Book cover of Freaks: We Who are Not as Others

Book description

History. Cultural studies. Another long out-of-print classic book based on Mannix's personal acquaintence with sideshow stars such as the Alligator Man and the Monkey Woman, etc. Read all about the notorious love affairs of midgets; the amazing story of the elephant boy; the unusual amours of Jolly Daisy, the fat…


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Why read it?

1 author picked Freaks as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is one of the first books about sideshow performers that I (Marc) bought more than 25 years ago. It’s filled with remarkable stories and images of many of the most famous performers of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Among them is the tale of Myrtle Corbin, the four-legged woman. After reading about Corbin, I began telling friends at a party her story, and a woman listening in said she knew about her. I couldn’t believe it. That woman later became my wife. 

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