I laughed, I cried. A good biography. As usual, though, I felt like it just ended. We were casually having dinner with his family and the credits start rolling. Good until the end.

Biggest gripe: I really wish that I didn't know anything about the movie...I couldn't help but picture the characters from the movie as the characters in the book. The book unfolded somewhat predictably. But the story was worth telling. I found it easy to get into and all that being said it was a pretty okay read.

I also found the transitions between "the present" and "the past" annoying. It didn't add value to the story by having the character reflect on his life. It just gave the author an easy out for how to wrap up the story. I found the main character to be kind of a uni-tasker. I thought some of the more ancillary characters had more finesse and dimension than the supposed "main" characters.

Biggest sell: a nice piece of Americana showing us a more unsavory side of the already unsavory traveling circus. It's hard to dislike that. If you like animals, drunks, the circus, history or love, this is an easy indulgence.

Good book; not too pretentious or preachy or dry.

Weird ending. Okay book. Will not continue the series.