Customer Reviews

The Big Book of Freaks (Factoid Books)

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Written by repected cartoonist, Gahan Wilson (appropriately so since he is a direct descendant of P.T. Barnum), this is a fascinating look at the history of freaks in real life and in the media and treats the subject with a great deal of reverence and respect. Wilson goes beyond merely presenting the histories of various famous freaks, but also examines why we are so fascinated by them and laments the fact that with advances in genetics they may be a dying breed (with the exception of self-made freaks like those in the Jim Rose Circus).

Wilson begins with the historical roots of the sideshow, with the wild speculations about possible creatures that might exist in the days when much of the world was unexplored, to the fake freaks created for medieval carnivals and self-mutilated beggars, to the modern circus and portrayals in movies such as Tod Browning's "Freaks". In addition to such articles on specific themes are the histories of particular individuals ranging from the famous (the Elephant Man) to the not-so-famous (a "Lobster Man" who committed a murder in a Florida town composed almost entirely of retired circus freaks). The stories range from the heartwarming to the heartbreaking, the humourous to the serious, and include romance and adventure, but all of them treat the unusual individuals who are their subjects as human beings, with all the same potentials as well as the character flaws of any person, and avoids being exploitative. My personal favourite is the article drawn by Ivan Brunetti illustrating how ALL human beings are freakish and are constantly undergoing strange transformations.

The accompanying illustrations are also superb. This is definitely one of the best in the Big Books series.

Step right up and see this book! Gahan Wilson is a genius of comic art, and he wrote this tome for Paradox Press. In this volume, you learn about all the famous residents of circus sideshows, the origins of the midway, and all sorts of human oddities. Like the movie "Freaks" says, "Come and see 'em!"

I ordered this book by mistake and ended up loving it. It is a twisted look into the life of "freaks". True tales of human physical oddities are told in the form of comic strips. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who has an interest in the bizarre.

I enjoyed most of this book. There are some very amazing stories in here. Some are uplifting, while others are pure tragedy. The book does a good job of telling stories of all variety of old-time freak. Everyone from the infamous Hilton Twins and Lobster Man to the almost forgotten Carl Unthang, the armless violinist.
Be advised, for sake of shortening the stories, some info has been skewed(Example: Barnum's uncle never showed him Ivy Island, a worker did.)
The main gripe I have is the lack of Jim Rose material. He single-handedly brought the sideshow back into the public light, reviving the almost lost artform. The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow has been around since 1992. Seeing as how this book was published in 1996, there is no reason to exclude it.

slightly weaker than the other Factoid Press Big Book Series volumes, but well worth the purchase.

I first picked up a copy of The Big Book of Freaks several years ago. I didn't purchase it that day and I have regretted it ever since.
I recently purchased copy online for [money] dollars. I was not let down. This is book is worth every penny. From the tragic tale of Jumbo the Elephant to the Lobster Boy, Freaks is well written and well illustrated. The picture of a Denatsate is creepy in the very least.
Buy this book.