For the weirdos of the world, katherine dunns cult classic geek love was a gateway drug of a novel. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Buy geek love by katherine dunn 1989 0311 by katherine dunn isbn. Geek love is a novel by katherine dunn about olympia binewski, whose parents operate a traveling freak show featuring olympia and her siblings olympia binewski is an assistant. Geek love is preceded by an epigraph from the tempest, in which the magician prospero says of the monster caliban. Although critics often overlook its intimations of social class, katherine dunns geek love is a workingclass novel and, in some ways. Geek love a group reading of geek love by katherine dunn. Geek love by katherine dunn, first edition, signed abebooks. The introduction, discussion questions, suggested reading list, and author biography that follow are designed to enhance your groups reading of katherine dunns geek love.
Aloysious and lillian binewski, the proprietors of a traveling carnival, attempt to reduce overhead by breeding their own freak show, with tragic results, in a new edition of the acclaimed cult classic. Dunns third novel, geek love, which revolves around a married couple who breed mutant children as sideshow freaks, has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. March 27, 1989 like a collaboration between john irving and david lynch, this audaciously conceived, sometimes shocking tale of love and hubris in a carnival family exerts the same mesmeric fascination as the freaks it depicts, despite essential structural flaws. In katherine dunns novel about a grotesque carnival family, geek love. Katherine dunn was a novelist and boxing journalist who lived and worked in oregon. Geek love is the story of the binewskis, a carny family whose mater and paterfamilias set outwith the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopesto br. This study guide consists of approximately 42 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of geek love. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. Following the launch reception in watzek library, the exhibitioncurated by visiting. Back in 2009, that book, a bestseller and national book award nominee, was thoroughly discussed and dissected in a. The exhibition explores her novel geek love and the reaction it elicited from readers through the personal and literary artifacts that have given katherine dunn status as a cult author and portland treasure. Geek love is a novel by katherine dunn, published completely by alfred a. In what sense is geek love about acknowledging ones own darkness, freakishness, or otherness 2.
Katherine dunns geek love and the vicissitudes of class. National book award finalist here is the unforgettable story of the binewskis, a circusgeek family whose matriarch and patriarch have bred their own. This will give us time to thoroughly absorb and discuss the material on the infinite discussions forum, without bogging down. Lil binewski, born a boston aristocrat, was in her time the most stylish of geeks. Geek love is the story of the binewskis, a carny family whose mater and paterfamilias set out. Geek love, the deviant child of the tempest a finalist for the national book award and the bram stoker prize, geek love, written by katherine dunn, was published in 1989. Not beyond the pale, as many such entrepreneurs have in reality maximized wounds, injuries or disabilities, or used smoke and mirrors of one sort or another to staff bearded lady tents with men in drag a common practice using draft dodgers during. However, we plan to take it slow and steady, yet keep up a certain level of intensity, reading at a pace of approximately 60 pagesweek. The book documents the familys rise and fall as the children grow toward adulthood and for one reason or another break apart from the carnival, turning against each other or reaching beyond. A novel by katherine dunn about the book like many of the best american novels of the past fifty years, geek love tells the story of a family. Get geek love katherine dunn pdf file for free from our online library pdf file. This she gave up for doting motherhood, because she and her fairgroundowning husband had a money spinning idea.
Buy geek love abacus books new ed by dunn, katherine isbn. Geek love tells the story of the binewski family, a dynasty of carnival freaks, whose parents bred them using a rudimentary genetic technology to produce the best and most impressive abnormalities. I first read katherine dunns 1989 novel geek love several years ago on the recommendation of my friend robin. Geek love manages to simultaneously be a hilarious commentary on societal norms, and a heartbreakingly tender portrayal of family love and loyalty. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
What i loved most is how every single character is despicable and unlikable in their own ways, yet you cant help but love them all. Pdf geek love, by katherine dunn, the deviant child of. Geek love is the story of the binewskis, a carny family whose mater and paterfamilias set outwith the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopesto breed their own exhibit of human oddities. Geek love is predicated on the concept that a second rate carnival operator would create sideshow freaks to bring in the customers. Reviewers, even in praising geek love, have described it as. The author, who died wednesday, also wrote a spectacular essay on feminism and the rise of. Katherine dunn, geek love, and cult literature opens to the public april 4. Dunn published parts of the novel in mississippi mud book of days. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or. Here is the unforgettable story of the binewskis, a circusgeek family whose matriarch and patriarch have bred their own exhibit of. When your mama was the geek, my dreamlets, papa would say, she made the nipping off of noggins such a crystal mystery that the hens. This wonderfully descriptive novel from an author with a tremendous imagination tells the unforgettable.
Theres arturo the aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of genghis khan. Like many of the best american novels of the past fifty years, geek love tells the story of a family. Many products that you buy can be obtained using instruction manuals. Awardwinning novelist katherine dunn fascinates and amazes much the same way tornados, earthquakes, and volcanos do.
Geek love by katherine dunn overdrive rakuten overdrive. Her son told willamette week the cause was complications from lung cancer. We love the absurd, geek love tells us, because it allows us to feel normal. Geek love shows us, were all monsters, and if we arent, we all crave to be one. The book is katherine dunns geek love, a dazzling oddball masterpiece published 25 years ago this month. This thing of darkness i acknowledge mine the tempest, 5. Katherine dunn, the author of the darkly beautiful, disturbing, surreal carnival novel geek love, died on may 11 at age 70. No one wants to be a victim, but most find the event too hypnotic to ignore.
Pages can include considerable notesin pen or highlighterbut the notes cannot obscure the text. Author katherine dunn, who wrote the cult comic novel, geek love, has died at age 70. Jacket spine very faintly toned, jacket spine head very lightly bumped. As the children grow up, they realize their worth is directly related. That is to say she made her living by biting the heads off live chickens in front of a carnival audience.
337 1086 1273 879 395 980 462 1304 1038 1417 437 1461 590 1002 314 587 886 1361 219 535 852 605 883 418 1011 274 88 1025 1304 597 1112 1149