by Katherine Dunn
Paperback- $10.87
National Book Award finalist
Here is the unforgettable story of the Binewskis, a circus-geek family whose matriarch and patriarch have bred ...
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It felt as if the author was simply going for shock value. A carnival family seeks to breed (with the use of horrible drugs and chemicals) their own circus "freaks.: The resulting characters are utterly unlikeable. It appears that Dunn is a good writer but this book was absolutely awful. I would not recommend it at all.
I don't like circuses, and i don't go to freak shows, but this book was utterly fantastic. I read this months ago, but still find myself thinking about the characters, and how richly they were portrayed. It was gross how the 'freaks' in the family came to be (via drugs etc), but Dunn did a superb job of bringing them truly to life.
I have read this book several times and each time I become more connected to the characters. It's a disturbing story, but the moral of acceptance of ourselves is fascinating and very well written. I think this book is particularly good as a discussion book.
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