Rating: 
Summary: Amazing
Review: Nominated for the National Book Award, Geek Love is the mesmerizing, twisted tale of the beauty and pitfalls of being different. A cult classic, this novel is filled with dark humor and positively stunning prose. An original by one of the most gifted writers of our time.
Rating: 
Summary: This book has no theme!
Review: This book did not disturb me on some deep psychological level. In fact, although (as another reviewer notes) the plot is convoluted and sometimes interesting, the THEME seems to be lacking, and it's tough to get behind a book without a theme. What's the point, that even freaks can love? I didn't really feel any love between characters coming through in the text, or any real feelings. Also, there is not a SINGLE LIKEABLE CHARACTER in this entire tale, not even the adorable and inscrutable telekinetic kid, who by the way turns nasty toward the end and begins lopping off the limbs of unwilling victims. WHY did he turn nasty, due to Arturo's evil influence (huh)? The closest to a likeable character is Miranda, but she's kinda bland. With whom am I meant to sympathize? The albino main character? I don't sympathize and I don't really get her. She's a cold blooded murderer who sort of likes her victim OK and understands her motivations in life? I merely fail to see the point; I suppose when an author fills a book with individuals with whom one could not possibly identify, you lose interest. I quite agree with the reader to argues that this book has no end. However, it doesn't have much of a beginning or a middle, either. I'll admit I finished the book, but very halfheartedly. I don't like to leave books half-read. I give the book two stars for spinning an OK plot and using some very interesting turns of phrase, but in the end I don't see the appeal here.
Rating: 
Summary: Wacka-doo cool!
Review: I saw this book in a store, thought the title looked funny and flipped it over to see what it was about. I had never heard of the author. Well, I thought it sounded like a fascinating story, so I bought it. The beginning is a little slow and confusing, but I will say this: persevere and you will be rewarded! The middle section of this book is the best! Reading about all these "freaks", who still have human thoughts and feelings, it is both unsettling and nice at the same time. The ending was too abrupt, but all in all, a very different, interesting read. I dare somebody to make it into a movie!
Rating: 
Summary: what are you people thinking?
Review: I'll never get it. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've seen someone unwrap this book as a birthday gift. Each time my hand covers my face incredulously as the giver exclaims "You'll absolutely LOVE this book! It's so great!" And each time I fight the urge to stand up and scream, "Nooooo!" Well, unless I really don't like the birthday girl/boy in which case I sit back & nod my head in agreement.I read Geek Love a few years ago. I'd heard so many recommendations that I decided it was a safe reading choice to take on a 2 week trip to France. I didn't take a back up book. This was my mistake. Yes, it's well written. Yes, it's unique. Yes, it has developed, original characters (the strongest of which are mostly unlikeable to say the least) with unusual relationships & a non-simplistic plot. The problem was that due to this book I spent most of my time in France fighting the urge to vomit along with every chapter. Once I realized I hated it, I thought of putting it aside but I had no back up book and was sitting by the beach a lot with nothing to do. So in the end I decided it would be good to finish what I started before making a final opinion, so I waded through the whole thing. Normally I keep books forever. When I finished the last word of Geek Love, I threw it into the garbage. Then I literally worried that some innocent maid might take it out of the trash to read it & I didn't want to inflict it upon them. We have enough problems with the French not liking us. If you have no empathy for characters in books, Geek Love might not bother you. If you think Apotemnophiles (people who want to be amputees) are cool, well hey man, this is the book for you. Personally, I simply don't get all of the people who seem to love it. Reading these reviews, I'm amazed to find that I'm in the minority of readers that hated it... but baybee, I'm here to represent. Frankly, I'm proud to say I hated such an evil book... and I don't think I've ever called a book evil before in my life. That said, while I hated the book I think Katherine Dunn is a great writer. If she wasn't, I probably wouldn't have passionate feelings about what I read. I would actually like to read other stories of hers. About something ELSE, please.
Rating:
Summary: Mostly good
Review: This book was definitely a very interesting read. I ripped through it in only a few days, which is rare for me. Dunn's tale of the carnival (Perhaps the same one portrayed in Bradbury's _Something Wicked This Way Comes_?) is engrossing and a subject which can be totally fictionalized in my mind (and I assume most readers) due to lack of firsthand knowledge. The fantasy world that Dunn creates is thoroughly entertaining if not chilling. The writing is excellent; Dunn's style is highly descriptive, visually, and flows quite well. Aside from a few dull spots, the book has a very quick and witty pace. This book would have received five stars were it not for the end... Dunn seems to have forgotten that there are three parts to a book, each equally important: Beginning, middle, and end. The beginning is captivating and shocking. The middle I've already discussed. The end, unfortunately, is totally abrupt and undeveloped. My only guess is that Dunn ran out of steam and just wanted to finish the project as quickly as possible. Still, this is a great read and I recommend it. Just don't expect complete satisfaction.
Rating:
Summary: A unique, riveting family portrait
Review: This book is unlike anything I've read before. Katherine Dunn writes with a force and bravado I haven't seen anywhere else. Her descriptive style is somewhat unsettling and dark but ALWAYS paints a picture so vivid that you can almost see, smell or taste whatever it is she's writing about. It's amazing how real she can make the world she's invented seem. From page one she has you riveted to her story and refuses to let go until the very last page. And what a thrill to be so captivated by a book! To be that caught up in a story is a rare feat, and yet Dunn does it so effortlessly that it belies the incredible talent that goes behind it. 'Geek Love' is the story of a family that is completely unlike yours and yet so familiar that it is almost creepy. Through a family of 'freaks' Dunn eloquently explores a wide array of themes and leaves the reader with much to consider. It is a celebration of the unique and a parable of family. It is about the follies of self-righteousness and the pains of dependency. It is a story of acceptance, of love and devotion, of how far we will go and how terrified we can be to take a single step. Quite simply, 'Geek Love' is brilliant. Everyone should read this book -- it's appeal is universal as is its message. Each person can find something to take from it that may forever alter the way you see the world (and isn't that the hallmark of quality literature in a nutshell?).
Rating:
Summary: More Fun than Biting the Head off a Live Chicken
Review: This book amazed me in that it simultaneously disgusted and amused me. It is such a freakish setting and subject, yet Dunn manages to create real charcaters that I really cared about. It is unforgettable, whether you like it or not, and the perfect book for those who need a little of the dark side in their literature every once in a while.
Rating:
Summary: The Weirdest Book I've Ever Loved
Review: After the first chapter of "Geek Love," I almost put it down because it was too weird. From the beginning it makes you wrap your mind around the fact that parents were willing to make their children freaks for their own economic gain and those children love being freaks. This book continually to demands you come to terms with a different set of emotional guidelines, to empathesize with horrors. However, I could not put it down. It is an exceptionally well-written melodrama where no event is too out of the ordinary to occur. It holds your attention to the last page, but if I did have one critique it would be that the climax is too easy after the complex tale Dunn weaves. I recommend it highly to anyone looking for something different.
Rating:
Summary: Dull
Review: Dunn has a fascinating premise here, but she drops the ball. Don't bother with this. The idea of challenging the conventional idea of normal is a good one, but Dunn fails to develop any of the characters here and so in the end, you really don't care.
Rating:
Summary: A most bizarre and satisfying read
Review: GEEK LOVE is one of the most bizarre and satisfying reading experiences I've had. I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said. This book is twisted, bizarre, empathetic, and ethereal. Katherine Dunn possesses quite the original mind. GEEK LOVE is a difficult read but if you give yourself up completely to Dunn's disturbing creation, you won't be disappointed.
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