Rating: 
Summary: Thought-provoking but I didn't love it.
Review: After finally putting this book down, I found myself trying to analyze why it left me cold. It was definitely compelling to read about the alternate reality of the Binewski family, and about the love that held them together. I appreciated the way Katherine Dunn transforms what to the "normal" world would be hideous into something fanciful and beautiful. However, my fascination with her surreal, magical world soon tapered off into boredom as the book dragged on and on with Arturo and his cult. Yes, the characters are unforgettable, but I thought they were one-dimensional, and ultimately I didn't really care about them (even Oly got tiresome with her blind devotion to Arty). A much better book with a somewhat similar theme is Stones From the River--it also has a physically deformed narrator on the fringes of society, but she is a fully fleshed-out character and makes us truly empathize with her. With Dunn's freaks, we find ourselves watching them with morbid fascination and sometimes affection, but we are always on the other side of the glass. In the end, Geek Love was an engrossing read but it did not move me.
Rating: 
Summary: one of my favorite books of all time
Review: "Geek Love" is one of my favorite books of all time. I have purchased about six copies of "Geek Love" because I keep giving it away to friends insisting that they will love it, have to read it and will thank me for it. Only then I want to read it again and have to buy a new copy.The story revolves around a 'freak show' family named Binewski - Early in their marriage; the Lily and Art realized that if their children were deformed, their family would be a self-contained freak show. They do a lot of experimenting and end up with Arturo (born with flippers), Electra and Iphigenia (gorgeous siamese twins), Olympia (a dwarf hunchback), and Chick (telepathic). Not all of Lily and Art's children survived the experiments. Those that didn't are kept in glass jars and taken care of by Lily. "Geek Love" will push barriers and may be uncomfortable for some readers. It contains many dark and psychological undertones. There are shortfalls, however. The ending seems abrupt and thrown together. Even still, "Geek Love" is worth reading and loaning to friends to read.
Rating:
Summary: Far from Ordinary
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Difficult to read, but impossible to ignore
Review: Much like its subject matter, the side show "freak", this book can be ugly and disturbing, but it is impossible to turn away. Told from the viewpoint of the bald, Albino, hunchback dwarf daughter of a mother who deliberately took drugs and chemicals to give birth to freaks for the family carnival, the narration can be incredibly calm in the midst of the storm. The parents, who run a freak show and have freak children for fun and profit, have a son with flippers, and daughters who are Siamese twins, and a seemingly normal son who has telekinesis. Katherine Dunn's imagination is frightening. The story runs the gamut from gratuitous violence to incest to rape and murder. I could not wait to finish the book, but once I did, I never wanted to read it again. I was disturbed, confused, intrigued. There are some gaping holes in the story, you have to suspend disbelief, and the concurrent story about the woman who disfigures beautiful women with battery acid is downright chilling. But, it certainly captures your interest. It is unique, and I, personally, had seen nothing of its type before. It's difficult for me to say whether I recommended it. I can only say proceed with caution; it is engrossing and also terribly un-nerving.
Rating:
Summary: A real insight to humanity. Puts a lot into perspective.
Review: This book was really an eye opener. Graphic and grisley, it portrays a family of carnival performers who are not "normal" physically, but their heated emotions and horrifying actions will put the reader beyond appearences. Created by chemicals and drugs, the children of the Binewskis' are physically deformed, from siamese twins to hunchbacked albino; from Aqua Boy, to Chick, the "normal" in appearance. This family is all about the rivalries that societal families experience, and the love that all children crave and need. This book is definately one that any reader should pick up. It is definately not for the squeamish, with very graphic and explicit content, but the reader will not be disappointed. A tale of intrigue, hate, jealousy, and contorted love, this story is sure to get people thinking. It really made me change my views on how people look, and to derive more from people by how they think and feel. It lowers barriers and opens eyes. Geek Love is definately on my re-read list, so I hope you will make it a part of your list of books to get hold of, and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Dropped the ball
Review: It's obvious why this is one of those books to talk about. It's literature for people who've recently outgrown their Bukowski phase but still need a little grit. It's generally interesting, and sometimes quite fun. Though it tends to lose its threads when trying to be literary. Still, I enjoyed it right up until the very end. But it's the ending itself that nearly ruined the book for me. It fails because the narrator could not actually describe the final events and I was left thinking, "Wow, Katherine Dunn got herself into trouble here and didn't know how to get out, so she faked it." This might be too picky, but it truly did yank me out of the world she'd created. I felt tricked and manipulated. So... fun book... seriously flawed ending that kills all the build-up. Everyone's recommending this if you like Palahniuk. But this is several steps down and will be a disappointment once you've gotten yourself to Palahniuk's standards. Go with George Saunders or early Barry Hannah (before he became an alcoholic prick). Even better, just keep rereading JESUS' SON.
Rating:
Summary: memorable and stunning
Review: "Geek Love" is truly unlike anything I've ever read, and that's a good thing. It's not necessarily pleasant -- no tidy endings or happily ever after here -- but it sure is fascinating. Once getting to know the book's characters, you start to forget they're "freaks" and just start looking at them as people, and that's a beatiful thing, even if most of the characters are pretty reprehensible in their actions. Anyway, any time a book reviwer says a novel made them literally want to vomit, you know the book's author is doing something right.
Rating:
Summary: GEEK LOVE
Review: KATHERINE DUNN'S NOVEL "GEEK LOVE" IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASEURE OF READING. AND IT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME. I READ IT FIRST BACK IN 1996 AND AGAIN IN 2004. IT WAS JUST AS WONDERFUL THE SECOND TIME AROUND, IF NOT MORE SO. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN, LIKE A VOYEUR I WAS RIVETED TO THE SPOT, WATCHING THE BIZARRE PARADE OF CARNIVAL CHARACTERS MOVE BY IN THEIR OWN SECRET AND SAFE WORLD OF THE CARNIVAL MIDWAYS OF AMERICA, THEIR THOUGHTS ON EERILY "NORMAL" SUBJECTS, THEIR DESIRES TOO "HUMAN" TO BELIEVE. "GEEK LOVE" IS A NOVEL FULL OF "SIDESHOW FREAKS." LIKE THE CARNIVAL-GOERS, WE WATCH THEM WITH BOTH FASCINATION AND FEAR. THE LOBSTER BOY, THE SIAMESE TWINS,THE ALBINO MIDGET (OUR NARRATOR), ETC. ALL SURPRISE US IN THEIR BIZARRENESS AS WELL AS IN THEIR "NORMALNESS." THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE US, BUT THEY ARE US. THEY WANT WHAT WE WANT. THEY FEEL WHAT WE FEEL. AND SOMEHOW THIS IS VERY MOVING. SOMEHOW, BY THE END OF THE BOOK, WE HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HUMAN BEING. I LOVE THIS BOOK AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYBODY.
Rating:
Summary: Geek Love
Review: I thought that this was an awesome book, it went through every possible feeling that a human is capable of. It is very well written, crude at times, but all in all it is a full five stars. It is the only book that can come near any of Chuck Palahniuk's novels in ratings.
Rating:
Summary: Consdier this more of a warning than a review.
Review: If you have a weak stomach, are christian, have children, like happy books, do not have a sense of humor, consider yourself politically correct...put down the book and run far, far away. However, if you consider freaky, disgusting, and/or disturbing things to be fun, by all means read this book. It's different, interesting, and downright just plain wrong. *I* loved it.
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