Reviews for Flickering Flames: A History of Domestic Lighting

The average rating for Flickering Flames: A History of Domestic Lighting based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-10-13 00:00:00 Ty Culvet 3.5 The story of Joseph Merrick is such a poignant one, but there were also moments of happiness. There were acts committed by some that demonstrated cruelty but there were even more that showed kindness and caring of humankind. I thought the movie version was very good but, of course, figured that Hollywood took a lot of liberties in their portrayal and after reading this I can see where they did. The true story of the elephant man may not have been as dramatic as the movie version, but it was still powerful and, because it is true, I believe even sadder than what the emotion of the movie conveyed. Joseph's life was short and filled with misfortune and misery, but at least in his final few years he made friends, was surrounded by people who cared for him, and got to experience the life of a normal human being. People had always been terrified of him because of his extremely deformed appearance. It was common for women to faint or scream and run away when they confronted him, and on one occasion when he had been robbed and abandoned in a foreign country by a freak show manager he was not allowed on a train while trying to return to London because the passengers were terrified of him. The first time a woman came into his room at the hospital and greeted him by shaking his hand he broke down and sobbed because he had never had the experience. And as for my comment about him living a normal life, one of his greatest wishes, and one that was allowed by his friend and doctor, was to be allowed into a house so he could actually see what a real home looked like. Up to that time he had only read about them in books. All in all this was an informative and powerful biography. There were a few areas that felt a little dry and I think the author went into great detail on some areas that I don't think were necessary to the story. That is the reason for my 3.5 rating, but aside from those page fillers, this was a story worth reading.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-07-28 00:00:00 Gerald Leite I tried to read the entire book, but it was simply too dry. It also contained information that was not entirely relevant, such as a lengthly biographical sketch of Joseph Merrick's long term physician/friend, Dr. Treves. The author's prose was awkward, even confusing at times, creating a frustrating reading experience. The book has well researched information on Mr. Merrick, but it is contained in a dry and lifeless writing style.