David Lynch's The Elephant Man (1980), Frederick Treves's memoirs, Bernard Pomerance's play, seeing the replica skeleton at the Royal London Hospital Museum along with related documents... Joseph Merrick, who suffered from severe deformities that led to him being called "The Elephant Man" and who died at the age of 27 (the specific illness remains unknown), has been in my life for quite a while.

I thought it was now high time to find out his true story, and it really feels like it due to the research put into it and the level-headed juggling of many alternate facts. Howell and Ford do dedicate a fair bit of space to various other topics, but I don't mind that at all, as long as they offer insight into the cultural and sociological aspect of the era or a background/perspective to understanding the person.

Considering that the amount of information we have about Merrick is all contradictory (even he himself told half-truths about himself, either intentionally or because that's what he genuinely believed) or colored by the person's own interpretations and preconceptions, the authors did a damn good job. This is especially prominent in the issue of freak shows. Is it right to say that Merrick was rescued from being displayed as a freak, when in fact he was the one who suggested to be displayed in the first place? Or was his settling for the life of a freak due to the non-existent conventional job opportunities outside the workhouse?

Merrick's story isn't a simple "looks don't matter" message. It's about a man who was a real person with a real personality, and who was an incredibly kind and gentle soul with a childlike admiration for the beauty of the world. People might hear about him for the first time because of his deformities, but I hope he stays with them because of who he was. He didn't deserve the tragedy of his early life, but at least we have the consolation that he got to experience a semblance of a normal life and fulfill some of his dreams.