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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
The Autobiography of Tom Thumb: A Novel
by Melanie Benjamin
2011
Bantam/ Random
4.5 / 5.0
Melanie Benjamin has a talent for bringing her readers into deep, intimate worlds of the past. She brings to life historical periods and and the people who lived them, so seamlessly.
This historical fiction, based on the real life of Lavinia Bump Warren, a small person who became one of the most popular acts,( with her husband, Tom) in P.T. Barnum's museum, circus and traveling show. Don't let her size fool you-Ms. Bump knew what wanted and stood up what she believed in. She was a remarkable and endearing woman, full of ambition, and loving life.
Engaging, thrilling and fun. This was a delight to read.
by Melanie Benjamin
2011
Bantam/ Random
4.5 / 5.0
Melanie Benjamin has a talent for bringing her readers into deep, intimate worlds of the past. She brings to life historical periods and and the people who lived them, so seamlessly.
This historical fiction, based on the real life of Lavinia Bump Warren, a small person who became one of the most popular acts,( with her husband, Tom) in P.T. Barnum's museum, circus and traveling show. Don't let her size fool you-Ms. Bump knew what wanted and stood up what she believed in. She was a remarkable and endearing woman, full of ambition, and loving life.
Engaging, thrilling and fun. This was a delight to read.
Interesting. It's a fictionalized account of real people. For the most part I was engaged, but Vinnie is very dramatic and ego-centric which gets annoying. It drags on and reiterates too often -- in this sense, a written version of the book may go better than audio, since one's eyes could skim such passages easier than ears can.
I am fascinated with books based off of real people, especially when they are historical and the narrator knew a bunch of famous people from the past. The thing I hate about these books is the whole time I want to know what's true and what's not. This book was so entertaining though, I stopped caring and just enjoyed the story. I am excited to meet this author and read her newest book!
3 STARS
A fabulous fictional-autobiography on a woman who is overshadowed by her husband (Thomas Thumb) and mentor (P.T. Barnum). I recommend this to anyone who liked Water for Elephants or likes to read about the history behind the men and women who perform in circuses. Very well written.
A fabulous fictional-autobiography on a woman who is overshadowed by her husband (Thomas Thumb) and mentor (P.T. Barnum). I recommend this to anyone who liked Water for Elephants or likes to read about the history behind the men and women who perform in circuses. Very well written.
I really appreciate the historical perspective, as its set during the Civil War. Normally, I would probably not read a book set during the Civil War, because I had a history teacher in high school that spent an inordinate amount of time on the Civil War. Unfortunately, it turned me off for this period in history (not to deny the important and significant part it plays in our history.) Despite this bias, I was drawn to the story of someone challenged in the way Lavinia was during that period of history.
The approach Melanie Benjamin takes is so interesting, as you never really feel sorry for Lavinia. Instead, it feels like a genuine description and honest acceptance of her height and the challenges it brings her way. That does not mean I did not have sympathy, as there were so few (if any) accommodations made for people with different abilities. It must have been so frightening for her parents and then for her as you realized that she could be run over by a horse and buggy or any number of things. In addition to the historical and human component, I thoroughly enjoyed the intermissions between each chapter. The book has snippets of newspaper accounts from that time, very interesting. I learned so much about the beginning of the circus tradition in the US. What a unique part of our American History. Last, I have to say that the depiction of Lavinia and PT Barnum's relationship was unique. There seems to be a lot of license taken in this area, based on my understanding of the author's research into Lavinia's writings, letters, etc. It might be interesting to follow this book with a biography about PT Barnum.
I would definitely recommend this book. Maybe I should also give a disclaimer that I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but I had already marked it as a To-read.
The approach Melanie Benjamin takes is so interesting, as you never really feel sorry for Lavinia. Instead, it feels like a genuine description and honest acceptance of her height and the challenges it brings her way. That does not mean I did not have sympathy, as there were so few (if any) accommodations made for people with different abilities. It must have been so frightening for her parents and then for her as you realized that she could be run over by a horse and buggy or any number of things. In addition to the historical and human component, I thoroughly enjoyed the intermissions between each chapter. The book has snippets of newspaper accounts from that time, very interesting. I learned so much about the beginning of the circus tradition in the US. What a unique part of our American History. Last, I have to say that the depiction of Lavinia and PT Barnum's relationship was unique. There seems to be a lot of license taken in this area, based on my understanding of the author's research into Lavinia's writings, letters, etc. It might be interesting to follow this book with a biography about PT Barnum.
I would definitely recommend this book. Maybe I should also give a disclaimer that I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but I had already marked it as a To-read.
This was a look at a part of history I'm very unfamiliar with--the era of PT Barnum and his curiosities. Mrs. Tom Thumb, Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump Stratton, was one of Barnums main money makers for a long time, and this book seeks to give her a voice and not just a tag line. It succeeds in that, but the problem is that Vinnie's voice is just not that like able. She's selfish and thoughtless of anyone around her, and even the hardships she encounters aren't enough to make her attitude acceptable or readers sympathetic to her. This book gets three stars for its rich portrayal of the historical period.
Vinnie has to be one of the most annoying and unappealing narrators I've read in a long time. Most of the time I want to reach into the book and strangle her for her views and actions. It makes me wonder if the real Vinnie was like that. That being said however, this book was still amazing. I really did not know much about Tom Thumb or P.T. Barnum or even Vinnie before starting this book so I was a bit shocked to find out some of this information. But I know it's still a novel, some of it has to be based in the fact. The book was really intriguing and Vinnie just wanted to be normal but everything she did was so not normal.
Lavinia Bump may have been born a small person, but she was determined that it would not define her. She started her career as a school teacher, but quickly left for an opportunity to tour the Mississippi on a showboat. Throughout that journey she always had her sights set on Barnum and his American Museum. When she finally achieves that dream, and becomes the wife of the most famous little person, known as General Tom Thumb, she achieves the fame she longs for, but also discovers the dark side of the spotlight.
Here Melanie Benjamin creates a fictionalized account of Vinnie's life spanning her childhood until just after her husband's death. Vinnie's extraordinary life is chronicled almost too painstakingly from her humble beginnings to her world tour. Her relationship with Barnum and his influence on her life is especially explored. The book finished with an author's note on how she came to write the book, and the research she did to bring Vinnie to life.
Here Melanie Benjamin creates a fictionalized account of Vinnie's life spanning her childhood until just after her husband's death. Vinnie's extraordinary life is chronicled almost too painstakingly from her humble beginnings to her world tour. Her relationship with Barnum and his influence on her life is especially explored. The book finished with an author's note on how she came to write the book, and the research she did to bring Vinnie to life.
After reading this book, I have absolutely no desire to run away and join the circus. Very interesting story of an extremely dedicated and interesting woman.