The Mind of a Madman: Norway's Struggle to Understand Anders Breivik

by Richard Orange

Anders Behring Breivik killed more people in his twin terror attack in Norway last year than any lone gunman ever had in peacetime before him. When he was arrested, he claimed to act on behalf of the Knights Templar, a militant network sworn to protect Europe from Islam. But Norwegian police could find no evidence such a group existed.

Was Breivik a genuine terrorist, driven by far-right ideology, or a deluded madman? Over the next year, this question would draw in police specialists, lawyers, psychiatrists, and experts in the far-right, culminating in a trial that ceased to be simply about guilt or innocence. Instead, the court would confront a more troubling question: how could such brutal acts become possible for a young man brought up in some of the most privileged parts of Oslo?

In "Mind of a Madman", journalist Richard Orange draws on his own court reporting, three court psychiatric reports, police interviews, and transcripts from the trial to give the most complete account yet of a shocked society's attempt to understand the killer.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook, Psychology

108 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2012

Reviews

[Jason McCracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

TIL that Breivik was a bit of a retard. I just thought he was a nazi fuckwit. Anyway, this is mostly just post-arrest, courtroom stuff, the massacre itself is barely touched. It was okay for what it was, although not what most people are probably hoping for, hence most readers low ratings.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a straight reporting of the Brevik case. Anders Breivik is the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks. He bombed government buildings in Oslo, resulting in eight deaths, then carried out a mass shooting at a camp of the Youth League of the Norwegian Labour Party on the island of Utøya, where he killed 69 people, nearly all teenagers.

We did not really go into Brevik's mind rather the legal and psychological discussion about his state of mind. The book is therefore a bit dry when it could have been brimming with discussion and ideas. Did he commit a crime in the sense he knowingly murdered or was it madness? The unsettling conclusion was that if he did not have a shared right wing ideology with others of the European far right he may have been declared mad. One set of psychologists decided he was mad because he believed that there was Holy War in Europe between Christians and Muslims. The other set said he was NOT mad because he and others of the far right believed this too even though a detached rational observer would see this as delusional.

The question that went begging was if Brevik's fascination with far right politics and terrorism a type of madness in itself, or indeed if far right politics is a shared psychosis? And therefore to what extent is all politics a shared delusion?

The other clincher for the decision of the court to treat him as sane was that he was able to plan and execute this crime. An insane person does not have the wherewithal to carry out a plan that takes months of preparation to fruition. So one is sane because one can carry out horrible crimes and insane if you can't?

[James Uscroft · Rating 1 out of 5]

The entire premise and even the very title of this book demonstrates how Islamophobia, 'White Supremacy' and 'White Privilege' are such normalised and ingrained aspects of our society that we don't even notice them at all. Because if Anders Breivik had been an Islamist terrorist, (as was originally assumed, because how could any white man ever possibly commit such an atrocity?) then there would be absolutely nothing to understand and no one would question his sanity.

"If the shooter is Muslim, he's a terrorist. If he's black, then he's a gangster, and if he's white, then he's a mentally ill 'Lone Wolf." - As goes the meme which sums up this self-righteous bigotry.

Because if he was Muslim, then attack was 'Caused' by Islam, and if he was black, then it was 'Caused' by black culture, such as Rap music, broken homes and not pulling his pants up. But if the attacker was white, then his motives must have been entirely personal and (with the possible exception of video games,) have nothing to do with 'White' society as a whole.

After all, why would a self-proclaimed Far-Right, Anti-Marxist & Islamophobe who believes that 'Cultural Marxists' are plotting to destroy Europe through Muslim Immigration commit such at atrocity?... Oh, I don't know, maybe for exactly the same reasons why Far Right, White Supremacist Islamophobes plan and commit the overwhelming majority of all terrorist attacks in Europe & North America. (Regardless of how much the media focuses on the tiny minority of Islamist attacks in order to boost ratings.)

Seriously, the way that the author obsesses over the question of why such a "Nice" & "Normal" Norwegian man would commit such an atrocity when he literally wrote a 1500 page manifesto and I've summed up his motives in this review makes this audiobook utterly insufferable. But as I say though, the problem runs infinitely deeper than this one absurd little book. Because Fascism & White Supremacy pose a far greater threat to society than Muslims and other 'Immigrants' ever possibly could.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was so disturbing. I remember when this mass murder happened in Norway in 2011, but I don’t recall seeing updates about the case in the news in the USA during the trial. I was not aware that in Norway, people who are given certain mental health diagnosis are not held legally responsible for their crimes - even murder. They are given mental health treatment instead, and they could be released after treatment. This means that after murdering 77 people, this man could have been treated and released within 4 years if he was given an “all clear” by a doctor at that time. I am so shocked by that.

As a result of Norway’s position on treatment instead of imprisonment, Anders Breivik’s trial was entirely about whether or not he was sane. He had been taken into custody while committing the murders, he had confessed to doing them because he thought his actions were justified, he was adamantly against being labeled insane, etc. There was no question of his guilt.

He did eventually receive the longest sentence possible of 21 years. If he is deemed unsafe at that point, they could keep him longer. As an American, I can’t fathom a mass shooter being sentenced to only 21 years after killing 77 people. If that was the maximum sentence allowed by law, I would have given him 21 years for each person he killed.

I’m sure Norway is a lovely place to live, but I am not on board with their criminal justice system. I’m not saying that the USA is perfect because it’s not. But I do believe that the punishment should fit the crime.

[Andrew Garvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear, concise journalistic summary of the legal battle to determine whether fantasist-turned-terrorist Breivik was insane or not, this book thankfully includes only enough detail about the July 22nd 2011 massacre to establish the background of the case. Quickly moving onto the pre-trial arguments, the media reaction and Breivik's personal history, this becomes a fascinating account packed with details about Norway's criminal justice system and forensic psychiatry. Clearly, there is something deeply wrong with Breivik. But that doesn't make him insane. Highly recommended.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy was a real piece of work. I watched the movie. Heart wrenching. I feel for all the families who had to live through this guys continued shenanigans. I pray they have found some peace. This was a terrible day for Norway. If you want to learn 'the rest of the story,' get this book.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook...This is a well narrated overview of the mental state of Anders Breivik, who masterminded and carried out the cold blooded murders of many innocent souls, because of his far right beliefs. Was he mad or just bad? You decide.

[Mikael · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book might be good but the narrator is terrible! he sounds like one of those text to speech devices and somehow thought that putting on a terrible Norwegian accent would be ok in a true crime book.

[Siobhan Leahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a forensic mental health nurse I always find this type of true crime story interesting. How we come to our diagnosis, and the possible affect that diagnosis has on the service user, their family and equal the victim of the index offence as well as society as a whole. Really great read.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the perpetrator of this dreadful act of terrorism; was he mad or bad?

[Rusty Ray Guns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well executed journalistic review of the case

[Anfenwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for research and found it to be clear, straightforward, not too long. It covers the basic chronology of Breivik's acts of terrorism and prosecution, but it's main point is Norway's deliberations into whether he was sane or not.

Since it's at quite a journalistic level, it doesn't go very deeply into that conclusion. It was a bit low on insights, but there was one point that struck me as deeply ironic. Breivik was passionately opposed to multiculturalism. He also wanted a diagnosis of sanity in order to have his crime recognized as a political act - and most of Norway agreed with that, since it meant a harsher punishment!

In the end, Breivik got what he wanted, but purely because most of those involved were themselves prepared to be 'multicultural' in the way they approached his own extreme right-wing subculture. The two experts who found him insane were those who dismissed the relevance of culture to their diagnosis.

Conclusion: a well-written summary of what you maybe already read in the newspapers, back then.

[A.G. Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting account of the trial of Norway's Spree Killer/Bomber and his trial.

I found the emphasis on the psychological aspects (the first court ordered report was that he wasn't sane, a second contradicted it) left me with a bunch of questions that weren't completely answered. I think having a more balanced account with both the psychological reports and evidentiary facts combined so we could see what might have been false and what was was "highly colored by his far-right agenda." Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get something like that for a while if ever..

Also enlightening, was the explanation of Norwegian judicial system (and the fact that the maximum sentence he could have been given was 21 years, while in the U.S., the prosecution would probably have pushed for a separate charge for each of the 77 victims and he would have ended up with 77 life sentences, etc.)

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. Rather than focus too much on the actual crimes of Breivik, this brief report explains the difficult machinations involved in bringing him to trial as a sane or insane defendant, and the possible outcomes for either defense. Let's just say that the Norwegians spent a lot of time making sure they handled this idiot as precisely as the law would dictate -- so they could lock him away for the maximum number of years their statutes allow. P.S.: Breivik is an absolute remorseless nut-job, and his behavior in custody is not to be believed. Great insight for fans of untethered sociopaths. The bigger (and for me, more interesting) question is: How is it that our modern world is producing so many of these guys nowadays?

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

Whilst this is indeed an interesting book, I don't believe that it explains why he did what he did, however it doesn't claim too. It does give you a brief overview of the events, court case and psychological evaluations of the man however it does not go into enough detail for me as to how his radicalisation came about. What led to it? What was the psychiatric evaluation of him as a child and what was he exposed to? I guess this may only be answered if there is ever a biography written about him with access to all the information. I should think that's unlikely.

Yes this book Chronicles the struggle to a degree of people trying to understand him, but it is not comprehensive enough in my opinion.

[Daniel Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely good factual account of difficulty in dealing with someone who commits extreme acts, and acting fairly and rationally in the face of the challenge of understanding if someone is responsible for there actions.
I came away both very informed on he particulars of the case, and extremely impressed by the Norwegian system of justice in general.

My only criticism of the book is that there were a few minor editorial errors (sentences repeated, odd word choices, the occasional incorrect in context name) that I suspect come from the works adaptation from journalistic articles.

[Scott Whitmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read focusing on the trial, and more specifically the process by which Breivik was determined to be sane, and therefore eligible for punishment as opposed to treatment under Norwegian law.

One crucial typo occurs late in the going, involving the two psychiatrists who conducted the first review and found him insane -- much to the chagrin and shock of many, many of their professional kin. The author mixes up these two with the later two who found Breivik sane ... confusing at first but I quickly saw the error and was able to continue on.

[Rob Hermanowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short book about the trial of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik - who set off a bomb in Oslo and took a boat to an island to kill a large number of teenagers at a camp. What makes it most interesting is the contrast of Norway's judicial system with that in the U.S. - particularly with regard to insanity and mental illness (their system is WAY different than ours). It is this kind of "Kindle single" that really makes it worthwhile to own an e-book!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out good but about 1/2 way through it was redundant and almost tedious. I wanted it to be like the book investigating the Columbine shootings but it didn't live up to that book at all.

[Ankur Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impeccably researched! Wish Indian Media could learn something from it.

[Barb Keryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read that describes the issues that come up in a case of how to deal with a mass murderer by society.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope there is a followup in a few years to see he fairs. And to see how his claims change.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fair summary of the terrorist attack and eventual trial.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting outlook of the mind of the killer Breivik and his mass killings.

[Christa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious.