Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

why: because I've always thought I needed to read a novel called Geek Love

when: start 5/31, end 6/28

how: as an ebook on my ipad

thoughts: I assumed this novel was about love between geeks, you know, something like this:

or something like this:

But nope. That's not what this refers to. I did not know about one definition of "geek" (see #3 below): 

geek [geek]
noun Slang.

1. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used byoutsiders.)
2. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, especially one who isperceived to be overly intellectual.
3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, like biting off the head of a live chicken.

This is turning out to be the summer of the carnies for me, since I'm also planning to read this once it comes out on June 4 (it's been a while since I've read any Stephen King).

This book was trippy for sure--and I kind of loved it. I kept pondering the whole time what love meant ultimately in the context of this family. People went to great lengths in this family to protect the oddities that really made them who they were and they work that they did in their lives because of those oddities.

But I do wish the book didn't end before the reader got to see how Miranda responded to learning the truth about her heritage and learning why she has a tail...

Click on the book image to get to the wikipedia entry for Geek Love.

review haiku:
geeks are not just nerds
think old-timey carnivals
where geeks love fiercely