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michelle_reads's review
3.0
I hadn’t heard a lot of Ripley’s stories, some of them I learned about during my bachelors since they were medical miracles. Most of them were still new to me, at least, the story behind them was.
While it was fun to learn more about Phinneas Gage and the tallest man, even about Beauty and the Beast, it all just feels a bit immature. Which isn’t bad, but since the only things I’ve heard about Ripley’s stories was that they were gory and unbelievable and astonishing, I guess I had expected something more.. gory maybe? And more astonishing?
I am a sucker for happy endings though and I’m glad some of the stories ended on a good note. I have no idea if it’s actually true, if they actually ended this way.. but at least I didn’t feel sad for all the people in the stories.
Another thing I liked was the sort of fact sheet at the end of every story. It contained a bit more backstory, or told the reader what happened after the story. It was great for people who came across these stories for the first time!
All in all the stories didn’t make me want to look up more after I finished it. I liked the stories but they weren’t all ‘unbelievable’. Maybe back in the day when so many things weren’t medically proven yet. I think I would have liked it more if this contained some more condensed versions of the stories and then more stories in general, aswell as more gore. It’s probably better if you’ve known more about Ripley’s before and wanted to read them again, or maybe for kids that want to know more about the stories. What I’m trying to say is that it just wasn’t for me.
While it was fun to learn more about Phinneas Gage and the tallest man, even about Beauty and the Beast, it all just feels a bit immature. Which isn’t bad, but since the only things I’ve heard about Ripley’s stories was that they were gory and unbelievable and astonishing, I guess I had expected something more.. gory maybe? And more astonishing?
I am a sucker for happy endings though and I’m glad some of the stories ended on a good note. I have no idea if it’s actually true, if they actually ended this way.. but at least I didn’t feel sad for all the people in the stories.
Another thing I liked was the sort of fact sheet at the end of every story. It contained a bit more backstory, or told the reader what happened after the story. It was great for people who came across these stories for the first time!
All in all the stories didn’t make me want to look up more after I finished it. I liked the stories but they weren’t all ‘unbelievable’. Maybe back in the day when so many things weren’t medically proven yet. I think I would have liked it more if this contained some more condensed versions of the stories and then more stories in general, aswell as more gore. It’s probably better if you’ve known more about Ripley’s before and wanted to read them again, or maybe for kids that want to know more about the stories. What I’m trying to say is that it just wasn’t for me.
etienne02's review
4.0
Good way to present those old Ripley's Believe it or not stories. First a short comic/cartoon story and then a brief resume of that «fact/story». Kind of urban legends sometimes amplify over time but most, if not all, have true historic facts attach to them. I always like those kind of weird stories and facts and creatures so for me it was a sure pick and I wasn't disappointed. If you like those like I do and like comic book this one is worth it, even if it's present in a more children like way!
superlove's review
4.0
There was a whole series of Ripley's Believe It Or Not books that I read back in the 70's. They were a big part of my pre-teen and early teen formative years. The paper was flimsy pulp and the hand-drawn B&W cartoons detailing each factoid filled the pages. Here's an example of a classic page: http://www.ripleys.com/core/answers/wp-content/uploads/199110151.jpg
garleighc's review
3.0
Not as good as some of the others I collect but I love following up with the same weirdos as they progress and attain new heights over the years. This book featured a "The Enigma" who's been a Ripley's star for years now.
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