Reflexion

One of the most beautifully human things I've ever read. That it contradicts the official Manson family narrative at every turn does not surprise me in the least. And while I concede that Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten deserved to be jailed for their crimes, reading about their silly girlish antics brought me nostalgically back to my own youth, and a time when such silliness just seemed to come to us naturally. It also saddened me to contemplate what monsters these ladies are still painted as being. As a writer, Fromme is gifted in a way that's rare in these times, with an ability to bring out the magic in the smallest of things. What Fromme NAILS here is that this "Family" was not nearly as dysfunctional as our media has led us to believe. Why and how it all went so horribly wrong is something I don't think even Fromme herself is equipped to explain.

I almost didn't buy this because of the negative reviews here, claiming the book was missing important details and that it painted Manson as an angel. But now having read it, I'm baffled by these reviewers' claims. Fromme does, in fact, write a lot about their drug use, about some of the drug dealing (the bikers and Hinman, Watson's side business and his instigation of the Bernard Crowe incident), and she does say what she can about the Tate murders, although the LaBiancas (from the second night) are conspiculously absent.But back to Cielo Drive, she relates what she heard about it in the following days, and includes an account from Sandra Good, who apparently got all the dark details directly from Atkins and Krenwinkel.As for the "whitewashing" of Manson and life in Chatsworth, I didn't see it. Fromme related plenty of unflattering stories from the ranch (the bad acid trip and what happened to the cat during it, the bikers' threats of rape and murder, the drug dealing, DeCarlo and his guns). And Charlie hardly comes off as a saint. True, she doesn't see him as the cult-leading criminal mastermind Bugliosi portrayed, but she relays a few stories that make it clear he had his problems.Bottom line: If you've become obsessed with solving the mystery of the murders (and the more you investigate, the less sense it makes), then this is a nice addition to your true crime library, filling out the early years and the story before The Story. Also, without spoiling it, I'll say there was one post-TLB detail included toward the end that I'd never heard before, and it dovetails nicely into a theory provided by an L.A. cop in Tom O'Neill's book, Chaos.

She makes life with the family sound so idyllic, full of peace and freedom and the love of nature, etc...Manson was not an enlightened guru, philosopher or teacher. I've tried to listen to his interviews and read his writings but they are mostly confused ramblings. Bottom line is he is responsible for the murder of at LEAST 9 persons: Gary Hinmann, Shorty Shea, and the Tate/Labianca massacres. So even if he did not personally kill the above victims, he certainly ordered them, which makes him a murderer under our laws. Fromme still revered him for decades and her half-baked assassination attempt on President Ford is proof of that. I am aware the book is advertised about the time BEFORE the murders, but my point is this woman admired and revered a man who destroyed lives and there is no hint of remorse or regret. Also, 34 years in prison for pointing a gun at the President to attempt to free Manson from prison! Was it worth it? This group of "enlightened hippies" single handedly destroyed the hippie movement.

I’ve read just about all the books out there from the former residents of Spahn Ranch but this one stands out. You really get a feel for Red and Charlie early on. Hard to describe but just flat out love the book and it’s very well written. Worth thr money and time. PERIOD.

I could not put this book down.Lynette has a magical way with words.I realize that she had viewed everything through rose colored glasses.I do understand the attraction of this early lifestyle....being free of the City..enjoying nature..being close to a " family" of friends..things that have increasingly become "Normal" as the years melt away.Of course this is a lifestyle that many will never understand....Experiencing LSD is almost a prerequisite to even beginning to grasp some of the notions/ outlooks.Yes....I'm sure it was way worse than can even be imagined...the filth... the negativity...the game playing and crime.I find the attitudes of the straight/ police far more offensive in some recollections.To be mean and destructive just because you do not understand others..esp the culture shock/ divide of the late 60s....we see this even today in Society.I do not in anyway romanticize Manson...he knew exactly what he was doing and how to manipulate people...the classic conman.( Exactly the same as modern day politicians).The book ends way too soon...so much more to be revealed... looking forward to another book from Ms Fromme.

This book gives lots of information that you don’t get from other books, especially about the Manson family members. You get to know backgrounds, and hear about perspectives from different members, other than the author as well.

As far as I’m concerned Manson got what he deserved in the end.It is my interest in this whole era from 1966 to 1969, especially in the USA, which had me read Lynette Fromme’s “Reflexion”. Yes, I’ve read “Helter Skelter”, but that’s not about historical context; more like a lucrative ego trip for Bugliosi. Also, I think victims deserve not only justice but respect over the years.Fromme’s book is about those years before the murders. It paints a picture of a very young girl, unstable, in a society she can’t fit into. She doesn’t make excuses about those early years, just conveys what was on her troubled mind. It’s valid because there was a nation of “kids” feeling like this between the extremities of Vietnam body bags on the one hand and psychedelic music on the other; McCarthy parenting or Wavey Gravy in his Magic Bus.The book concentrates on those early times as “The Family” were coming together, or rather “groomed” off the street. We all know the horrific details of the murders, and frankly I am appalled at the availability of gruesome crime scene photos in other Manson related books.The big surprise is how well it’s written. I can see no evidence of a ghost writer (perhaps someone will correct me), so am in no doubt Fromme could have made something of herself creatively had she not been so susceptible, like others, at that age and under those circumstances.

Peace-love-and-flowers account of life with the Manson Family, written by one who was there from the early days. Read it in conjunction with Squeaky: The Life And Times Of Lynette Alice Fromme, Jess Bravin's biography of the author, to get the full picture.

This was a fascinating and engrossing read. All those thrill-seekers who are looking for a lurid blood-drenched account of the Manson murders are going to be sorely disappointed. This book ends just before the actual arrests.Rather than an autobiography, this is exactly what it says it is on the cover - a series of reflections on life as part of the Manson family. However, it's also an overview of Lynette Fromme's philosophy/worldview - along with contributions from Manson, and particularly Sandra Good.The whole book is more like a stream of consciousness than a linear narrative, but it is, at last, the unvarnished truth.

Just the fact we get this book and this late is truly amazing!!Well worth the wait though ...From the published 200+ books that have been published ...How many have there been worth owning??15-20??Yes, I hear groans, as it dosen't take in the Ford episode or Tex Watson's murders.Well, this it's reflexion's of 63-69 right??If that's not what you want lo read about, then look elsewhere.I'd love a further volume from Lynette.If your into the Manson case, it would be wise to buy this sooner rather than later as it will without a doubt be a sought after book when/if goes out of print.

Habe mich schon lange für die "Family" und die Hintergründe interessiert. Hier ist nun ein Buch, dass aus der Insidersicht den "ganz normalen" Verlauf zeigt, wie jemand rein zufällig in eine sektenähnliche Struktur hineinrutscht. Vieles klingt recht banal, aber genau das macht es aus - die Banalität, die am Ende in einem furchtbaren Massenmord mündet. Lynette Fromme hat noch Jahre danach ihr Idol verherrlicht und alles getan, um in seiner Nähe zu sein. Für Interessierte, die die damalige Zeit - Hippie-Ära, Haight Ashbury etc. - miterlebt haben oder verstehen möchten, sehr empfehlenswert.