Book Review: The Wonders: Lifting the Curtain on the Freak Show, Circus and Victorian Age by John Woolf.

"The Wonders: Lifting the Curtain on the Freak Show, Circus and Victorian Age" by John Woolf is a well-researched history of the freak show in nineteenth-century Britain and America. The book provides insights into the performers and behind-the-scenes figures of the freak show, as well as the promotion, exhibition spaces, costuming, and styles of performance. While the book offers valuable information on the development of popular entertainment and pop culture, it could benefit from a more thorough engagement with disability studies to challenge ableist perspectives. Overall, "The Wonders" is a valuable resource for scholars of theater and popular entertainment. [Extracted from the article]