The Long Hard Road Out of Hell

For the single by Marilyn Manson, see Long Hard Road Out of Hell.

First edition cover
Author(s)	Marilyn Manson Neil Strauss
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Autobiography
Publisher	ReganBooks (HarperCollins)
Publication date	1998
Media type	Hardcover, paperback
Pages	269
ISBN	978-0-060392581
OCLC Number	38417510

The Long Hard Road Out of Hell is the autobiography of Marilyn Manson, leader of the American rock band Marilyn Manson. The book was released on February 14, 1998 and written with the help of Neil Strauss (of Rolling Stone Magazine) as a ghost writer.

It follows Manson's life from when he was a child, born as Brian Hugh Warner, until the events of the band's controversial Dead to the World Tour. It also details his grandfather's sexual fetishes (including bestiality and sadomasochism) influence to the forming of Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, to the recording of Antichrist Superstar. Its last pages are the journal of the band's touring, documenting backstage events and people's reactions. The book includes many references to his life of drugs, sex and dysfunctional relationships that led him to where he is now. It also features his journalism works, including an article about a dominatrix he interviewed for 25th Parallel.

The autobiography goes in-depth into the break-ups amongst the band's history. It follows several members through becoming friends and musicians with the band to angry and sometimes bitter leavings, some band members detested being fired so badly that lawsuits have been filed against Manson by his own crew members.

Along with the book are numerous pictures, some of which are familiar to long-time Manson fans, with the center pages including everything from the Slasher Girls to Manson performing Antichrist Superstar with a Bible in his hand. The book incorporates illustrations from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy, originally drawn by Henry Vandyke Carter. For example, the ribcage in the cover image (which also appears in the liner note artwork for Antichrist Superstar) is taken from Gray's Figure 115. Also scattered throughout the pages are documents of such things as girlfriends, legal documents of claims made by the American Family Association about his shows that were proven to be false,^[1][2][3] and band landmarks, to the rarer, such as Manson with Anton Szandor LaVey.

Promotion

On February 21, 1998, Manson held an two-hour in-store book signing at the San Francisco Virgin Megastore. The event was attended by an estimated 700 fans.^[4]

References

1. ^ "Ozzy, Slayer Turn Up On "Ozzfest Live"". MTV News. 1997-04-28. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1432997/19970428/osbourne_ozzy.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-07-18. 
2. ^ "Ozzy, Manson File Suit Against Meadowlands". MTV News. 1997-05-02. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1426055/19970502/black_sabbath.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-07-18. 
3. ^ Mikkleson, Barbara (May 15, 2007). "Dead Puppies". Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/marilyn2.asp. Retrieved June 14, 2010. 
4. ^ Reiss, Randy (1998-02-23). "Marilyn Manson Presses Flesh At Book Signing". VH1. http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/3355/19980223/index.jhtml. Retrieved 2011-05-31.