Circus of the Scars: The True Inside Odyssey of a Modern Circus Sideshow by, Jan T. Gregor and Tim Cridland.

This popped up on Netgalley the other day, and it is fascinating. I know I typically stick to fiction but every now and then I do enjoy stepping outside my comfort zone.

So, what are you reading?

Circus of the Scars (Release Date: November 3, 2016)

Before rock-and-roll there was Sideshow, which captivated, mystified and enraged audiences for over a hundred years. But heading towards the end of the 20th Century, you could count the remaining Sideshows on one hand. Entertainment had become sanitized and corporatized for mass consumption; lukewarm safe with no sharp edges. That is, until a modern Sideshow came to town in 1991.

The contemporary tale–as told by Jan T. Gregor–is one of scandal, sex, drugs, fame, lust, longing, camaraderie and betrayal. Intertwined into the present day story is an equally compelling historical voice: the intimate passages from a long lost and only recently discovered 142-year-old diary.

CIRCUS OF THE SCARS is the ultimate rollercoaster ride, careening through two years of Sideshow present while simultaneously barreling down 150 years of Sideshow past. CIRCUS OF THE SCARS takes you on a bizarre odyssey around the globe with a Sideshow troupe that truly was live, real, raw and dangerous. Learn the hidden secrets behind one the most emotion-inducing acts of the 20th Century.

The most imaginative casting agent couldn’t have chosen the original troupe with more flair:
The Amazing Mister Lifto
The Torture King
The Enigma
Matt The Tube Crowley
With Dolly the Doll Lady
They were led by the maniacal hype-master himself, Jim Rose, who was assisted by Bebe’ the Circus Queen.
The Marvels came together to revive the ancient art of Sideshow . . . which had nearly been lost . . . but not forgotten.

Circus of the Scars has been embellished with over 100 hand-drawn illustrations by Madame Talbot. The book also features show posters, handbills, ticket stubs and other related ephemera.

One word of warning: You will be entering into another world, another realm, another dimension–the world of sideshow. The money you spend you will never remember. What you read about inside you will never forget.

Circus of the Scars is jam-packed with generous amounts of inside information and juicy backstage details, as well as plenty of historical anecdotes from the golden age of sideshows past.

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