Geek Love: A Novel by Katherine Dunn Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Geek Love: A Novel
Book Review: Enthralling & Disturbing
Summary: 5 Stars
i loved this book. as a writer i often found myself jealous of the way in which ms. dunn turns a phrase. as a reader i was completely consumed by this other world. the children of the binewski fabulon live in an enclosed world where the "norms" as they refer to the general public don't have much influence over their moral compass or ideals. this can be good for some but in the case of this family, all of thier inbread strangness and poison riddled genetics has terrible effects on the psyche of all involved. however i often found myself wondering about the characters who entered the situation and played along in the insanity. my only conclusion was that arty -- and really the whole carnie life -- was so powerful it sucked others into its reality. arty's meglomania completly consumes the will of all those around him and you find yourself hating him for being this way and angry with the family for enabling him. you have no choice but to get emotionally invested in these characters and they will live in your mind long after the book is done.
Book Review: Far from Ordinary
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is about Art and Lily Binewski, a couple who decide that through genetic experimentation they can create a family of circus freaks. There's Arturo the Aqua-Boy, born with flippers and later gathers a cult following; Electra and Iphigenia are Siamese twins; Olympia, an albino dwarf with a hump; and Chick, who appears to be a normal baby, a failure, until the day he is about to be abandoned when it's discovered he is telekinetic.The story is told from Olympia's point of view and could almost be split into two novels - first is the history of the Binewski's Fabulon traveling circus, with much detail into their lives and the devotion the family has for each other.
Second is the story of a mother, Olympia, watching over a daughter that doesn't know her, a daughter born with a tail who meets up with a woman who wants to "fix" her by cutting off the tail. Sadly, this whole segment of the book feels thrown together. Not nearly as much detail was given and I didn't find myself really caring for these parts of the book at all.
What could have been a definite five star book gets knocked down to four stars for the above mentioned thrown in bits. Still, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read something far from ordinary.
Book Review: Freak Out
Summary: 3 Stars
A "friend" reviewed this novel and as something of a freak myself I couldn't resist reading a novel about freaks. But I found I didn't like this nearly as much as I thought I would.
The best way to think about this story is that it's like a darker version of "The Addams Family." Ma and Pa work for a traveling circus and decide that it's too expensive to recruit freaks, so they'll breed them! Ma takes all sorts of drugs and such in order to create deformed babies. Some of them die, but four (or five) survive. They are Arturo, a boy with flippers instead of limbs; Ely and Iphy the conjoined twins; Chick the boy with strange psychic powers; and Olympia the hunchbacked albino dwarf who is our narrator. As in most family sagas the narrator is the most boring character with the least personality. Arturo the Aqua Boy is the big star of the family. Ely and Iphy are second with their singing and dancing. Even Chick finds a niche when Arturo starts a cult devoted to making people into deformed freaks. Olympia's only real role is to be Arturo's valet and main worshiper.
I guess despite being something of a freak myself I'm not so deluded to think that being a freak makes someone special or better than "normal" people. As the story goes on I really found it increasingly grotesque and disturbing instead of funny or interesting. Adding to this is the portion that takes place in the present where Olympia is dealing with her daughter and a mysterious woman who thinks like Arturo that deformity is the key to enlightenment.
Anyway, other people obviously thought this was better than I did. I was just a victim of overly high expectations the book couldn't deliver upon.
That is all.
Book Review: Freakish & Fun
Summary: 4 Stars
Katherine Dunn's novel about a traveling family Freak Show is somewhat disturbing, strange, disgusting, heartbreaking, and should not be passed over. Geek Love, the tale of the Binewski Family [Large, Small, & Preserved] is just about as weird as it gets. When genetic experimentation goes wrong [or right?] you get some interesting results. Siamese Twins, Albinos, Aqua Boys, Telekinesis. In the world of the Binewskis there is nothing worse than being a "norm." So much so that they will give up any child who is born without a special "ability." When Arty the Aqua Boy decides to establish his own religion things go from strange to bizarre. Enlightenment through amputation? Yes. Finger, toes, arms, & legs all for the opportunity to be more like Arty. Arty, the ego maniacal son who has risen to take over the traveling circus turning it into a cult of sorts with him as the ultimate leader. After reading this book you will be haunted by the image of an Aqua Boy continuously being rubbed down by an albino. Maybe that's the ultimate message. Moisturizer is important. Okay. Maybe not. This is a tale of freaks, geeks, norms, redheads, cults, amputees, and a mothers love. It's a great novel. If you are a fan of Chuck Palahniuk you will definitely enjoy this book. You can definitely tell Katherine Dunn is one of his favorites.Book Review: Freaks among us?
Summary: 4 Stars
Geek Love is one of the most unique novels I have ever read. The world of life on the road surrounded by the misfits and rejects of society is something most of us don't have firsthand knowledge of, but Ms. Dunn creates an atmosphere so rich that even the most unrealistic aspects of this novel seem breathtakingly alive.
The major strength of the novel is the Binewski family at its core. Dunn lovingly crafts these characters and although each and every one of them has huge faults and disgusting traits, they are unfaltering in their realism. The basic human desire to be loved and needed takes on many forms, and many of them are not pleasant. Some readers may find themselves repulsed by actions of the Binewski characters, not realizing due to the characters distracting physical deformities, that they may in fact do the same things. Dunn did this on purpose, and the punch in the gut for the reader is a hard one.
Yet another strength of the text is Dunn's prose. The voices of the characters are established early and each is artfully developed as the novel progresses. Dunn's use of figurative language is inventive and she has the power of the imaginative phrase in a vein that reminds me of Tom Robbins.
The weakness of this novel is the ending and the ultimately disappointing sub plot (told in the present tense) that weakens the novel and leaves the reader wishing to return to the main plotline involving the Binewski family and their topsy turvey world.
In a novel that seems so far removed from our everyday reality, it is a powerful quality to feel that pang of recognition. A brave and serious book. Read it for the simple fact that you won't come across many like it.