Reviews

Henry Darger, Throwaway Boy: The Tragic Life of an Outsider Artist by Jim Elledge

lowlifeform's review

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i REALLY wanted to like this, but unfortunately the author refused to distinguish between fact and fiction. i don't mind speculation, in fact i really enjoy it! but it MUST be clear what is and isn't true...

lergoo's review

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5.0

This book focuses on the life of Henry Darger, a man who did not have a lot of luck in life. Poor, abused, institutionalized and the list goes on. Jim Elledge, after more than 10 years of research, tries to clear a lot of misconceptions that are being thrown around about Henry Darger. How he might've been a serial killer, an abuser and even a pedophile. This book lays bare Henry's life from his birth to his death, and it is indeed a tragic one. It gave a lot of really interesting but sometimes quite saddening views into the life of this outsider artist.

I found it to be a really worthwhile read and if you want a peep through the keyhole into Henry Dargers' life, then I would highly recommend this.

library_raider's review

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challenging dark emotional informative slow-paced

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aabha's review

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5.0

I wish I could take the child Darger in my arms and comfort him, protect him and love him. He would have been an incredible artist eve then, just that his art would have taken a different direction. Much love to Jim elledge for studying and demistifying some of the myths surrounding Darger.
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