I recall buying this book right after seeing David Lynch’s film of the same name back in the early 1980’s. The Elephant Man tells the moving and largely true story of Joseph* Merrick, (1862-1890) born in Leicester, England who suffered from an extremely severe case of neurofibromatosis and/or the result of a disease known as Proteus syndrome. His mother died when he was 11 and when his father remarried a year later, he left school to roll cigars in a factory but had to quit in a couple years because his right hand became too deformed to do the required tasks. He tried peddling wares for his father but by then his deformities were so severe and his speech so impaired, people were either afraid of him or unable to understand him. He went from workhouse to freak show, to eventually being rescued and helped by members of the London Hospital, especially Dr. Frederick Treves. I wondered when I picked up The Elephant Man again after 35 years if it would still move me like it did the first time. Actually I think I felt it more this time. Here is a short documentary about Joseph Merrick. Based on this info, the Sparks’ book and Lynch film are mostly accurate. My 1980 trade paperback edition is still in pretty good shape, which will come in handy for the next read.*Mistakenly called John in the movie and book due to Dr. Treves desire to protect his identity.
From the moment I picked up The Elephant Man, John Merrick latched himself onto my soul and stirred and awakened an even greater empathy within me. The Elephant Man is the heartbreaking tale of John Merrick, an Englishman born with major deformities. He was ridiculed his whole life, but learned that not all people are evil under the care of Doctor Frederick Treves. This book was heartbreaking, but honest, which I appreciated. It did not seem to sugar-coat the life of Merrick and it inspired me to learn more about Merrick’s actual life. Christine Sparks brings out the humanity within Merrick and shows how he is really just a man, no matter what he looks like.
Do You like book Elephant Man (1986)?
I believe this is one of the first books I’ve read that is based on the movie, rather than vice versa. At times it crosses the line into sentimentality, but romantics will take heart and a handful of tissues. Both the movie and the book condensed and misrepresented the real history of the real Elephant Man for dramatic effect. They also got his name wrong; it was Joseph and not John, but this is a common mistake attributed to his doctor’s memoir. However, what Christine Sparks captures is the humanity of a man who was barely accepted as human, who in turn inspired others to view their own lives and the things we easily take for granted through his eyes. The earnestness of Merrick and his pure joy at the simple pleasures in life, like hearing the happy laughter of the nurses on the ward, remind the reader of how easy it to be distracted from enjoying life.
—Sean Meriwether
مرد فیل نما فیلمی است به کارگردانی دیوید لینچ که در سال ۱۹۸۰ ساخته شده است. فیلم سعی در روایت زندگی تلخ جوزف مریک (در فیلم جان مریک) معلول از فرم افتاده انگلیسی در قرن ۱۹ دارد. فیلم در زمان خود نامزد دریافت هشت جایزه اسکار از جمله بهترین فیلم شد که موفق به دریافت هیچ‌کدام نشد. این فیلم سیاه و سفید فیلمبرداری شده است و فیلمنامه آن هم اقتباسی از داستان«مرد فیل نما و خاطرات دیگر» نوشته سِر فردریک ترِوِس بودلينك اين فيلم را در پايين مي‌گذارمhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080678
—Saman Kashi
