firsthand account of living on Death Row in heartbreaking, agonizing detail. Life After Death is destined to be a riveting, explosive classic of prison literature.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781101579602
    Unavailable
    Life After Death

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    Reviews for Life After Death

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    • 5/5
      Excellent memoir by the alleged ring leader of the group that came to be known as the West Memphis 3. Damien Echols and two friends, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr., were arrested in 1993 and charged with the gruesome murders of three young boys. Despite having no solid evidence other than hearsay and gossip from townsfolk, and an obviously forced "confession" from Misskelley at the hands of stereotypical abusive cops, the 3 were ultimately convicted of the crime.

      I was not aware of this case until I watched the first "Paradise Lost" documentary detailing the crime and the subsequent trial. It very quickly became apparent while watching this film that these boys suffered a huge miscarriage of justice from an unfair trial involving evidence tampering and corruption. While Jason and Jessie were sentenced to life in prison, Damien received the death penalty, for seemingly no other reason than people didn't understand or trust him because he didn't "fit the mold" of how everyone was supposed to look and act in that town. Because of his long hair and the way he dressed, people automatically jumped to conclusions and determined that he was automatically guilty. Grief-stricken family members of the young victims eagerly accepted the police's version of events in an understandable attempt to be able to have an outlet for their anger, frustration, and despair. The most unfortunate outcome of all, it seems, is that, after spending so many years defending their prosecution of this case against the boys, the real killer is still at large, and the parents aren't any closer to receiving closure in their children's deaths than they were in 1993.

      I highly recommend this book, but suggest it be read after watching the 3 installments of the Paradise Lost documentary produced by HBO. (a new film, entitled "West of Memphis" is due to come out December 25th of this year, as well). Through this work, Damien is proven to be incredibly intelligent, articulate, and insightful. The stories he conveys are sometimes disturbing, yet often quite humorous. I was astounded with his impressive gift for observing life and being able to put it in perspective in such a thoughtful, and almost poetic, way. I enjoyed reading this so much that I hope he has plans to do more writing in the future!
    • 4/5
      A raw, brutally honest, relentlessly compelling memoir.
    • 4/5
      Damien Echols is one of the West Memphis Three, three teenagers who were tried and convicted of the murders of three eight year old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993. Prosecutors alleged that the killings were part of satanic rituals and that Damien was the leader of the group. Damien was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. was sentenced to life plus two 20-year terms, and Jason Baldwin was sentenced to life imprisonment. The three spent nearly 20 years in prison before new dna evidence emerged neither matching the victims or the defendants and the West Memphis Three were offered a plea deal allowing them to be released. I cannot say wether or not I believe Damien's claims to innocence but the book was very interesting and kept my attention throughout. I do recommend it as a good read.
    • 2/5
      Given how horrific the ordeal Damien Echols went through was (years spent on Death Row for a crime he didn't commit), it feels a bit churlish to give his memoir a low rating--but this book was a disappointment to me.

      The title "Life After Death" made me expect a focus on the process through which he and the other members of the "West Memphis Three" were finally freed from prison and perhaps some thoughts about what it's been like to readjust to life outside. Instead, more than half the book is given over to rambling recollections of his childhood which don't have much of a connection to the case and in which Echols comes across as arrogant and decidedly lacking in sympathy for other people. While this might be forgivable if Echols were a better writer, much of the prose in these sections is clunky and tedious to get through.

      Echols does do a superb job of evoking the horrors of Death Row later in the book and there *are* some worthwhile passages there, but it takes a very, very long time to get to them.

      I do have a lot of admiration for Echols' strength in surviving his hellish experiences and am impressed that he has done so without being overcome by anger and hatred. I just wish the book had explored his case and departure from Death Row in greater detail and that the passages dealing with his childhood had been edited down a bit!
    • 5/5
      An awesome, intelligent account of an amazing injustice. The detail with which the author recounts his life is mesmerizing. It is obvious that he possesses extraordinary perception. And more than that, his language does not fall short at any moment of the ability to express that perception.
    • 5/5
      Holy shit. I haven't had a book depress me, disgust me, inspire me, and compel me this much in a long time. It's a book filled with injustice and I applaud Damien Echols for making it through this insane and maddening ordeal.I had followed the West Memphis Three case extensively when I was in high school. For those of you who aren't familiar with the case, in 1993 three teenage boys in Arkansas were wrongly convicted of satanically murdering three little boys. It was a very modern day Salem witch trial and Jason and Jessie were given life imprisonment and Damien was given the death sentence simply for being the town "outcasts." I watched the 3 HBO "Paradise Lost" documentaries and read "The Devil's Knot," but nothing touched me more than Echols memoir of the incident and his experiences in prison. After Damien was found guilty he spent EIGHTEEN years on death row and his life was utter hell. In this book he describes the fellow prisoners, daily rituals, and how hard it is to keep sane when you're in solitary confinement. It is a true triumph of the human spirit.This memoir is written quite eloquently and goes back and forth between memories of his childhood, coping with the WM3 case, his life in prison, and his life as a free man (he was released mid 2011). The prose sticks with you and you find yourself going on an emotional rollercoaster ride with Damien as he recounts some of the worst points of his life.This is seriously a must read. Despite all the odds, Damien came through a horrific ordeal that kept him imprisoned for half of his life. Injustice like this cannot be forgotten. Read his story and be inspired (also be sure to check out the Sundance documentary "West of Memphis" produced by Peter Jackson, it's coming out on DVD soon). Corruption exists everywhere, what are you doing to stop it?
    • 4/5
      These poor boys were so victimized by society and from the justice system it makes me wonder how many times this happens and the truth never comes out. Really sad how much of Damien's life was wasted. He doesn't seem to hold grudges though. This book was full of an "I'm okay" attitude. He knew all those years that he was paying for a crime he didn't commit but, as he outlines in his book, he just kept on living one day at a time. I applaud him with a standing ovation.
    • 3/5
      I have become very familiar with this case and written two essays on the topic. It's still pretty hard to believe that even in 1993 that this could happen, and that three innocent people were set free - one being on death row. I liked reading about his experiances while in prison and am still amazed that many of the victims' family members no longer believed in their guilt.
    • 4/5
      A fascinating look at Damien Echols's arduous journey through life, from his hardscrabble upbringing in the poverty-stricken South with an absent father and an abusive stepfather, to his wrongful conviction for capital murder and his subsequent years on Death Row. Echols's writing is a bit uneven -- at times, quite poetic -- but considering the book is pieced together partly from journal entries scribbled in prison over the years, some of which are incomplete due to the destruction of the guards, overall the project is well done. Echols does a good job expressing the gross injustices of the prison industrial complex and his anger at the personal abuse he suffered while maintaining some kind of perspective. He worked very hard over the years to save a sense of himself and to avoid being eaten alive by bitterness and hate, and this shines through in Life After Death.
    • 4/5
      The fact that this man could survive such trauma was mind-blowing - I admire him tremendously.
      Regarding this book -it is well written, captivating, and erudite. I tried to watch the documentaries but found I would rather hear his experiences from him personally -don’t know if I could manage my rage at what happened to him if I watched the docs. Worth reading !!
    • 5/5
      Inspiring, Heartbreaking, Eye-opening. A bing wordy audio. Check out his High Magick book that is out too (If your into that kind of stuff!)
    • 2/5
      I must state that this is a review of the book only, not Damien Echols or his case. I didn't like the book. I believe that the three convicted in Echols' case should not have been convicted. I never really thought of Damien in a bad light. Maybe I am just naïve. I have watched all the movies and read many books on The Robin Hood Hill murders. I know that he acted strangely during some of the filming but I chalked that up to his young age and lack of education. After reading this book I can see that he is still uneducated. I feel terrible that he has lived his life in prison. I don't find that an excuse to blame everyone in any way he can for his jail time. I am a Christian and I don't like the fact that he states over and over how much Christians helped convict him. I wasn't the judge or jury, so I resent that. Because of the fact that Damien claims being blamed because of his looks and religious practices, you would assume he would be very careful not to treat others the way he has been treated. I am sure he was judged unfairly, aren't we all. Since I am overweight and Christian I am obviously one of those people who Damien hates. That hurts, as I am someone who has defended him over and over. I absolutely feel that Damien was wronged, but not by me, and no matter what it cannot be taken away. I agree that he has the right to be angry but believe he is blaming the wrong people, and in turn just doing what was done to him. I can't recommend this book to those who have researched this case. I came away from reading it with a terrible view of Damien. I wish I wouldn't have read this book. It was not well written. His cloying use of misspelling on purpose and prejudices against all sorts of people makes me cringe. The fact that he calls several people retarded throughout the book makes my stomach hurt. I think this book could have used some major editing and believe his wife should have helped him see that some of the things he wrote shouldn't be put into print for everyone to read. I still support the WM3 but Damien I hope and pray will get an education on how to have manners and how to treat people. I pray that he will find comfort and peace
    • 4/5
      recommended by: JoyI’d like to see the 2 documentaries and given how overbooked I am, perhaps I should have just seen them and not read this book, but I’m glad I read it. I plan to see the films too, and take a look at the several websites listed in the book. I knew life was unfair by the time I was 7, and never screamed out the commonly used line by children that (something) isn’t fair, but some things are utterly ridiculous. What happened to the author is one of those things.This account was more horrifying that most fictional horror tales. The more prison memoirs I read, the more I’m appalled. I’ve been against the death penalty since I was a kid, and the more I know, the more I’m convinced that even incarceration should be just for those truly dangerous to society (many penitentiary workers would qualify!) and then they’d better make sure those imprisoned really are guilty of the crimes of which they’re convicted. I’m wondering if the real killer(s) have been brought to justice, or if they’re known. One man was briefly mentioned in this account but I don’t know if there has been any follow up with that. Our “justice” system needs an overhaul, at least in many places. Our punishment system is abysmal and there really is no excuse. I appreciate that this book is an autobiography and covers his early life and not just the period starting with his arrest and incarceration.I don't relate to the spiritual practices so important to the author and I'm uncomfortable with some of his judgmental attitudes, and derogatory things he writes about some people, some who I can see deserve it but many who I don’t think do, but his perspective is very interesting, though I don’t think he’s always rigorously honest with himself, including re his “suicide attempt” though I’m glad he survived.It was an eye opener to read about all described here.While this book is thought provoking and infuriating, I mostly hope it's a catalyst for change in the "justice" system.I think this book should be required reading for all who work in the prison system and the court system, all law enforcement officers, all college students who plan to work (even tangentially) in the field, and this would also be a great “scared straight” kind of book for high risk youth and young adults.Maximum security prison areas in American prisons would be considered by us to be cruel and unusual (and inhumane) punishment if we were to evaluate them in any other country. It’s bad enough that people guilty of their crimes are there. The fact that there are innocent people there, including some on death rows, including some of those executed, should have every reader wanting to lobby for change.And shame on so many people who are written about in this book.I wish nothing but the best for Echols and others in similar situations.
    • 5/5
      I don't give five star ratings often, but this book more than deserved one.Damien Echols was convicted at the age of eighteen, along with two of his friends, for murdering and mutilating three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis in a "satanic sacrifice." With virtually no evidence to link them to the crime, Damien Echols was sentenced to death, and his two friends were sentenced to life. Echols spent over eighteen years in prison, over half of his life at the time, until being allowed to take an Alford plea (in which one acknowledges that enough evidence exists to convict him but still maintains his/her innocence) and released from death row. Echols' memoir isn't exactly linear; he drifts from the present to the past quite frequently. I didn't find his memoir difficult to follow, but some might. He melds together various sources to craft his memoir - journal entries, letters, updates to a site established to protest his innocence, etc. He provides a window into his life - both pre- and post-conviction - and, throughout it all, manages to portray hope, even though he is obviously (and understandably) bitter about how he was railroaded and treated. He doesn't discuss the crime much, and although he paints a bleak portrait of his time in prison (how could he not?), he shows that he didn't let it defeat him. He expanded his knowledge, he read, and he came to know his fellow death row inmates and people on the outside. The system failed him, but it didn't beat him (figuratively; he was beaten more than once by guards).I found his memoir to be both depressing and inspiring to read (often at the same time), and I hope that Echols, and his co-defendants, are someday exonerated for the crime - and that the real perpetrator(s) be brought to justice.
    • 5/5
      I don't even have words. It's sickening and unbelievable that within my lifetime people were sentenced to death for participating in Satanic rituals - and more sickening that is unbelievable, that something that destroyed peoples' lives has just disappeared out of the public consciousness. Damien Echols spent eighteen years on Death Row because the local cops were obsessed with the idea of Satanists; he not only survived but became the living embodiment of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." His strength and compassion and intelligence absolutely pour out of the pages of this book. This isn't a book about the West Memphis Three; it's just about Damien Echols and his unbelievably shitty life and the amazing things he's done with it in spite of everything. I can't recommend it strongly enough.
    • 4/5
      Damien Echols writes an extremely compelling story that kept me flying through the pages. Although he does not reveal anything that has not been rehashed for public consumption a million times before, his writing voice is extremely appealing. Reading the book is like having him sit next to you and tell his personal story. There in lies the problem. It is the story from his perspective and you can't help but feel that he may be white washing the more controversial parts of his life. He would have you believe that his only crime was being born the poor son of some really trashy parents but his own behavior and actions during the trial did not do himself any favors. He does not take personal responsibility for any of his actions that may have caused the police to focus in on him. He also seems to offer little to no sympathy to the families of three murdered boys. The crime for which he was convicted is not mentioned at all. I have not been spent 18 years on death row for a crime I did not commit so I am far from judging him. It just would have been nice to have a little more balanced perspective. In any case the murdered boys are the bottom line. Three innocent eight year old boys had their lives snuffed out and there is no justice for them. While the West Memphis 3 may not be guilty someone is. To Damien's credit he does not lay the blame anywhere else but if you've seen the Paradise Lost documentaries then you know the prevailing theory of who may be the true murderer. One of the most compelling part of the book for me was Damien's ruminations about life on death row. As an opponent of the death penalty this section only reinforced my feelings. Innocent people are executed and the death penalty is not applied fairly with a larger number of African Americans receiving the death sentence than Caucasians. As he points out in his book the death penalty is applied depending on how much news your case garners. Slow news day, your dead. If you are trying to put forth the idea that it is not okay to kill people and make the punishment death what is that saying? Damien offers a solid case for treating prisoners like humans in prison. Even Henry the VIII in Tudor England would not execute mentally ill people but we do it here all the time. The system is broken. Fortunately for Damien Echols he met Lori Davis the true hero of the story. She was able to garner the attention the case needed in order to get the WM freed. I just hope that the day comes when the true killer finally meets a court room so he can answer for all of the lives he has destroyed.
    • 5/5
      I was only a child when Damien, Jessie, and Jason were being tried for the murders of Stevie, Michael, and Christopher so I wasn't aware of it as it happened. I only became aware of it a few years ago. It is absolutely horrible what Damien, Jessie, and Jason were put through.It is clear from this book that Damien Echols was born to write. This book which describes the horrors he went through was written masterfully and beautifully. No one can fully know what he went through but Damien does give you quite a look into his life. This is definitely a book that I would recommend to others. If you want to know more about Damien and his story then this is a great book for you to read.
    • 3/5
      Five stars for Echols, three for this book. I'm an admirer of Damien Echols so wanted to read his book. Still an admirer of him, but the book was a little slow for me in places. Probably will be enjoyed more by those who have no knowledge of the inner working of prisons. I can be pathetically linear in my thinking and this book is written in a very non-linear way, reminiscent of some Native American writing e.g. [[Silko]] which I find difficult sometimes (my loss!). He clearly loves words and language and I will read more if he continues to write.This IS an important story that needs to be heard.
    • 5/5
      It’s no secret I thoroughly enjoy memoirs. I love fiction but there is something about reading someone’s story from his point of view that truly moves me. Life After Death did just that. What compelled me to read this book was my own morbid curiosity at the horror of Mr. Echols’ life. How were the workings of prison? How could he have possibly survived the terror that happened to him? How did he have the will to survive knowing he was innocent? What made him go on? I am weak and I want to know what makes others strong. This story is a testament of a man who could have given up. Everything was against him and yet he chooses to fight. He was strong.My favorite reviews to write are the ones I can’t find the words for. Maybe it’s because it’s too soon, I haven’t finished processing what I read. I finished this book over a week ago and I ‘m still as perplexed as I was when began writing this. I have a feeling this is the kind of book that no matter how much time passes; it will always be too soon to write.My biggest struggle is that I am having difficulty separating the memoir with the reality of what happened. I have written and rewritten this several times over. Each time I try, my thoughts and opinions turn to the merits of the case, of whether or not Damien Echols and the rest of the WM3 are innocent. In doing that, I look at how gifted Damien Echols is as a writer. He writes as if this is what he was born to do.When I first began reading Life After Death, I didn’t like Damien Echols. I still can’t quite articulate what it was that troubled me. Normally I would stop reading, why would anyone want to read a book about someone they didn’t like? What compelled me to keep reading was Damien Echols himself. I may not have liked him, but I was completely captivated by his story. Here was this kid: black hair, black clothes, listening to heavy metal. I believed he would have an attitude. He would despise all authority, rebel against laws and rules. He would be jerk. In reality, I am the jerk because I convicted him without knowing the facts. I didn’t know the truth about him and who he was. I was no better than the West Memphis Police Department, the people of West Memphis, the victims’ parents, family and friends, and well almost everyone.As I kept reading and researching this case on my own, my opinion about him changed. I realize that I am not here to debate the merits of the case and whether or not Damien Echols and the rest of the West Memphis Three are innocent. I will stop now. And that’s the thing about Life After Death, it’s difficult for meto separate the two. He had me hooked, not only in what happened to him, but in the way it is written. The words flowed brilliantly; it was pure “magick.” Mr. Echols did such an incredible job describing his ordeal. Ordeal is almost an insult compared to what actually happened to him. It’s a tragedy, a horror. What's truly inspirational is how he overcame it.I’m not sure if Life After Death is for everyone but I do believe it is one everyone one should read.
    • 5/5
      I recently took an interest in what comes after life or life after life. Damien Echols came up with a hit here with on this curious theme. He writes in a confident and engaging manner whose outcome is a smooth flowing story that sucked me in before I even knew it.The story flows smoothly and the setting is colorful. I found subjects like these intriguing. Even though this is not my familiar genre, Damien Echols has made it one to always consider reading.