Odd Books

Here you may read all about some very strange books including those pictured and many more.

Or, you may learn about the notorious rascal Frank Harris (1856-1931), author of that most lascivious and lying autobiography My Life and Loves.

Or, about Amanda McKittrick Ros (1860-1939), considered by some to be the worst ever novelist and poet.

Or, about Webster Edgerly (1852-1926), a misanthropic writer of dozens of books of self-help and pseudo-scientific crankery.

Or, some awful poetry.

Or, about me.

Latest Odd Book Reviews

Prelude to Sanity

S. Greiner
Samuel Greiner, a Floridian restaurateur, had some original notions about the human condition. Everyone else is not merely wrong but exists in a state of delusion, and until we recover our prehistoric wisdom, that's how things are going to remain. Hypnotic experiments he had undertaken using… continue reading

File under: cranky old geezers, pseudoscience, hypnosis

Incantation of the Law Against Inept Critics

Morten St. George
I do like a book that loudly touts an ambition it completely fails to live up to. Many of the works of Webster Edgerly fall into this category, for example, but whether Morten St. George is as much a charlatan as Edgerly is not apparent. Nothing is obvious when it comes to this book or its author,… continue reading

File under: Nostradamus, cryptology, occult powers, aliens

My Beatles Hell

Lew Baxter
Who does the pronoun "my" refer to in the title, "My Beatles Hell"? The most obvious answer would be Beryl Adams, the subject of Lew Baxter's book, but given how miserable an experience it appears to have been for him, it might equally be Baxter himself. Alternatively - and this is my own preferred… continue reading

File under: Beatles, Misery

Arresting Disclosures

John A. Bolton, M.I.H.
One day, several years ago, when passing by some stacks of laundered undergarments, my attention was arrested by an unpleasant odour of perspiration, which is frequently noticed in garments worn next to the skin. This was the pivotal moment in John A. Bolton's career, his road to Damascus, his… continue reading

File under: health, clothes, filth

The River Thames

John William Pitt
There are few good reasons to write a long poetic work, especially when the poetry is mediocre at best. John William Pitt had the notion that his literary salute to the Thames would be widely used in schools, which indeed it might if the business of education was to acquaint children with a random… continue reading

File under: poetry, waterways

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Most Popular Reviews

Moles and Their Meaning

Harry De Windt
BUY Moles and their Meaning today. This little book is something of a classic of its kind. It first came to my notice through Ash and Lake's Bizarre Books (1985, 1998), an admirable publication which I strongly recommend, though its authors take a fairly light-hearted approach to their material… continue reading

File under: physiognomy, divination, molesophy

Cyclomancy: The Secret of Psychic Power Control

Frank Rudolph Young
Power. Deep down, isn't that what we all want? Power over others, power to induce them to do our bidding, power to get what we want when we want it. Even better, psychic power, so one can control people with the mind, without resistance or resentment. (Just what I want for my birthday, in case you… continue reading

File under: occult powers, invented terminology, Excessive Use Of Capitalization

Does the Earth Rotate? NO!

William Westfield [pseudonym of William Edgell?]
In the compiling of this little book as a contradiction of the theory of the present Astronomers I have made a special point of being as concise and plain as possible in putting forward my proofs, and to do so I have used simple language not indulging in astronomical terms. My intention is to… continue reading

File under: flat earth, astronomy, theories, delightful illustrations

Earth's Earliest Ages

G. H. Pember
(Please note that this article contains mockery of sincerely held Christian beliefs, albeit of the flakier variety. If that sort of thing offends you, kindly shove off). It is interesting to observe how some misguided souls manage to build vast towers of supposition on the shakiest foundations by… continue reading

File under: Christianity, pre-adamites, Spiritualism, Satan, occult powers

Murdered Heiress... Living Witness

Dr. Petti Wagner
Wagner's account of her kidnapping and miraculous escape is a sort of fairy story for the soft of head. Born into a wealthy family, she became a successful businesswoman in her own right with her Herbagere hydroponics and Menotti permanent wave products. In 1971, though, her life was changed… continue reading

File under: Christianity, conspiracy, hair, crime, the most notorious psychiatrist in Texas

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