Geek Love (original 1989; edition 1989)

Like magical realism - strange, gripping, unbelievable, believable. ( )

Over the years I've seen many comments about how disturbing Geek Love is in the reading. I had always assumed that the disturbing element in the narrative is the book's vibrant strain of the macabre. Given that I have a high tolerance for that sort of thing, I was expecting not to be disturbed and was looking forward to enjoying a well written, out of the ordinary tale. Lo and behold, I found large sections of Geek Love disturbing indeed. Not for its element of macabre, however. For at its core, this book for me is about malevolence, and about how a charismatically malevolent person can somehow inspire unconditional love and dedication instead of revulsion and dread. The level of malevolence portrayed is so deep as to be downright Shakespearean, and some of the acts perpetrated by the central character are, indeed, disturbing in the reading and in the post-reading reflection. The book is really a story within a story, both told by a well-developed character with a very good narrative voice. Unfortunately for me, both stories, the "present day" and the flashback tale, end rather abruptly and, for me, unsatisfyingly. I'm glad I read this book, but I wouldn't go out of my way to suggest it to anybody. ( )

crazy interesting, provocative, weird in a very good way ( )

ok, I’ve been trying to write a review about this book for a while now… and you know when you HAVE to write a review… cuz if not Tambo is going to fuck you up, I mean, not that she’ll ever fuck anybody up but you get my point! Tambo needs to be pleased! so today I’ma give her my honest opinion of this book…. here Tambo Alfonso on Geek Love:

I no longer remember the name of the main character… but she a dumb bitch! A masochistic dumb bitch, a retarded dumb ass bitch of mother fucking epic proportions! The reason this book got fight stars is simple… art is supposed to bring out emotions or something like that right??? And that bitch did bring some emotions… emotions that I love! Hate and anger!! I wanted to grab the dumb bitch and put a freaking shotgun on her mouth and fix all her problems…

Then there was this lizard/fish? Dude… I like him!!! He set up plan that ended up grabbing all those retarded people who love to join cults and made them work for him and the he make em beg to be dismembered!!!! FUCKING AWESOME!!! I like when the guy writing the news says something like after the amputated all their limbs they get to be retired to live the life of golden pumpkins!!! HAHAHAHA! THAT’S FUNNY! A bunch of dumb fucks unable to move… FUCKING BRILLIANT!

Then there was crystal lil or something like that… she was cool!

And then there was the weird asexual lady who was creepy as fuck… I didn’t like her… neither did I liked the chick with a tail… it was weird!


There I said it… I know it aint a review… but is all I got tambo!


( )

This book was fun and weird. Sometimes the content/messaging reminded me of Chuck Palahniuk: which isn't a complement. Would recommend to people who like "safe" weird books. Does that sound too snobby? ( )