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A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not!" Ripley
*An Amazon Best Book of the Month
*A Barnes & Noble Booksellers' Pick
*An NPR pick for 2013
*A Vanity Fair Hot Type pick
*A Publishers Lunch Buzz Book 2013
*An iTunes/iBookstore Best Book of the Month
*A Parade magazine 2013 Summer Read
A Curious Man is the marvelously compelling biography of Robert “Believe It or Not” Ripley, the enigmatic cartoonist turned globetrotting millionaire who won international fame by celebrating the world's strangest oddities, and whose outrageous showmanship taught us to believe in the unbelievable.
As portrayed by acclaimed biographer Neal Thompson, Ripley’s life is the stuff of a classic American fairy tale. Buck-toothed and cursed by shyness, Ripley turned his sense of being an outsider into an appreciation for the strangeness of the world. After selling his first cartoon to Time magazine at age eighteen, more cartooning triumphs followed, but it was his “Believe It or Not” conceit and the wildly popular radio shows it birthed that would make him one of the most successful entertainment figures of his time and spur him to search the globe’s farthest corners for bizarre facts, exotic human curiosities, and shocking phenomena.
Ripley delighted in making outrageous declarations that somehow always turned out to be true—such as that Charles Lindbergh was only the sixty-seventh man to fly across the Atlantic or that “The Star Spangled Banner” was not the national anthem. Assisted by an exotic harem of female admirers and by ex-banker Norbert Pearlroth, a devoted researcher who spoke eleven languages, Ripley simultaneously embodied the spirit of Peter Pan, the fearlessness of Marco Polo and the marketing savvy of P. T. Barnum.
In a very real sense, Ripley sought to remake the world’s aesthetic. He demanded respect for those who were labeled “eccentrics” or “freaks”—whether it be E. L. Blystone, who wrote 1,615 alphabet letters on a grain of rice, or the man who could swallow his own nose.
By the 1930s Ripley possessed a vast fortune, a private yacht, and a twenty-eight room mansion stocked with such “oddities” as shrunken heads and medieval torture devices, and his pioneering firsts in print, radio, and television were tapping into something deep in the American consciousness—a taste for the titillating and exotic, and a fascination with the fastest, biggest, dumbest and most weird. Today, that legacy continues and can be seen in reality TV, YouTube, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Jackass, MythBusters and a host of other pop-culture phenomena.
In the end Robert L. Ripley changed everything. The supreme irony of his life, which was dedicated to exalting the strange and unusual, is that he may have been the most amazing oddity of all.
*A Barnes & Noble Booksellers' Pick
*An NPR pick for 2013
*A Vanity Fair Hot Type pick
*A Publishers Lunch Buzz Book 2013
*An iTunes/iBookstore Best Book of the Month
*A Parade magazine 2013 Summer Read
A Curious Man is the marvelously compelling biography of Robert “Believe It or Not” Ripley, the enigmatic cartoonist turned globetrotting millionaire who won international fame by celebrating the world's strangest oddities, and whose outrageous showmanship taught us to believe in the unbelievable.
As portrayed by acclaimed biographer Neal Thompson, Ripley’s life is the stuff of a classic American fairy tale. Buck-toothed and cursed by shyness, Ripley turned his sense of being an outsider into an appreciation for the strangeness of the world. After selling his first cartoon to Time magazine at age eighteen, more cartooning triumphs followed, but it was his “Believe It or Not” conceit and the wildly popular radio shows it birthed that would make him one of the most successful entertainment figures of his time and spur him to search the globe’s farthest corners for bizarre facts, exotic human curiosities, and shocking phenomena.
Ripley delighted in making outrageous declarations that somehow always turned out to be true—such as that Charles Lindbergh was only the sixty-seventh man to fly across the Atlantic or that “The Star Spangled Banner” was not the national anthem. Assisted by an exotic harem of female admirers and by ex-banker Norbert Pearlroth, a devoted researcher who spoke eleven languages, Ripley simultaneously embodied the spirit of Peter Pan, the fearlessness of Marco Polo and the marketing savvy of P. T. Barnum.
In a very real sense, Ripley sought to remake the world’s aesthetic. He demanded respect for those who were labeled “eccentrics” or “freaks”—whether it be E. L. Blystone, who wrote 1,615 alphabet letters on a grain of rice, or the man who could swallow his own nose.
By the 1930s Ripley possessed a vast fortune, a private yacht, and a twenty-eight room mansion stocked with such “oddities” as shrunken heads and medieval torture devices, and his pioneering firsts in print, radio, and television were tapping into something deep in the American consciousness—a taste for the titillating and exotic, and a fascination with the fastest, biggest, dumbest and most weird. Today, that legacy continues and can be seen in reality TV, YouTube, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Jackass, MythBusters and a host of other pop-culture phenomena.
In the end Robert L. Ripley changed everything. The supreme irony of his life, which was dedicated to exalting the strange and unusual, is that he may have been the most amazing oddity of all.
421 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2013
205 people are currently reading
4033 people want to read
About the author
Neal Thompson
10 books126 followersI'm the author of Kickflip Boys: A Memoir of Freedom, Rebellion, and the Chaos of Fatherhood (May 2018). Tony Hawk called it "fun, moving, raw and relatable.” Michael Chabon said it "captures the ache, fizz, yearning and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys." Maria Semple calls it "a riveting, touching, and painful read! My stomach was in knots page after page."
I've written four other books - stories about flawed and adventurous men - and have blabbed about those on ESPN, the History Channel, PBS, C-Span, Fox, TNT, and NPR. Plus five minutes on The Daily Show.
My previous book, A CURIOUS MAN - a bio of eccentric world-traveling millionaire/playboy cartoonist Robert 'Believe It or Not' Ripley - was an Oprah.com Book of the Week, an Amazon Best of the Month, and a PEN Center USA award finalist. Ben Fountain said (on NPR): "Anyone who wants to understand America needs to read this book … Neal Thompson gives us a vivid portrait of this complex, restless man in all his maniacally conflicted glory."
Other books: Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels and the Birth of NASCAR; Light This Candle: The Life & Times of Alan Shepard, America’s First Spaceman; and Hurricane Season: A Coach, His Team, and their Triumph in the Time of Katrina.
As a journalist, I've written for Outside, Esquire, Men’s Health, Backpacker, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more. I spent more than a decade as a newspaper reporter, including the Baltimore Sun, St. Petersburg Times, Bergen Record, Roanoke Times, and Philadelphia Inquirer. I've taught creative non-fiction at Seattle's Hugo House and at the University of North Carolina’s Great Smokies Writing Program, and served on the board of Seattle Arts & Lectures.
I'm a runner, reader, skier, stand-up paddleboarder, yogi, and a fan of brown liquor. I'm a naturalized Irish citizen, a mediocre guitar player. I'm from New Jersey.
I've written four other books - stories about flawed and adventurous men - and have blabbed about those on ESPN, the History Channel, PBS, C-Span, Fox, TNT, and NPR. Plus five minutes on The Daily Show.
My previous book, A CURIOUS MAN - a bio of eccentric world-traveling millionaire/playboy cartoonist Robert 'Believe It or Not' Ripley - was an Oprah.com Book of the Week, an Amazon Best of the Month, and a PEN Center USA award finalist. Ben Fountain said (on NPR): "Anyone who wants to understand America needs to read this book … Neal Thompson gives us a vivid portrait of this complex, restless man in all his maniacally conflicted glory."
Other books: Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels and the Birth of NASCAR; Light This Candle: The Life & Times of Alan Shepard, America’s First Spaceman; and Hurricane Season: A Coach, His Team, and their Triumph in the Time of Katrina.
As a journalist, I've written for Outside, Esquire, Men’s Health, Backpacker, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more. I spent more than a decade as a newspaper reporter, including the Baltimore Sun, St. Petersburg Times, Bergen Record, Roanoke Times, and Philadelphia Inquirer. I've taught creative non-fiction at Seattle's Hugo House and at the University of North Carolina’s Great Smokies Writing Program, and served on the board of Seattle Arts & Lectures.
I'm a runner, reader, skier, stand-up paddleboarder, yogi, and a fan of brown liquor. I'm a naturalized Irish citizen, a mediocre guitar player. I'm from New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 409 reviews
May 26, 2015
As a cultured lady who really loves wacky shit and useless-but-neat facts, this was right up my alley. I knew Ripley was an artist and the "Believe It or Not" guy, but didn't really know that he actually went to most of the places he drew. In fact, I didn't know much about him at all, minus that he's local and from blurbs and such I'd read at the 'Odditorium' at Fisherman's Wharf.
So I learned a lot about a pretty interesting fellow whose artwork and freaky souvenirs I've always enjoyed. What's not to like? Now I'm in the middle of a book of his early cartoons- this book definitely put me in a 'mood.'
And reading some of the reviews, I suppose I'll mention: I don't think the point of a biography is to gain ammo to judge a dead person's past, it's to find out more about a stranger who intrigues you. Ripley wasn't an awful, drunk, showboating womanizer who pointed a privileged finger at different cultures; he seemed to truly have an affection for and interest in a broad spectrum of hidden things and people. ....yes, fine: while being a bit of a drunk and womanizer. Eh, nobody's perfect.
So I learned a lot about a pretty interesting fellow whose artwork and freaky souvenirs I've always enjoyed. What's not to like? Now I'm in the middle of a book of his early cartoons- this book definitely put me in a 'mood.'
And reading some of the reviews, I suppose I'll mention: I don't think the point of a biography is to gain ammo to judge a dead person's past, it's to find out more about a stranger who intrigues you. Ripley wasn't an awful, drunk, showboating womanizer who pointed a privileged finger at different cultures; he seemed to truly have an affection for and interest in a broad spectrum of hidden things and people. ....yes, fine: while being a bit of a drunk and womanizer. Eh, nobody's perfect.
October 26, 2018
I'm glad I went into this book with neutral feelings on Ripley because I believe that if I had liked him this book would have been upsetting. He was a very talented and fairly generous person, but man was he a terrible racist and sexist. Even for the time period the things he does is awful. The man had a harem living with him forcing the girls to vie for top position. That's just so messed up.
June 2, 2022
I can see why this book is so highly rated. Barnes and Noble Booksellers Pick, NPR, Vanity Fair all gave this good marks when it came out. I don't remember how I first heard of this book, but downloaded it on my Kindle, and loved it so much I just ordered a paperback copy.
In my junior high years I was fascinated by Ripley's 'Believe It or Not' books and cartoons, along with UFOs, bigfoot, ghost sightings and anything strange or unusual that might have escaped being published in 'National Geographic'. Frank Edwards and his 'Stranger' series of books was also of this genre. I haven't been in a Ripley Odditorium, but certainly have passed by them in my travels, and have been tempted to go in!
It took a while, but then I wondered where did this Ripley and his ideas come from? Author Neal Thompson had the same idea after reading about the opening of a Ripley Odditorium in New York City. He discovered that a true unbiased biography didn't exist, and found many doors open to him to conduct his research into Ripley, including the current owners of the Ripley "Believe It or Not" empire.
At times I didn't know if I was more fascinated by Ripley, or learning of the times he lived in. Hard to believe there was a time newspapers didn't have photographers, instead they had 'cartoonists' or illustrators in every department. Ripley made his start as an early cartoonist along with Rube Goldberg (a real person--didn't realize he was a cartoonist), Tad Dorgan--(which everyone should know about) he coined the slang terms such as 'the cat's meow', 'drugstore cowboy', and 'busy as a one-armed paperhanger'. These are only a few samples--when did he have time to draw?
Ripley started his life in Santa Rosa, California. His carpenter father died from a heart attack when he was young, and Ripley's mother struggled to raise her family. Ripley started drawing at a young age, and was born with protruding front teeth which made him self-conscious. He was a poor student, but eventually made it to San Francisco to work as a cartoonist for various newspapers. He found that his meager earnings went further lodging and dining in Chinatown, starting a lifelong admiration for Chinese culture. Eventually Ripley made his way to New York City, home of the largest newspapers in the country at the time. Working primarily in the sports department, he discovered there weren't always enough sports events to cover, so he accumulated amusing facts to fill empty space which he called 'Champs and Chumps'. This eventually led to his 'Believe It or Not'
cartoon. In his youth, Ripley was quite athletic, tried out for the New York Yankees, and was a world class handball player. He even wrote a handball guide. His first trip outside the country was to cover the 1920 Olympics, which led to his fondness for later world traveling exploits.
Occasionally, in the midst of a chapter Thompson will include his own 'Believe It Or Not' item related to Ripley. One example is mentioning the '300 Club', a gin joint in prohibition era New York City that Ripley frequented. In 1926 the club's proprietress Tex Guinan netted $700,000. Every time she was arrested she claimed her patrons brought their own booze with them. She also claimed that the club was so small that her dancers had to dance in her customer's laps. Hence the origin of the term lap-dance.
Early publishers Max Shuster and his partner Dick Simon published the first Ripley book of cartoons in 1929. Simon and Schuster had printed the first crossword puzzle book in 1924.
From a shy buck-toothed youth with a talent for drawing, Ripley eventually became a world traveling oddity seeking showman exploring the furthest outposts. Not only did he survive the depression, he became wealthy during it! He transitioned into very popular radio shows and movie newsreels. Ripley eventually had an early television show shortly before his death which only survived thirteen episodes. He was only married once briefly, but seemed to have no shortage of female companionship. He eventually moved from his small apartment in a New York City men's club to a giant estate in Mamaroneck, New York. He loved throwing parties, often at the last minute. I'd love to take a time machine back to visit one of those!
Some interesting Ripley observations on his travels that don't seem to have changed much over time: "Ripley called rural Iraq a land “where ancient history is written in sweat and blood, where life is mixed with horror.” Baghdad, on the other hand, was “a man’s town, the most masculine place I have ever seen.”
'Ripley noted in his journal that even with the letter from the Persian ambassador his passage across Persia became entangled in red tape, and “we almost wished we had never heard of this police controlled country.” It took a full day to get permission to visit Isfahan, but he soon appreciated the access to “the most beautiful city in Persia.”'
In later years Ripley seemed easily upset. Although he seemed to have plenty of female attention, his long time traveling partner/lover/assistant Ruth 'Oakie' Ross died of cancer in 1940. He also observed the take over of his beloved China by communists led by Mao Zedong. His own deteriorating health and heart issues led to his early death in 1949. Ripley's 'Believe It or Not' life continues on however. The 'Believe It or Not' cartoon continued on by other artists is the longest running cartoon in the world.
In my junior high years I was fascinated by Ripley's 'Believe It or Not' books and cartoons, along with UFOs, bigfoot, ghost sightings and anything strange or unusual that might have escaped being published in 'National Geographic'. Frank Edwards and his 'Stranger' series of books was also of this genre. I haven't been in a Ripley Odditorium, but certainly have passed by them in my travels, and have been tempted to go in!
It took a while, but then I wondered where did this Ripley and his ideas come from? Author Neal Thompson had the same idea after reading about the opening of a Ripley Odditorium in New York City. He discovered that a true unbiased biography didn't exist, and found many doors open to him to conduct his research into Ripley, including the current owners of the Ripley "Believe It or Not" empire.
At times I didn't know if I was more fascinated by Ripley, or learning of the times he lived in. Hard to believe there was a time newspapers didn't have photographers, instead they had 'cartoonists' or illustrators in every department. Ripley made his start as an early cartoonist along with Rube Goldberg (a real person--didn't realize he was a cartoonist), Tad Dorgan--(which everyone should know about) he coined the slang terms such as 'the cat's meow', 'drugstore cowboy', and 'busy as a one-armed paperhanger'. These are only a few samples--when did he have time to draw?
Ripley started his life in Santa Rosa, California. His carpenter father died from a heart attack when he was young, and Ripley's mother struggled to raise her family. Ripley started drawing at a young age, and was born with protruding front teeth which made him self-conscious. He was a poor student, but eventually made it to San Francisco to work as a cartoonist for various newspapers. He found that his meager earnings went further lodging and dining in Chinatown, starting a lifelong admiration for Chinese culture. Eventually Ripley made his way to New York City, home of the largest newspapers in the country at the time. Working primarily in the sports department, he discovered there weren't always enough sports events to cover, so he accumulated amusing facts to fill empty space which he called 'Champs and Chumps'. This eventually led to his 'Believe It or Not'
cartoon. In his youth, Ripley was quite athletic, tried out for the New York Yankees, and was a world class handball player. He even wrote a handball guide. His first trip outside the country was to cover the 1920 Olympics, which led to his fondness for later world traveling exploits.
Occasionally, in the midst of a chapter Thompson will include his own 'Believe It Or Not' item related to Ripley. One example is mentioning the '300 Club', a gin joint in prohibition era New York City that Ripley frequented. In 1926 the club's proprietress Tex Guinan netted $700,000. Every time she was arrested she claimed her patrons brought their own booze with them. She also claimed that the club was so small that her dancers had to dance in her customer's laps. Hence the origin of the term lap-dance.
Early publishers Max Shuster and his partner Dick Simon published the first Ripley book of cartoons in 1929. Simon and Schuster had printed the first crossword puzzle book in 1924.
From a shy buck-toothed youth with a talent for drawing, Ripley eventually became a world traveling oddity seeking showman exploring the furthest outposts. Not only did he survive the depression, he became wealthy during it! He transitioned into very popular radio shows and movie newsreels. Ripley eventually had an early television show shortly before his death which only survived thirteen episodes. He was only married once briefly, but seemed to have no shortage of female companionship. He eventually moved from his small apartment in a New York City men's club to a giant estate in Mamaroneck, New York. He loved throwing parties, often at the last minute. I'd love to take a time machine back to visit one of those!
Some interesting Ripley observations on his travels that don't seem to have changed much over time: "Ripley called rural Iraq a land “where ancient history is written in sweat and blood, where life is mixed with horror.” Baghdad, on the other hand, was “a man’s town, the most masculine place I have ever seen.”
'Ripley noted in his journal that even with the letter from the Persian ambassador his passage across Persia became entangled in red tape, and “we almost wished we had never heard of this police controlled country.” It took a full day to get permission to visit Isfahan, but he soon appreciated the access to “the most beautiful city in Persia.”'
In later years Ripley seemed easily upset. Although he seemed to have plenty of female attention, his long time traveling partner/lover/assistant Ruth 'Oakie' Ross died of cancer in 1940. He also observed the take over of his beloved China by communists led by Mao Zedong. His own deteriorating health and heart issues led to his early death in 1949. Ripley's 'Believe It or Not' life continues on however. The 'Believe It or Not' cartoon continued on by other artists is the longest running cartoon in the world.
May 26, 2013
Boy was I ever disappointed with this book. The first part was fascinating about his early life and how he became a cartoonist. I became bored, though, after eighty pages when he started traveling to Europe and elsewhere. Too many details and too many other characters being introduced was driving me nuts.
March 9, 2013
Have about 30 pages to go - didn't know whether or not I would enjoy this book but I have found that it's difficult to put down. I was totally unaware of how "Believe It or Not" got started nor anything about Robert Ripley. This appears to be a very accurate book about his life, what influenced him and how he built an incredible empire. A must read for anyone that enjoys things out of the ordinary.
Just got finished reading this book. The more I read about Robert Ripley, the more impressed I became. I never realized that he was a philanthropist. He was a self-taught man who managed to make his way up in the world of journalism, traveled the world and managed to convey a lot of what he learned through the media.
The only reason I did not give this book a five star is that I would have liked to have seen some of his illustrations. Presently they are only on the front cover.
Just got finished reading this book. The more I read about Robert Ripley, the more impressed I became. I never realized that he was a philanthropist. He was a self-taught man who managed to make his way up in the world of journalism, traveled the world and managed to convey a lot of what he learned through the media.
The only reason I did not give this book a five star is that I would have liked to have seen some of his illustrations. Presently they are only on the front cover.
December 10, 2022
I can recall reading the cartoon "Believe it or Not" and Jack Palance hosting the television version but never gave much thought to the person who creating such fascinating entertainment. Although I must admit that some of the topics he reported on are now considered bias and bigoted. Thompson goes into not only his youth - and difficulties with his misaligned teeth that took him decades to have adjusted (the thought of having teeth pulled and then reset into their sockets to reduce the protrusion actually makes me flinch) - but his focus and dedication to finding a niche for himself so that he could care for his siblings and make a success of himself.
Admittedly, he was a individual who mixed charm and awkwardness. Who captivated women with his attentions but refused to dedicate himself to any one of them. His travelling persona was a cross between American buffoon and cultural anthropologist. An entertainer who brought the world and the common man into the homes - through newspaper, radio and television - of people across the world.
So here's to that original curious person who may actually be considered one of the fathers of the attraction of trivia and trivia contests across the world.
2022-272
Admittedly, he was a individual who mixed charm and awkwardness. Who captivated women with his attentions but refused to dedicate himself to any one of them. His travelling persona was a cross between American buffoon and cultural anthropologist. An entertainer who brought the world and the common man into the homes - through newspaper, radio and television - of people across the world.
So here's to that original curious person who may actually be considered one of the fathers of the attraction of trivia and trivia contests across the world.
2022-272
March 24, 2013
This was a giveaway book I had won. Much appreciation to those responsible for allowing me to get one of the first opportunities to enjoy it.
I was looking forward to reading this book because of the significance of Ripley even in today's pop culture. The book details every stage of Ripley's life but focuses mainly on two aspects. The first one is his emergence and popularity as a cartoonist with several different newspapers. The second is his love of travel and the extensive number of countries he visited during his lifetime, which was nearly every country in existence during the 1930's and 40's. This book has tons of detail and almost gives a play-by-play of his life. Some of it was very interesting but sometimes it bordered on redundancy. I learned that there was much more to him than what most people know as his namesake legacy, believe it or not. This was a good read, but I was expecting more of the curiosities that he is famous for. That may be due to my lack of knowledge of him and his beginnings though.
I was looking forward to reading this book because of the significance of Ripley even in today's pop culture. The book details every stage of Ripley's life but focuses mainly on two aspects. The first one is his emergence and popularity as a cartoonist with several different newspapers. The second is his love of travel and the extensive number of countries he visited during his lifetime, which was nearly every country in existence during the 1930's and 40's. This book has tons of detail and almost gives a play-by-play of his life. Some of it was very interesting but sometimes it bordered on redundancy. I learned that there was much more to him than what most people know as his namesake legacy, believe it or not. This was a good read, but I was expecting more of the curiosities that he is famous for. That may be due to my lack of knowledge of him and his beginnings though.
June 18, 2013
I tried. I could not get through this book though. I never wanted to pick it up because I found it so boring. And so long. The author goes into too much detail. I even skipped ahead and it didn't get any more exciting.
August 24, 2013
It was an entertaining enough read, I got just a tiny bit frustrated by the many "Believe It or Not" snippets throughout the book. Not a subject that I would have normally been curious about but I do appreciate the Goodreads Giveaway Program.
November 7, 2013
Like a few other readers here, I really wanted to like this book more since I have a deep love of Ripley's Believe or Not. As a child, I remember going to one of his Odditoriums (I believe in Myrtle Beach) and being blown away. I was equally impressed by the collections of his cartoons, which remain my favorite component of his media empire. They were beautiful, evocative, atmospheric, and really did transport you around the world. Perhaps that is why the world of this book is not as dazzling.
I think Neal Thompson did a great job researching of Ripley's history, especially the wealth of primary materials he dug up. I am happy this exhaustive biography exists, I just wish it was a tiny bit more engaging. I will recommend the audiobook of this too, which was performed wonderfully by Marc Cashman.
I think Neal Thompson did a great job researching of Ripley's history, especially the wealth of primary materials he dug up. I am happy this exhaustive biography exists, I just wish it was a tiny bit more engaging. I will recommend the audiobook of this too, which was performed wonderfully by Marc Cashman.
February 2, 2014
This Book is a true Winner. Robert Ripley IS CURIOUS. Beyond belief for sure. Strange? You bet. Weird? You bet. This guy is one of a kind. His life is fascinating beyond ---- Way beyond.
Won this book from GOODREADS.COM. A treasure of a book.
Believe It or Not I Really enjoyed this book.(less)
Won this book from GOODREADS.COM. A treasure of a book.
Believe It or Not I Really enjoyed this book.(less)
May 15, 2023
After a recent visit to view the many oddities on display in the original Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in St. Augustine, Florida, I had supposed that Mr. Ripley must have been a bit of an eccentric. Neal Thompson's portrait of this "Curious Man" brilliantly brings Ripley's story to life and made me appreciate the tongue-in-cheek use of the word "curious" in the title.
August 1, 2014
First and foremost, I am grateful to the website, "Blogging For Books" for sending me a copy of this book. I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.
"A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert 'Believe It or Not!' Ripley," by Neal Thompson, engrosses your attention from the get-go. Robert Ripley led such an extraordinary life, one feels compelled to "read all about it." It is a story of an awkward grammar-school outsider who becomes a dynamic, versatile, intriguing, gregarious, and extremely successful playboy. You can't help but remark, "Well, I'll be; believe it or not," after reading this rags-to-riches real life tale of a man who overcame significant odds to influence the world.
You might think I'm exaggerating extensively in the previous paragraph, but, I assure you, what I say I mean literally. Ripley was raised in turn-of-the-century Santa Rose, California, which helped him understand how the world possesses such extraordinary characters, being in the Old West and populated with artistic and spiritual types. He lost his father at a young age, necessitating working jobs as a boy. He had to deal with an ugly set of teeth. He acted shy to a fault in school, especially with the girls–and didn't even graduate. Not a light load to burden a young boy.
However, the gleaming ray of hope was his innate passion to draw. Many derided and discouraged him from that drive, but enough people saw potential and facilitated with opportunity, whether school work or finding him employment in the field after leaving home. Here one finds two important lessons from his early days: find your passion and develop it, and seek out mentors and opportunity wherever found.
As he moved and settled in New York City, Ripley acted as a pioneer in cartooning, journalism, travel, marketing, theatrical exhibitionism, radio, film, and even television. Along the way he accumulated an incredible team of staff and managers to handle the heavy and diverse workload Ripley's forays encompassed. Two lessons are found from the latter half of his life: experiment and innovate with what drives you, and seek out trustworthy, proactive colleagues.
Thompson chose the perfect subject to write about in Ripley, an individual of immense entertainment and entrepreneurial fodder. Here was a man who traveled to dozens and dozens of countries, met such extensive and diverse characters–from royalty to sideshow "freaks"–and lived the lifestyle of a grandiose superstar. He loved his drink, he loved his women, and he loved his adventures. Ripley led quite the incredible lifestyle. Thompson also shares Ripley's depression, insecurities, and emotional up's and down's. You get all the versatility of a real-life dynamic character from a poignant narrator.
Not only does Thompson do a magnificent job recounting Ripley's life and the "Believe It or Not!" brand, he also provides wide-ranging perspective on the first half of the Twentieth Century. Two world wars, depression, profound scientific discoveries and inventions, the people who were movers and shakers, all shown from one worldly man's perspective, and how it all affected him on a personal and professional level. Of course, how these people and events affected the country at large, as well, but Thompson maintained a strict focus on Ripley and those he touched. I enjoyed this rare dichotomy Thompson provided.
I'm surprised, as Thompson points out in the "Author's Notes", that a full-fledged biography was never written about such an influential and magnanimous man as Ripley was. Thompson has indeed found a subject that is a diamond in the rough; and he has done a magisterial job at that. If you want to read a well-written book full of adventure, history, and wackiness, "A Curious Man" is for you. You'll laugh, you'll gape, you'll anticipate, and, most of all, you'll enjoy this great book–you won't be disappointed.
"A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert 'Believe It or Not!' Ripley," by Neal Thompson, engrosses your attention from the get-go. Robert Ripley led such an extraordinary life, one feels compelled to "read all about it." It is a story of an awkward grammar-school outsider who becomes a dynamic, versatile, intriguing, gregarious, and extremely successful playboy. You can't help but remark, "Well, I'll be; believe it or not," after reading this rags-to-riches real life tale of a man who overcame significant odds to influence the world.
You might think I'm exaggerating extensively in the previous paragraph, but, I assure you, what I say I mean literally. Ripley was raised in turn-of-the-century Santa Rose, California, which helped him understand how the world possesses such extraordinary characters, being in the Old West and populated with artistic and spiritual types. He lost his father at a young age, necessitating working jobs as a boy. He had to deal with an ugly set of teeth. He acted shy to a fault in school, especially with the girls–and didn't even graduate. Not a light load to burden a young boy.
However, the gleaming ray of hope was his innate passion to draw. Many derided and discouraged him from that drive, but enough people saw potential and facilitated with opportunity, whether school work or finding him employment in the field after leaving home. Here one finds two important lessons from his early days: find your passion and develop it, and seek out mentors and opportunity wherever found.
As he moved and settled in New York City, Ripley acted as a pioneer in cartooning, journalism, travel, marketing, theatrical exhibitionism, radio, film, and even television. Along the way he accumulated an incredible team of staff and managers to handle the heavy and diverse workload Ripley's forays encompassed. Two lessons are found from the latter half of his life: experiment and innovate with what drives you, and seek out trustworthy, proactive colleagues.
Thompson chose the perfect subject to write about in Ripley, an individual of immense entertainment and entrepreneurial fodder. Here was a man who traveled to dozens and dozens of countries, met such extensive and diverse characters–from royalty to sideshow "freaks"–and lived the lifestyle of a grandiose superstar. He loved his drink, he loved his women, and he loved his adventures. Ripley led quite the incredible lifestyle. Thompson also shares Ripley's depression, insecurities, and emotional up's and down's. You get all the versatility of a real-life dynamic character from a poignant narrator.
Not only does Thompson do a magnificent job recounting Ripley's life and the "Believe It or Not!" brand, he also provides wide-ranging perspective on the first half of the Twentieth Century. Two world wars, depression, profound scientific discoveries and inventions, the people who were movers and shakers, all shown from one worldly man's perspective, and how it all affected him on a personal and professional level. Of course, how these people and events affected the country at large, as well, but Thompson maintained a strict focus on Ripley and those he touched. I enjoyed this rare dichotomy Thompson provided.
I'm surprised, as Thompson points out in the "Author's Notes", that a full-fledged biography was never written about such an influential and magnanimous man as Ripley was. Thompson has indeed found a subject that is a diamond in the rough; and he has done a magisterial job at that. If you want to read a well-written book full of adventure, history, and wackiness, "A Curious Man" is for you. You'll laugh, you'll gape, you'll anticipate, and, most of all, you'll enjoy this great book–you won't be disappointed.
July 8, 2021
2021 bk 200. A curious man. The phrase is a good description of Ripley of the cartoon fame. I learned a great deal about this man and his influence on American Society esp in the 1930's and 1940's. For instance - his was the original idea of a memorial at Pearl Harbor, sadly it was during his later years when he enthusiastically started projects but didn't seem to carry them through. I did not realize that the Believe or Not panels grew out of his career focused on cartoons about different sports. A curious man - he was both curious and people were curious about him. I think I personally would not have enjoyed his company - he was rude to the point of abusive to those around him - but I admire his ability to figure out how to get what he wanted. I gave the book 5 stars because of the author's excellent job of researching and then defining the man's life to a group of reader's who possibly only know him through a few museums, the catch - phrase, and possibly his cartoon panels.
March 19, 2013
I got this book in the Goodreads giveaway. I loved the "Believe or Not" show I used to watch as a child so I was excited to read this biography.
In short, it was amazing! Not only was it hard to put down, but it really showed how Ripley and the people he knew changed America. I loved how the author included "Believe or Not" facts that surrounded Ripley's life throughout the bio. Ripley was a fascinating character in American history. It is hard to believe the times he lived through and the things he had seen in his life. I couldn't recommend it more.
In short, it was amazing! Not only was it hard to put down, but it really showed how Ripley and the people he knew changed America. I loved how the author included "Believe or Not" facts that surrounded Ripley's life throughout the bio. Ripley was a fascinating character in American history. It is hard to believe the times he lived through and the things he had seen in his life. I couldn't recommend it more.
June 14, 2016
A well written and thoroughly researched book detailing the life of Robert Ripley. Ripley’s numerous travels and the people that he meets make for fascinating reading. Some of stunts that he managed on the radio shows were amazing. However, Ripley himself was a womanizer of the nth degree. He repeatedly praised countries where total domination of women was/is the norm. He also treated his many, many lovers rather shabbily. Ironically, Ripley believed in reincarnation and hoped to be reincarnated in China. If he was, I hope he came back as a woman!
June 16, 2013
Interesting man. Interesting life. I would have enjoyed the book more, if it were less. Just so much information.
August 28, 2013
Ughhhhh. Facile, halting bio of a complex, curious and rather awful fellow. Bio almost devoid of any meaningful analysis
September 18, 2019
During my childhood, my older brother had a copy of Ripley's "Believe It or Not" book that was originally published in 1929. This copy was probably one dated 1946 because I remember it had one item in it about Franklin Roosevelt's death. I was always fascinated by the book and its pages of cartoons and essays by Ripley about the strange and unimaginable. Such things as a man with horns growing out of his head, a two-tongued woman, how dead bodies were fed to vultures in India, a man committing suicide using a deck of cards, and on and on. This was one of my favorite books from my youth and I remember spending hours reading it.
A Curious Man is a fascinating biography of Robert L. Ripley, the creator of Believe It or Not. It tells his story from his youth growing up as a shy, buck-toothed introvert to becoming one of the richest and most well-known men in America. When he was young, his one asset was that he could draw and he later put this skill to use working for a newspaper in San Francisco drawing sports cartoons. He then went on to New York and came up with the "Believe It or Not" idea where he traveled the world looking for the bizarre and unusual. He eventually worked for William Randolph Hearst and his newspapers and his cartoons were syndicated across the country. He became famous by publishing such preposterous statements such as "Charles Lindbergh was only the sixty-seventh man to fly across the Atlantic." (He was the first to fly solo). Or that George Washington was not the first president of the U.S. He not only did his newspaper cartoons but also had a radio show and later even a TV show. By the 1930s, he was one of the wealthiest men in the U.S. making over $500,000 annually (over $9 million in today's dollars). He traveled extensively and especially loved the Orient. In his later years, he became very temperamental and moody and was saddened by China's move towards communism after WWII. Although he had many women friends and lovers, he never married someone he could be true to and died a very sad man.
After reading this, I found that PBS' American Experience did a feature on Ripley which is available on Youtube. The author of A Curious Man, Neal Thompson, was one of the narrators for the very interesting documentary. Well worth watching.
Overall, I found this biography of Ripley to be very compelling and full of interesting information about Ripley, his travels, and his times. I think most of us are fascinated by the bizarre and these days similar stories proliferate on reality shows and the internet. Ripley's legacy also continues with the many books that are still published as well as the Believe It or Not museums across the country and the world.
A Curious Man is a fascinating biography of Robert L. Ripley, the creator of Believe It or Not. It tells his story from his youth growing up as a shy, buck-toothed introvert to becoming one of the richest and most well-known men in America. When he was young, his one asset was that he could draw and he later put this skill to use working for a newspaper in San Francisco drawing sports cartoons. He then went on to New York and came up with the "Believe It or Not" idea where he traveled the world looking for the bizarre and unusual. He eventually worked for William Randolph Hearst and his newspapers and his cartoons were syndicated across the country. He became famous by publishing such preposterous statements such as "Charles Lindbergh was only the sixty-seventh man to fly across the Atlantic." (He was the first to fly solo). Or that George Washington was not the first president of the U.S. He not only did his newspaper cartoons but also had a radio show and later even a TV show. By the 1930s, he was one of the wealthiest men in the U.S. making over $500,000 annually (over $9 million in today's dollars). He traveled extensively and especially loved the Orient. In his later years, he became very temperamental and moody and was saddened by China's move towards communism after WWII. Although he had many women friends and lovers, he never married someone he could be true to and died a very sad man.
After reading this, I found that PBS' American Experience did a feature on Ripley which is available on Youtube. The author of A Curious Man, Neal Thompson, was one of the narrators for the very interesting documentary. Well worth watching.
Overall, I found this biography of Ripley to be very compelling and full of interesting information about Ripley, his travels, and his times. I think most of us are fascinated by the bizarre and these days similar stories proliferate on reality shows and the internet. Ripley's legacy also continues with the many books that are still published as well as the Believe It or Not museums across the country and the world.
January 29, 2021
It actually kind of felt like when you pay $25 to go to one of the tourist traps... excited at first, you think it’s cool and interesting at about a third of the way in, but at the half way point your wondering when it’s going to end and why you paid so much. But In this case money=time.
The beginning was good. I had no idea about his history, so I found that very interesting and fun. When he started traveling all over the world it was just a never ending list of travels, things he did, and items that interested him, little of which interested me.
The beginning was good. I had no idea about his history, so I found that very interesting and fun. When he started traveling all over the world it was just a never ending list of travels, things he did, and items that interested him, little of which interested me.
March 15, 2018
I’m giving this book three stars. I read this book over a few days while I was in the middle of jury selection. There were some parts I found interesting so me parts not so much but if you want to learn more about Ripley's believe it or not I would pick up this book.
May 22, 2023
4.5 🤩
February 24, 2016
An entertaining and for the most part lighthearted biography of a cultural icon, one that most Americans are familiar with as a brand name – “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” – but not as a person. I’d never stopped to wonder just who the Ripley behind the cartoon series was, which betrays a lack of curiosity that the ever-curious Ripley never would have had. I imagined the author, Neal Thompson, practically rubbing his hands together in glee at finding such a rich and hitherto unmined trove of information on this eccentric, colorful, and multifaceted man.
The book starts off promisingly and briskly, and while it does slow a bit halfway in and becomes somewhat repetitive (probably by necessity, as Ripley pulled so many stunts and took so many trips that were similar), Thompson does a good job of making his subject come to life. He even adopts a Ripley-esque device by inserting curious related factoids in italics, prefaced by the words, “Believe It!” flanked by heraldic flourishes. He also shows a keen appreciation for just how downright strange and yet charming his subject was.
Ripley amassed a fortune, built an empire, and was surrounded by a large coterie of devoted employees, numerous exotic lovers, a menagerie of pets, and a warehouse's (or two) worth of curios amassed during his travels, yet he retained an innocence and likability at his core. Thompson does a good job of illuminating all the nooks and crannies of Ripley’s mind, with its insecurities, enthusiasms, and sense of being an oddity himself. The author is something of a quick-sketch artist in describing Ripley’s friends, lovers, coworkers, and employees. I’d be hard pressed to think of another group as diverse and memorable, though perhaps Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders might be arguably have had a bit more dash.
Thompson also sheds light on how the famed “Believe It or Not” series got its start and some of the most memorable claims it made, the best of which were triumphs of showmanship and publicity, such as the claim that “Lindbergh Was the 67th Man to Make a Non-Stop Flight Across the Atlantic!” (The claim cleverly omits the word “solo” before “flight,” for indeed, a pair of English aviators had made the flight in 1919 and two dirigibles, carrying 31 and 33 people, respectively, had also made the crossing, thus leading to a total of 66 people who had crossed the Atlantic by air before Lindbergh.)
Another entertaining aspect of the book was looking back on the America of the first half of last century. There was some overlap with the events of another book I recently read, One Summer: America in 1927 by Bill Bryson, which was a bonus as I got to approach some of those events and figures from a different angle.
Having read this lightweight yet surprisingly affecting biography, the next time I spot a “Believe It or Not!” cartoon strip or museum (for the franchise name is as popular as ever), it’ll conjure up fond memories of reading this book. Highly recommended for those with a liking of American popular cultural history, eccentrics, showmen, and rags-to-riches tales.
The book starts off promisingly and briskly, and while it does slow a bit halfway in and becomes somewhat repetitive (probably by necessity, as Ripley pulled so many stunts and took so many trips that were similar), Thompson does a good job of making his subject come to life. He even adopts a Ripley-esque device by inserting curious related factoids in italics, prefaced by the words, “Believe It!” flanked by heraldic flourishes. He also shows a keen appreciation for just how downright strange and yet charming his subject was.
Ripley amassed a fortune, built an empire, and was surrounded by a large coterie of devoted employees, numerous exotic lovers, a menagerie of pets, and a warehouse's (or two) worth of curios amassed during his travels, yet he retained an innocence and likability at his core. Thompson does a good job of illuminating all the nooks and crannies of Ripley’s mind, with its insecurities, enthusiasms, and sense of being an oddity himself. The author is something of a quick-sketch artist in describing Ripley’s friends, lovers, coworkers, and employees. I’d be hard pressed to think of another group as diverse and memorable, though perhaps Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders might be arguably have had a bit more dash.
Thompson also sheds light on how the famed “Believe It or Not” series got its start and some of the most memorable claims it made, the best of which were triumphs of showmanship and publicity, such as the claim that “Lindbergh Was the 67th Man to Make a Non-Stop Flight Across the Atlantic!” (The claim cleverly omits the word “solo” before “flight,” for indeed, a pair of English aviators had made the flight in 1919 and two dirigibles, carrying 31 and 33 people, respectively, had also made the crossing, thus leading to a total of 66 people who had crossed the Atlantic by air before Lindbergh.)
Another entertaining aspect of the book was looking back on the America of the first half of last century. There was some overlap with the events of another book I recently read, One Summer: America in 1927 by Bill Bryson, which was a bonus as I got to approach some of those events and figures from a different angle.
Having read this lightweight yet surprisingly affecting biography, the next time I spot a “Believe It or Not!” cartoon strip or museum (for the franchise name is as popular as ever), it’ll conjure up fond memories of reading this book. Highly recommended for those with a liking of American popular cultural history, eccentrics, showmen, and rags-to-riches tales.
August 28, 2013
As a young child I remember looking at Believe It or Not in the Sunday newspaper as well as a book our family owned. I suppose Ripley’s cartoons (actually they are more like drawings than cartoons) appealed to my desire for adventure, travel and a fascination for the strange and weird. However, I never gave much thought about the artist behind these drawings.
Robert Ripley grew up in Santa Rosa, California – the same city associated with famed horticulturist Luther Burbank and cartoonist Charles Schultz. As a school boy Ripley would have been judged the least likely to succeed. He came from a poor family and was teased because of his buck teeth and stuttering. Ripley got his start as a staff artist for the San Francisco Bulletin, then a sports cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and eventually landed a lucrative job in New York working for William Randolph Hearst.
Here are a few Believe It or Not like facts about the man Leroy Robert Ripley:
• Robert Ripley lived through the 1906 earthquake. Although known as the Great San Francisco Earthquake, Ripley’s Santa Rosa was harder hit and sustained more damage.
• Ripley’s first Believe It or Not cartoon had a different name. It appeared December 1918 under the name “Champs and Chumps”
• The Looney Tunes cartoon character Elmer Fudd is believed to have been partly modeled on Ripley who stuttered.
• Ripley played a role in making the Star Spangled Banner our national anthem through a cartoon stating “America Has No National Anthem.” This led to letters to Congress, and finally in 1931 the passage of a bill making the Star Spangled Banner our official national anthem.
• Ripley’s most controversial cartoon that aroused the ire of much of the public said “Lindbergh was the 67th man to make a non-stop flight over the Atlantic Ocean!” Technically Ripley was right. Lindbergh was the first to make the SOLO non-stop flight over the Atlantic.
• Although Ripley was a high school dropout, he earned a doctorate. Missouri Valley College gave him an honorary doctorate for his “contributions to human knowledge” and his “stimulation of widespread interest in science, history, literature, and the arts…and his own achievements in overcoming personal handicaps.”
• As the highest paid cartoonist-journalist, Ripley was very wealthy. He once tried to buy a Mexican volcano, but the Mexican government hastily stepped in and made it state property.
Robert Ripley grew up in Santa Rosa, California – the same city associated with famed horticulturist Luther Burbank and cartoonist Charles Schultz. As a school boy Ripley would have been judged the least likely to succeed. He came from a poor family and was teased because of his buck teeth and stuttering. Ripley got his start as a staff artist for the San Francisco Bulletin, then a sports cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and eventually landed a lucrative job in New York working for William Randolph Hearst.
Here are a few Believe It or Not like facts about the man Leroy Robert Ripley:
• Robert Ripley lived through the 1906 earthquake. Although known as the Great San Francisco Earthquake, Ripley’s Santa Rosa was harder hit and sustained more damage.
• Ripley’s first Believe It or Not cartoon had a different name. It appeared December 1918 under the name “Champs and Chumps”
• The Looney Tunes cartoon character Elmer Fudd is believed to have been partly modeled on Ripley who stuttered.
• Ripley played a role in making the Star Spangled Banner our national anthem through a cartoon stating “America Has No National Anthem.” This led to letters to Congress, and finally in 1931 the passage of a bill making the Star Spangled Banner our official national anthem.
• Ripley’s most controversial cartoon that aroused the ire of much of the public said “Lindbergh was the 67th man to make a non-stop flight over the Atlantic Ocean!” Technically Ripley was right. Lindbergh was the first to make the SOLO non-stop flight over the Atlantic.
• Although Ripley was a high school dropout, he earned a doctorate. Missouri Valley College gave him an honorary doctorate for his “contributions to human knowledge” and his “stimulation of widespread interest in science, history, literature, and the arts…and his own achievements in overcoming personal handicaps.”
• As the highest paid cartoonist-journalist, Ripley was very wealthy. He once tried to buy a Mexican volcano, but the Mexican government hastily stepped in and made it state property.
September 9, 2015
A CURIOUS AND CAPTIVATING READ.
“Ripley tried to deliver it all with a wink, and most readers accepted the hint of charlatanism, knowing that some of Ripley’s statements couldn’t possibly be proven or disproven, that it was all for fun.” (p. 148)
I remember as a youngster, Ripley’s Believe It or Not was my very favorite part of the Sunday papers. So I wasn't too surprised to read: “A late-1940 Advertising Research Foundation survey found that Believe It or Not had become the second most popular newspaper feature. Only the front page was of more interest to readers.” (pp. 277-278) And I could skip the front page.
Neal Thompson has given us and excellent biography of an incredibly interesting and curious person in his superlative and engaging, A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley.
I hadn't known that Ripley was such an extensive and accomplished traveller; to whit: “[in 1939] …Time magazine dutifully reported that “buck-toothed Ripley” had visited two hundred nations and was now “more widely traveled than Marco Polo, Magellan, and any other human being that ever lived.” (p. 262)
And what of the incredible and exciting people Ripley knew? Just a small list, in no particular order, from this book: Damon Runyon, Rube Goldberg, Bugs Baer, Will Rogers, the Marx Brothers, George Gershwin, Fanny Brice, Harry Houdini, Pearl S. Buck, Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Duke Kahanamoku, Jimmy Durante, Eddie Rickenbacker, James Doolittle. What a cast of outstanding characters.
And wealthy? In 1936, in the middle of the Great Depression, “…the curious cartoonist from Santa Rosa was [. . .] earning as much as GM’s president and ranked among the highest-paid men in America.” (p. 239)
Recommendation: Others have lived fuller, more interesting lives that LeRoy Robert Ripley, I’m sure; but perhaps not all that many. You could go far before finding another biography as captivating as this one. “Compared to the average Joe, Ripley seemed to have lived the life of twenty men.” (p. 364)
“If Ripley told me I had two heads, I would go out and buy two hats. And tip them both to the greatest cartoonist in the history of American journalism.” [—Bugs Baer, eulogizing Ripley] (p. 362)
Kindle edition, 373 pages
“Ripley tried to deliver it all with a wink, and most readers accepted the hint of charlatanism, knowing that some of Ripley’s statements couldn’t possibly be proven or disproven, that it was all for fun.” (p. 148)
I remember as a youngster, Ripley’s Believe It or Not was my very favorite part of the Sunday papers. So I wasn't too surprised to read: “A late-1940 Advertising Research Foundation survey found that Believe It or Not had become the second most popular newspaper feature. Only the front page was of more interest to readers.” (pp. 277-278) And I could skip the front page.
Neal Thompson has given us and excellent biography of an incredibly interesting and curious person in his superlative and engaging, A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley.
I hadn't known that Ripley was such an extensive and accomplished traveller; to whit: “[in 1939] …Time magazine dutifully reported that “buck-toothed Ripley” had visited two hundred nations and was now “more widely traveled than Marco Polo, Magellan, and any other human being that ever lived.” (p. 262)
And what of the incredible and exciting people Ripley knew? Just a small list, in no particular order, from this book: Damon Runyon, Rube Goldberg, Bugs Baer, Will Rogers, the Marx Brothers, George Gershwin, Fanny Brice, Harry Houdini, Pearl S. Buck, Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Duke Kahanamoku, Jimmy Durante, Eddie Rickenbacker, James Doolittle. What a cast of outstanding characters.
And wealthy? In 1936, in the middle of the Great Depression, “…the curious cartoonist from Santa Rosa was [. . .] earning as much as GM’s president and ranked among the highest-paid men in America.” (p. 239)
Recommendation: Others have lived fuller, more interesting lives that LeRoy Robert Ripley, I’m sure; but perhaps not all that many. You could go far before finding another biography as captivating as this one. “Compared to the average Joe, Ripley seemed to have lived the life of twenty men.” (p. 364)
“If Ripley told me I had two heads, I would go out and buy two hats. And tip them both to the greatest cartoonist in the history of American journalism.” [—Bugs Baer, eulogizing Ripley] (p. 362)
Kindle edition, 373 pages
September 15, 2014
A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley by Neal Thompson
When I received this readers’ copy, I thought this would be a great read. I remember reading Ripley cartoons and information blurbs when I was younger and found the information hard to believe but realized that the information was accurate if somewhat distorted on occasion. The life and times of Ripley should have made an interesting read. Instead, it was a story about a less than honest and egomaniacal journalist looking to make a name for him any way he could.
Ripley’s early life left some lasting impressions on the young lad. He eventually matured into a handsome fellow who seemed to have a great deal of success with the women of the day. He stylized himself an adventurer so long as there were creature comforts available, namely alcohol and women.
Thompson develops his story around how the “Believe It or Not!” cartoons became so successful. Initially, the cartoons featured amazing athletes and athletic feats. However, trying to create a new cartoon about the same topic time-after-time must be very challenging. It was not until Ripley journeyed on an around-the-world voyage that his cartoons started to feature some really odd and amazing things. Pearlroth, the real brain behind the Ripley cartoons, received no credit from Ripley after years of digging up strange and obscure factoids that they could use in the cartoons. The strange, the odd, the bizarre, and the grotesque became an American obsession and led Ripley to his niche.
The showmanship of Ripley’s oddities and grotesqueries as he called them quickly began and bought Ripley more fame and fortune. In 1929, Simon & Schuster published a 188 page Ripley book to astounding success. The rest as they say is history.
I felt let down by the time I got half way through the book but I pushed on hoping that the story got better. Thompson has a great writing style but I just found the topic boring by this time.
I am going to look for other Thompson books and compare them to this one. I hope I do not have the same concerns after reading them.
Overall, if you are a true Ripley fan then I suspect you will like this book. If you have a passing interest in Ripley then you might enjoy this story.
Happy Reading,
When I received this readers’ copy, I thought this would be a great read. I remember reading Ripley cartoons and information blurbs when I was younger and found the information hard to believe but realized that the information was accurate if somewhat distorted on occasion. The life and times of Ripley should have made an interesting read. Instead, it was a story about a less than honest and egomaniacal journalist looking to make a name for him any way he could.
Ripley’s early life left some lasting impressions on the young lad. He eventually matured into a handsome fellow who seemed to have a great deal of success with the women of the day. He stylized himself an adventurer so long as there were creature comforts available, namely alcohol and women.
Thompson develops his story around how the “Believe It or Not!” cartoons became so successful. Initially, the cartoons featured amazing athletes and athletic feats. However, trying to create a new cartoon about the same topic time-after-time must be very challenging. It was not until Ripley journeyed on an around-the-world voyage that his cartoons started to feature some really odd and amazing things. Pearlroth, the real brain behind the Ripley cartoons, received no credit from Ripley after years of digging up strange and obscure factoids that they could use in the cartoons. The strange, the odd, the bizarre, and the grotesque became an American obsession and led Ripley to his niche.
The showmanship of Ripley’s oddities and grotesqueries as he called them quickly began and bought Ripley more fame and fortune. In 1929, Simon & Schuster published a 188 page Ripley book to astounding success. The rest as they say is history.
I felt let down by the time I got half way through the book but I pushed on hoping that the story got better. Thompson has a great writing style but I just found the topic boring by this time.
I am going to look for other Thompson books and compare them to this one. I hope I do not have the same concerns after reading them.
Overall, if you are a true Ripley fan then I suspect you will like this book. If you have a passing interest in Ripley then you might enjoy this story.
Happy Reading,
April 10, 2013
I can remember growing up reading the Ripley's "Believe-It-Or-Not" comic strip every Sunday morning in our local newspaper. Fond memories indeed but when I saw that there is now a new biography of the man behind the art, I was chagrined to realize that I knew so little about him. I suspect many of us are in this same boat as there hasn't been much biographical work on Robert Ripley. It's almost like the cultural institution that is Believe-It-Or-Not was invented by a publishing house or something and there was no actual person named Ripley.
Fortunately this book is here to set the record straight. It does a great job of providing many details of the man's life and especially how his life reacted and inter-related to his times. To witness the transformation of a shy, odd-looking, buck-toothed, stutterer into one of the world's most successful and popular celebrities is fascinating. I never realized how famous and popular he was in the 1930's and 1940's. The author does a very nice job of showing us the man behind the legend, including his extreme work ethic and constant and driving creative talent. Never one to rest on his laurels, Ripley was constantly seeking new projects and ways to bring the Ripley "brand" to new audiences and in new formats (comic strips, radio shows, museums, live on-scene radio broadcasts, and finally television).
This biography does not shy away from the warts though. Ripley often drank to excess and was an over-the-top womanizer, and was apparently prone to violent outbursts, especially in his later years. Reading such things made the overall reading experience "real" even if not always enjoyable. I think we like our protagonists to be more on the perfect side than the less-than-perfect, but such is the nature of biographies. I was pleased to see that if the author, a journalist by trade, had any bias at all toward his subject, he kept it well hidden. He delivers a straight forward fact-driven biography that not only tells the life story of an extremely interesting man, he does it in such a way that we really feel we know him and what makes him tick.
Highly recommended.
Fortunately this book is here to set the record straight. It does a great job of providing many details of the man's life and especially how his life reacted and inter-related to his times. To witness the transformation of a shy, odd-looking, buck-toothed, stutterer into one of the world's most successful and popular celebrities is fascinating. I never realized how famous and popular he was in the 1930's and 1940's. The author does a very nice job of showing us the man behind the legend, including his extreme work ethic and constant and driving creative talent. Never one to rest on his laurels, Ripley was constantly seeking new projects and ways to bring the Ripley "brand" to new audiences and in new formats (comic strips, radio shows, museums, live on-scene radio broadcasts, and finally television).
This biography does not shy away from the warts though. Ripley often drank to excess and was an over-the-top womanizer, and was apparently prone to violent outbursts, especially in his later years. Reading such things made the overall reading experience "real" even if not always enjoyable. I think we like our protagonists to be more on the perfect side than the less-than-perfect, but such is the nature of biographies. I was pleased to see that if the author, a journalist by trade, had any bias at all toward his subject, he kept it well hidden. He delivers a straight forward fact-driven biography that not only tells the life story of an extremely interesting man, he does it in such a way that we really feel we know him and what makes him tick.
Highly recommended.
April 28, 2013
Between PT Barnum and reality TV there was Ripley. This is a fascinating look at his life and how he developed a brand in the infancy of the concept.
The book is a simply written narrative. Author Neal Thompson tells how the young buck-toothed LeRoy Ripley grew up in Santa Rosa. He lost his father as a teen, and not much later experienced losses in the earthquake of 1906. He left his high school, inexplicably, without a diploma. While he had some setbacks he built a niche in sports cartooning, and from there branched out into sports trivia. From trivia it was a short leap to oddities.
Three things struck me about him. The first is his loyalty to longtime friends and employees. (Norbert Pearlroth, Arthur "Bugg" Baer, Doug Storer, the mysterious Oakie, and later Li Ling-Ai). Second is how thoroughly drinking is wed to his lifestyle. He seems to be a serious alcoholic, and this may be the reason the work is always behind. Third is his attitude and how it differed from that of P.T. Barnum. He respected his audience (they weren't fools born every minute to him) and strove to give them a satisfying experience (and not to show them to the egress).
Up to now, Ripley had not had a full scale biography. The author was surprised to find only a short treatment of his life in 1961. This is a lighthearted look at a world traveling entrepreneur, and hopefully, others will use this as a guide to subsequent and more interpretive works: Did Ripley see the world as a collection of trivia? How did he get anything done with so many distractions and so much booze? What were his relationships to the glass eaters, nail sleepers, the man with the braille reading tongue and the other odd people he employed? Why did he hate Roosevelt and the New Deal so much? As a playboy who preferred women of achievement, what was his real, attitude towards women? Is there a reason no children came from these affairs... or were there?
I read a review copy through the Amazon Vine program. I'll be looking for the finished work and hope to see one lush with photos.
The book is a simply written narrative. Author Neal Thompson tells how the young buck-toothed LeRoy Ripley grew up in Santa Rosa. He lost his father as a teen, and not much later experienced losses in the earthquake of 1906. He left his high school, inexplicably, without a diploma. While he had some setbacks he built a niche in sports cartooning, and from there branched out into sports trivia. From trivia it was a short leap to oddities.
Three things struck me about him. The first is his loyalty to longtime friends and employees. (Norbert Pearlroth, Arthur "Bugg" Baer, Doug Storer, the mysterious Oakie, and later Li Ling-Ai). Second is how thoroughly drinking is wed to his lifestyle. He seems to be a serious alcoholic, and this may be the reason the work is always behind. Third is his attitude and how it differed from that of P.T. Barnum. He respected his audience (they weren't fools born every minute to him) and strove to give them a satisfying experience (and not to show them to the egress).
Up to now, Ripley had not had a full scale biography. The author was surprised to find only a short treatment of his life in 1961. This is a lighthearted look at a world traveling entrepreneur, and hopefully, others will use this as a guide to subsequent and more interpretive works: Did Ripley see the world as a collection of trivia? How did he get anything done with so many distractions and so much booze? What were his relationships to the glass eaters, nail sleepers, the man with the braille reading tongue and the other odd people he employed? Why did he hate Roosevelt and the New Deal so much? As a playboy who preferred women of achievement, what was his real, attitude towards women? Is there a reason no children came from these affairs... or were there?
I read a review copy through the Amazon Vine program. I'll be looking for the finished work and hope to see one lush with photos.
September 7, 2015
While a somewhat obscure figure these days, this biography shows how Robert Ripley went from humble beginnings to world-famous cartoonist and one of the richest men in America.
Ripley lived the life of a pulp hero, and the book often has the same sort of breathless voice found in the old adventure magazines. I found it interesting that the narrative focuses more on his life in New York (and later Florida) than the details of his overseas excursions. Despite the adventurer mystique, it turns out that he tended to spend his many trips in relative comfort and surrounded by other Westerners, rather than do much in the way of trailblazing. It turns out that his life in America--as a somewhat awkward figure thrust into the celebrity spotlight--is every bit as interesting as his travels, however.
Ripley is represented as an interesting and conflicted human being, and the book doesn't shy away from presenting some of the more negative aspects of his personality (alcohol abuse, womanizing, and a propensity towards fits of rage as his health declined later in life).
The book makes an effort to parallel his unlikely life with the subject matter of his "Believe It or Not" newspaper cartoons, with occasional sidebars mentioning unusual coincidences or people mentioned in passing who later went on to do notable things. While these sidebars are interesting, they didn't feel frequent enough to fully carry off the conceit.
"A Curious Man" is a brisk read. Just like the man whose life it chronicles, the narrative is always on the move. Recommended for those with an interest in early 20th century Americana and world travel.
Ripley lived the life of a pulp hero, and the book often has the same sort of breathless voice found in the old adventure magazines. I found it interesting that the narrative focuses more on his life in New York (and later Florida) than the details of his overseas excursions. Despite the adventurer mystique, it turns out that he tended to spend his many trips in relative comfort and surrounded by other Westerners, rather than do much in the way of trailblazing. It turns out that his life in America--as a somewhat awkward figure thrust into the celebrity spotlight--is every bit as interesting as his travels, however.
Ripley is represented as an interesting and conflicted human being, and the book doesn't shy away from presenting some of the more negative aspects of his personality (alcohol abuse, womanizing, and a propensity towards fits of rage as his health declined later in life).
The book makes an effort to parallel his unlikely life with the subject matter of his "Believe It or Not" newspaper cartoons, with occasional sidebars mentioning unusual coincidences or people mentioned in passing who later went on to do notable things. While these sidebars are interesting, they didn't feel frequent enough to fully carry off the conceit.
"A Curious Man" is a brisk read. Just like the man whose life it chronicles, the narrative is always on the move. Recommended for those with an interest in early 20th century Americana and world travel.
February 6, 2014
A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley by Neal Thompson
421 pages
★★★★
I have to admit that Robert “Believe it or Not!” Ripley was not a very likable guy. He was a boozer, racist, a womanizer, and a jerk but one must also needs to remember in part of that that he was a product of his time. So while I didn’t particularly like the man, I did like the book.
The author, Neal Thompson, does a great job in researching and writing about Ripley. He kept my attention from the beginning. Ripley lived a fascinating life and he definitely had one of those rags-to-riches stories that people love so much. Ripley was talented and well travels. He discovered many things in a time where many believed nothing else could be discovered. He was a man obsessed with finding the “weird” and he would travel the world to find it. I don’t have too many complaints on the writing of this biography. At no point did I find myself bored. My one complaint is that the author seems to have some kind of obsession with Ripley’s teeth! Seriously, Ripley was born with a severe jutting of the teeth and it seems like in almost every chapter the author is back on “overcoming appearance his teeth gave him”, you’d think Ripley made it so far only by his ability to “overcome” his teeth (while I understand it gave him a speech impediment, I think one or two mentions would have been plenty). I was actually excited when it was mentioned that he had major reconstructive surgery on his mouth because it meant I no longer had to read about them. This was a fun, random biography I picked up. Well done.
421 pages
★★★★
I have to admit that Robert “Believe it or Not!” Ripley was not a very likable guy. He was a boozer, racist, a womanizer, and a jerk but one must also needs to remember in part of that that he was a product of his time. So while I didn’t particularly like the man, I did like the book.
The author, Neal Thompson, does a great job in researching and writing about Ripley. He kept my attention from the beginning. Ripley lived a fascinating life and he definitely had one of those rags-to-riches stories that people love so much. Ripley was talented and well travels. He discovered many things in a time where many believed nothing else could be discovered. He was a man obsessed with finding the “weird” and he would travel the world to find it. I don’t have too many complaints on the writing of this biography. At no point did I find myself bored. My one complaint is that the author seems to have some kind of obsession with Ripley’s teeth! Seriously, Ripley was born with a severe jutting of the teeth and it seems like in almost every chapter the author is back on “overcoming appearance his teeth gave him”, you’d think Ripley made it so far only by his ability to “overcome” his teeth (while I understand it gave him a speech impediment, I think one or two mentions would have been plenty). I was actually excited when it was mentioned that he had major reconstructive surgery on his mouth because it meant I no longer had to read about them. This was a fun, random biography I picked up. Well done.
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