Circus of the Scars
by Jan T. Gregor with Tim Cridland
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Pub Date Mar 13 2017 | Archive Date May 31 2017
Description
Before rock-and-roll there was Sideshow, which captivated, mystified and enraged audiences for over a hundred years. But heading towards the end of the 20th Century, you could count the remaining Sideshows on one hand. Entertainment had become sanitized and corporatized for mass consumption; lukewarm safe with no sharp edges. That is, until a modern Sideshow came to town in 1991.
The contemporary tale--as told by Jan T. Gregor--is one of scandal, sex, drugs, fame, lust, longing, camaraderie and betrayal. Intertwined into the present day story is an equally compelling historical voice: the intimate passages from a long lost and only recently discovered 142-year-old diary.
CIRCUS OF THE SCARS is the ultimate rollercoaster ride, careening through two years of Sideshow present while simultaneously barreling down 150 years of Sideshow past. CIRCUS OF THE SCARS takes you on a bizarre odyssey around the globe with a Sideshow troupe that truly was live, real, raw and dangerous. Learn the hidden secrets behind one the most emotion-inducing acts of the 20th Century.
The most imaginative casting agent couldn't have chosen the original troupe with more flair:
The Amazing Mister Lifto
The Torture King
The Enigma
Matt The Tube Crowley
With Dolly the Doll Lady
They were led by the maniacal hype-master himself, Jim Rose, who was assisted by Bebe' the Circus Queen.
The Marvels came together to revive the ancient art of Sideshow . . . which had nearly been lost . . . but not forgotten.
Circus of the Scars has been embellished with over 100 hand-drawn illustrations by Madame Talbot. The book also features show posters, handbills, ticket stubs and other related ephemera.
One word of warning: You will be entering into another world, another realm, another dimension--the world of sideshow. The money you spend you will never remember. What you read about inside you will never forget.
A Note From the Publisher
Keywords: sideshow, circus sideshow, human oddities, punk, Jim Rose, 1990s, grunge
Marketing Plan
ebk
ebk
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9781506903484 |
PRICE | $9.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Life inside a circus sideshow in all its brutality and glory! Touring the globe, the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow was a whirlwind of human emotions with the lives of the performers brought to life through diary entries, drawings, and also the author's voice. Fascinating.
Sadly i this book was not for me for multiple reasons, and the only review i would be able to give it would be a negative one that i do not believe this book deserves since most if not all the "problems" i have with this book are personal to me and my reading tastes. Because of that, i prefer to not review this book.
Thank you for the opportunity.
The author was the tour manager for Jim Rose's Circus Sideshow from the 1991 to 1993. The author was present for all the highs and lows as a small group of performers get together to put on a show. On the tours there are also snippets of historical information about circuses and sideshows. Accompanying the text are photographs and wonderful illustrations. I enjoyed the beginning of the book but like a long tour I was getting bored by the end and was ready to get off the bus. I really liked the Diary Entries. The author does provide an honest look at the group and you can understand why it was not going to last. Anyone with an interest in Circuses and Sideshows will enjoy this book.
Couldn't read on time due to a broken e reader. My sincere apologies to the author and publisher for this.
I could not read this book due to the format it was in. I may well pick up a real copy somewhere though as it looks fascinating
This book personally was hard to keep up with, more than once I had to re-read what I had just read to try and work out what I was reading. It took me a little longer than I would usually take with a book but having said that it was still an enjoyable read