Manson's bizarre tome takes readers straight to 'Hell'

You've heard the rumors. You've listened to the tales.

Now you can read the so-called "truth" about Marilyn Manson in his new autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, co-written by rock critic Neil Strauss.

The Long Hard Road Out of Hell is a roller coaster ride through the valley of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. It even features a tour journal written by Manson himself, and a ton of photos.

This ride, however, is not one with lots of turns and loops. It is one long descent into Manson's world of rambling, boring clichés.

The book is basically a forum for Manson to criticize everyone from his grandfather (who is revealed as a cross-dresser with a fetish for pornographic magazines and sexual toys) to Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor (the mastermind behind the band Marilyn Manson).

Manson's numerous attempts to get kicked out of a private Christian school because he felt like an outcast seem to drag on forever, detailing his devious acts to get expelled. He even publishes his own magazine that contains an ad for a "sex aid adventure kit."

The book provides a look at Manson's pathetic attempts to have sex, his first encounter with marijuana and his first satanic ritual, which seems like something out of the movie The Gate, describing satanic chants, demon circles drawn on the floor and gothic candles.

The book then takes us on an extensive journey of Manson's search for people he can start a band with, beginning with his first group, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids.

Manson was lucky enough to run into a group of people just as odd as he is. The Spooky Kids consisted of a bassist, guitar player, a keyboardist, a drum machine (that was later replaced by an actual drummer) and -- for a more Manson-ish twist -- a girl that Manson would beat and lead around the stage by a dog leash.

Other bizarre tales pepper the book, which features dull stories about snorting cocaine, unusual torture methods and how to lose people you love.

The gruesome showering of raw chicken and cow parts over the audience (which later led to rumors of Manson killing animals on stage) is about the most exciting part, and that still isn't saying much.

Manson's redundant stories about the recording of the group's Antichrist Superstar album -- including acid trips, an unwanted pregnancy, fights against religious groups, problems with band members as well as rampant drug abuse -- are boring and repetitive.

They make readers feel like they are taking the same long, hard road to the depths of hell that Manson did.