The Final Confession of Mabel Stark

I finished this book last week and because it haunted me I wanted to allow time to put thoughts and feelings into words.

The story of Mabel Stark is an incredible one. Losing her parents at an early age meant Mabel had to fend for herself. After a brief time of nursing, Mabel gravitated to the circus. And, it is there that she found her career and love of dangerous tigers. The early 1900's were the golden age of circus. Brazen, gutsy, suicidally courageous, Mabel hailed as the most dramatic performer and was given center stage/ring for the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Mauled several times and at death's doorstep, she recovered and continued to perform, at one time with 18 tigers in the rink.

Her life was checkered with show more husbands (five of them) and tigers, including a beloved Bengal tiger Rajah. Raising the tiger much like a baby, it was housed in her dressing room.

Weighing under 100 pounds, and thin of frame, Mabel thrilled and captivated audiences as she courageously added more tigers and greater death defying feats to her act.

Tragically, the tiger queen committed suicide when she was 79.

This book, is as the cover notes, "a brilliant and exhilarating look at America before television and movies when circus reigned and an unlikely woman captured the public imagination with her singular charm and audacity."

What the cover does not note is that the vivid, explicit details of her sexual history consume way too many pages of the book. It is a severe detraction from the story. I understood that the author wanted to make a point that she was adventurous in a time when women were perceived to be quiet and unassuming, still I was repulsed by the graphic descriptions. show less

What a very peculiar novel. For one thing, when I bought it, I didn't realize Mabel Stark was a real person - and that kind of threw a shadow over the whole book. This is just too salacious and crazy a story to feel entirely comfortable as a fictionalized autobiography, especially when the subject is A) only moderately well-known, and B) only recently dead. 1968 isn't yesterday, but I'm sure there are still people alive who knew and maybe even worked with Mabel Stark. Since the author admits in the afterword that he changed certain things to fit the story, as well as filling in blanks, how much of this is real? What about the numerous, and rather descriptive sexual details? As a piece of fiction it's an enjoyable, if episodic book, with show more a unique narrative voice - but as "fictional non-fiction" it's a bit...iffy. show less

Really interesting book, based on a true story. Mabel is reaching the end of her life and is remembering her life in the circus. Her reminiscences seemed to flow better than her life in the 'present', but still a very good read.

The Last Confession of Mabel Stark by Robert Hugh is a very entertaining read! It's not the sort of book I would usually read, but it intrigued me and I kept eagerly turning pages. I loved the way the author wove together historical era fact with fiction in a very convincing manner. I was enthralled with the information about tigers, too, as the main character is a circus-style tiger trainer. The book is a great blend of action, reminiscence, and love told from the point of view of a woman who has lived a full life.

This book should have a trigger warning for the first few chapters, which describe a torturous practice called "hydrotherapy" used on wives who had been committed to mental hospitals by husbands displeased by their lack of willingness to have sex with them.

Once Stark is free of the hospital, the book is a fairly amusing read.

However, I would say that one should not read this book on the heels of The Night Circus. Hough describes the grit, dirt and seediness of the circus in the 1920s and 1930s while Morgenstern conjures up whimsical descriptions of a circus made of magic.

Fascinating person and life. I'm not a circus lover in general, so it was a stretch to start reading this book, but once I started, the story and character were both gripping and poignant. I listened on audio CD, which took longer, but I really recommend the reader.
P.S. Plenty of racy stuff, usually told relatively straightforwardly and sparingly.

This is one of those stories that will ride around with me for a long long time. Great story - Great story-teller... audible narration simply a perfect fit for this wild woman creating her own life in her own way. stunning ending... makes me aware of my age... and my future.
Highly recommended