12 Comments

I thought Chaos was absolutely brilliant. Completely opened my mind to '60s conspiracies - and my mind tbh was already pretty open to that. Kind of stunned that it hasn't reached mainstream consciousness more. It may well be that Tom O'Neill is just a bit too careful and doesn't fully unleash everything he has (I remember Joe Rogan having to really tease out the gist of what he was saying).

Expand full comment

Tough tough! I liked Intimacies! It's really well written and sensitively observed. I think you're not giving enough credit to that!

Expand full comment

So compelling a read that, when you have a couple of bad days, we lucky subscribers get insights into the motives of reviewers and publishers, let alone the CIA--and the two books you review here. I've not read either of these books. But I have read Outline, Transit, Kudos and Coventry by Rachel Cusk. Clearly, I was somewhat compelled by her but have mixed feelings because of what I would call "a certain and purposeful narrative distance" from what is clearly autobiographical-fiction--with the exception of the essays in Coventry. But maybe that narrative distance and minimalism are her gift? Not something I can do, for sure. Is that what you're implying about Cusk--or am I missing your point? In any case, this essay, a great read! xo Mary

Expand full comment

Hi, 1st timer visitor here; a very astute review; next time you are “in the mood” try Revolution’s End by Brad Schreiber. It’s a nice sequel to Chaos

Expand full comment
Nov 20, 2022·edited Nov 20, 2022

CHAOS is convincing. If you never looked deep into the fact that Watson, Kasabian and Susan Atkins, as well as both Voytek Frykowski and Jay Sebring were all drug dealers or involved in narcotics rings at some point. Long before they met Charles Manson. Watson was even known as a "hairdresser" to some while he spend his first year in CA smuggling drugs with his airline job. Kasabian jumped from drug ring to drug ring before her and Tex took turns driving too and from the Tate house. I don't know what O' Neill's agenda is. His book is a laugh when you consider the amount of criminal behavior the killers and victims were both involved in. The CIA has zero reason to "discredit" LSD, they had better things to do. They didn't need to nor did they need Manson, because Haight Ashbury was a violent slum by the time Manson went there. The hippies discredited LSD on their own with pop up chemists who were cutting it with speed.

Expand full comment