"Imagination was the armour that protected him from the curious glances of a cruel, gaping world, from the stinging lash of ridicule, from the bombardments of banana skins and orange peel."

Considering I've been a fan of Freaks (1932) for over ten years, I thought it was time to finally read the story it's based on. Although I already knew that pretty much everything had been changed (the title, the character names and personalities, most of the plot), it was still a surprise how little had actually been retained. I definitely prefer the direction Tod Browning took. However, the premise is still interesting and a bit bizarre, and I would have liked the story without knowing anything about the movie.