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Lobster Boy: The Bizarre Life and Brutal Death of Grady Stiles Jr.
Recounts the disturbing story behind the sensational murder of a deformed circus sideshow performer by his wife and stepson, who revealed years of unrepressed physical and emotional abuse. Original.
331 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1995
57 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
Fred Rosen
43 books60 followersAmerican true crime author and former columnist for the Arts and Leisure Section of The New York Times.
Rosen's published works in the genre include Lobster Boy, There But For the Grace: Survivors of the 20th Century’s Infamous Serial Killers and When Satan Wore a Cross.
He is also the winner of Library Journal’s Best Reference Source 2005 award for The Historical Atlas of American Crime, and has written many other works of historical non-fiction including Cremation in America, Contract Warriors and Gold!.
Rosen's published works in the genre include Lobster Boy, There But For the Grace: Survivors of the 20th Century’s Infamous Serial Killers and When Satan Wore a Cross.
He is also the winner of Library Journal’s Best Reference Source 2005 award for The Historical Atlas of American Crime, and has written many other works of historical non-fiction including Cremation in America, Contract Warriors and Gold!.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 14, 2009
I am embarrassed to admit I read this. But god help me I loved it. The book was a guilty pleasure, completely trashy, sensationalistic, and utterly uncharming. Sometimes you just have to stare at the train wreck and even though you feel bad for finding entertainment there, you just can't pull your eyes away. I am so ashamed of my self.....
September 29, 2014
This book is, unfortunately, one of those instances where the writing doesn't live up to the story.
Let's begin with the good stuff. The content is fascinating and the author obviously put a lot of time into the research. We're taken through three generations of a dysfunctional family. We're shown what life is like for families who are part of traveling carnivals, particularly back when physical disabilities were considered human oddities that people would pay to see - and mock.
Now on to the bad stuff. The writing is truly terrible. We have constant misused tenses, with inappropriate shifts between present and past. The sentence structure is often awkward and uncomfortable to read. Much of the story, particularly during the cover of the trial, is nothing more than a recitation of facts. This quickly becomes repetitive and dull, as if we're reading a trial transcript.
There is a certain amount of subjectivity in Rosen's account of this story. He clearly has a vested stake in the trial, as he proudly injects himself into the center. This is done with a sense of self-righteousness, in the name of justice. He also makes several statements that show his ignorance and prejudice on certain topics.
I read a lot of true crime and, while the facts of this case are disturbing, that's to be expected. The details, though, felt chosen for effect. I couldn't help but think we were missing something. We were shown a kind of one-sided view. For one thing, I think the author missed an important opportunity to explore the issue of battered wife syndrome. Sadly, this was one of those areas where the author was closed off and showed a bit of ignorance.
In the end, this is a fascinating case and that is the only reason I got through the entire book. With a talented editor, or maybe a ghostwriter with a good sense of storytelling, this would be a riveting story.
** I was provided with a copy of this book by WildBlue Press in exchange for an honest review. **
Let's begin with the good stuff. The content is fascinating and the author obviously put a lot of time into the research. We're taken through three generations of a dysfunctional family. We're shown what life is like for families who are part of traveling carnivals, particularly back when physical disabilities were considered human oddities that people would pay to see - and mock.
Now on to the bad stuff. The writing is truly terrible. We have constant misused tenses, with inappropriate shifts between present and past. The sentence structure is often awkward and uncomfortable to read. Much of the story, particularly during the cover of the trial, is nothing more than a recitation of facts. This quickly becomes repetitive and dull, as if we're reading a trial transcript.
There is a certain amount of subjectivity in Rosen's account of this story. He clearly has a vested stake in the trial, as he proudly injects himself into the center. This is done with a sense of self-righteousness, in the name of justice. He also makes several statements that show his ignorance and prejudice on certain topics.
I read a lot of true crime and, while the facts of this case are disturbing, that's to be expected. The details, though, felt chosen for effect. I couldn't help but think we were missing something. We were shown a kind of one-sided view. For one thing, I think the author missed an important opportunity to explore the issue of battered wife syndrome. Sadly, this was one of those areas where the author was closed off and showed a bit of ignorance.
In the end, this is a fascinating case and that is the only reason I got through the entire book. With a talented editor, or maybe a ghostwriter with a good sense of storytelling, this would be a riveting story.
** I was provided with a copy of this book by WildBlue Press in exchange for an honest review. **
August 31, 2009
HAHAHAHAHA. I totally read this book as a teenager. It was the best book I could find at K-Mart in whatever depressing place my family went on vacation. HAHAHAHAH!
September 20, 2013
On Sunday, January 25, 2004 I wrote about this book: (Not much alas)
I did not plan to read this book after the first pages,did not seem like a great book, but after a while I wanted to know more of the story of Lobster boy.
So I am reading it right now and after that will send to Bug007
Okay back to now. I remember the story was great and very interesting but the writing was not that good.
I did not plan to read this book after the first pages,did not seem like a great book, but after a while I wanted to know more of the story of Lobster boy.
So I am reading it right now and after that will send to Bug007
Okay back to now. I remember the story was great and very interesting but the writing was not that good.
October 10, 2015
Pretty interesting story. Kinda a biography/true crime book. The Lobster Boy story is definitely a strange yarn. It's hard for me to feel bad for anyone involved. Grady Stiles was a monster. And not just in appearance. And his family made NO effort to prevent or escape their situation. In my opinion, Theresa Stiles didn't deserve to be abused(no one does) but she deserved to be in prison. I will admit that sometimes the writing seems a bit dry, doesn't really grab you. But the story is so bizarre and interesting that it didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book. I would say overall, a cool little book.
January 22, 2023
Proof positive, if you needed it, that people who work as sideshow attractions are just like the rest of us. Grim, sad story of domestic battering, lousy decisons and difficult lives capped by a murder conspiracy. This is a rare case because Fred Rosen, who normally stays out of the middle of the action as any journalist would, actually found himself contributing evidence to the trial. This book has a solid sense of setting. I looked up the scene of the crime and it looks totally unchanged. Better upon re-reading. Recommended!
August 28, 2015
Actually it's more 1.5 stars, because I was caught up in the beginning. However, in the middle it just bogged down and wasn't picking up for me.
I get the total and complete dysfunction and handicapped thing, but for me if you lean on your handicap as an excuse, it's appalling. The dad is a scumbag. Sorry, this one wasn't for me.
I received this book from the publisher for my opinion and honest review.
I get the total and complete dysfunction and handicapped thing, but for me if you lean on your handicap as an excuse, it's appalling. The dad is a scumbag. Sorry, this one wasn't for me.
I received this book from the publisher for my opinion and honest review.
January 29, 2017
What a crazy true-crime story. I thought it was well-written and told, but it lost some of its steam when the author entered the story. The switch from reporting events to being a participant in them was jarring. But the first two-thirds of the book is well reported.
May 21, 2020
A very interesting case history of the life of Grady Stiles, Jr. and his murder. This book does a wonderful job of casting these people in a very human light, even if overall the story is a bit trashy in spots, and explains why those involved thought it was necessary to have him killed.
September 24, 2021
Just one of those for the hell of it reads out of curiosity. I felt the story was mostly well researched, but I found the writing style just okay and didn't age that well. In some ways it felt like reading a reality show, it was very messy, though I did learn some things about "carny life," back then.
March 12, 2019
This was a strange and interesting case filled with bizarre and fascinating people, so I was somewhat surprised to find the book so uninspired.
September 23, 2015
**Read as a buddy read with Doreen**
Overall as a true crime book it was an interesting read. I was fascinated with Gary Stiles and his condition. After seeing American Horror Show I assumed that the character on that show was based on Stiles. I have gone to Santa Monica's Freakshow as well, but did not see Stiles son who also has the same medical condition as his father. From what was written in the book, Stiles was not a likeable man. He was extremely abusive to his wife and children. He did not let his condition get in the way of laying down the law in his household. Of course, this did not warrant him to be murdered for it. If you like gruesome pictures of crime scenes, this book has some of Stiles and his body as it was found in his home after being shot. In the end this was a good swap for me!
Overall as a true crime book it was an interesting read. I was fascinated with Gary Stiles and his condition. After seeing American Horror Show I assumed that the character on that show was based on Stiles. I have gone to Santa Monica's Freakshow as well, but did not see Stiles son who also has the same medical condition as his father. From what was written in the book, Stiles was not a likeable man. He was extremely abusive to his wife and children. He did not let his condition get in the way of laying down the law in his household. Of course, this did not warrant him to be murdered for it. If you like gruesome pictures of crime scenes, this book has some of Stiles and his body as it was found in his home after being shot. In the end this was a good swap for me!
August 4, 2016
"Merman had no reason to mistrust the claw-handed man."
This book definitely delivers some Grade A seedy weirdness: circus freaks (in the post-Depression era, which instantly makes anything associated with a classic, non-Ringing "circus" just seem weird and sad), trailer park intrigue, and horrifying domestic violence at the hands of an alcoholic with literal claws for hands. And he had no lower half and could run on his hands faster than most could on their feet. And also Florida.
But the whole thing seems like it was written in a hurry and edited the same way. And while sometimes you strike gold with awkwardly sentences like "Jeans completed the outfit of alienation.",
3/4 of this book is a shocking page turner and 1/4 is a mind-numbingly boring and repetitive court case, which just seems like a device to retell highlights from the first 3/4.
This book definitely delivers some Grade A seedy weirdness: circus freaks (in the post-Depression era, which instantly makes anything associated with a classic, non-Ringing "circus" just seem weird and sad), trailer park intrigue, and horrifying domestic violence at the hands of an alcoholic with literal claws for hands. And he had no lower half and could run on his hands faster than most could on their feet. And also Florida.
But the whole thing seems like it was written in a hurry and edited the same way. And while sometimes you strike gold with awkwardly sentences like "Jeans completed the outfit of alienation.",
3/4 of this book is a shocking page turner and 1/4 is a mind-numbingly boring and repetitive court case, which just seems like a device to retell highlights from the first 3/4.
October 30, 2009
I read this book back in the early 80's. I remember meeting this "Lobster Boy" at a county fair. I will never forget the weird feeling I got when seeing him. Then to find this book about his life, murder and other creepy things...I would like to find this book again and re-read it. Obviously, meeting him (late 1970's) and reading the book (mid 1980's) had a lasting effect on me.
August 28, 2022
I'm generally a fan of true crime, and when I saw this book -- true crime with a side of, well, sideshow -- I really wanted to read it. My own library system had it only as an ebook, which I hate, but thanks to the West Winfield Free Public Library in West Winfield, N.Y., I was able to get a hard copy of it.
My feelings are mixed. The story itself -- a lifelong carny/sideshow guy, dubbed Lobster Boy due to a birth defect that has run in his family since the mid-19th century -- has a hardscrabble life. In 1978, he shot to death his daughter's fiancee literally right after he gave his blessing and right before the actual nuptials were to take place. Fourteen years later, his wife hires a 17-year-old kid to shoot him to death.
Aside from the unusual story, it's a pretty boilerplate true crime book. It's not badly written, exactly, but a few things made me question how accurate the facts are overall. For one, the murder suspect was supposedly wearing "Nike Cavericis." I don't think there are any such shoes. I do remember the Z. Cavaricci brand in the early '90s, but they were unconnected to Nike as far as I can tell. Also, someone in the book was said to own a "Ford Suburban." I'm almost positive both Ford and GM would be quick to tell you that Chevrolet, not Ford, offered the Suburban. In another example, one of the jurors supposedly worked for "Southwest Bell." That company is now part of AT&T, but I never heard it called anything like that -- the closest was SouthwestERN Bell.
They're minor errors, to be sure, but he thanked an editor by name at the end of the book. If neither he nor the editor could be bothered to fact-check and correct things like that, then like a witness who tells a lie under oath, it tends to impeach everything else that witness has said.
I almost gave the book three stars, really wishing I could do three and a half, but finally decided to be nice and go ahead and give it four stars -- because I DID enjoy it.
My feelings are mixed. The story itself -- a lifelong carny/sideshow guy, dubbed Lobster Boy due to a birth defect that has run in his family since the mid-19th century -- has a hardscrabble life. In 1978, he shot to death his daughter's fiancee literally right after he gave his blessing and right before the actual nuptials were to take place. Fourteen years later, his wife hires a 17-year-old kid to shoot him to death.
Aside from the unusual story, it's a pretty boilerplate true crime book. It's not badly written, exactly, but a few things made me question how accurate the facts are overall. For one, the murder suspect was supposedly wearing "Nike Cavericis." I don't think there are any such shoes. I do remember the Z. Cavaricci brand in the early '90s, but they were unconnected to Nike as far as I can tell. Also, someone in the book was said to own a "Ford Suburban." I'm almost positive both Ford and GM would be quick to tell you that Chevrolet, not Ford, offered the Suburban. In another example, one of the jurors supposedly worked for "Southwest Bell." That company is now part of AT&T, but I never heard it called anything like that -- the closest was SouthwestERN Bell.
They're minor errors, to be sure, but he thanked an editor by name at the end of the book. If neither he nor the editor could be bothered to fact-check and correct things like that, then like a witness who tells a lie under oath, it tends to impeach everything else that witness has said.
I almost gave the book three stars, really wishing I could do three and a half, but finally decided to be nice and go ahead and give it four stars -- because I DID enjoy it.
July 5, 2020
I am not really sure what I expected when I read Lobster Boy but it was not what I got.
Grady Stiles Jr grew up in the world of freak shows, born with no legs and hand that ended in claw like items gave him the sideshow name Lobster Boy. Sadly his life was not all lights and glitz outside of the sideshow. Cruel to his family and wanting to pass on his genetic disorder Grady was happiest when drinking. All that changed when Grady was shot in the back of the head sitting in his own house. With plenty of suspects the police, a jury, and judge have to find out who killed Lobster Boy.
The story was just strange and I am not sure I really disliked it but it was not a story I had to keep reading. I do enjoy true crime but this was just so far out I had trouble believing it was based on a true story even.
Grady Stiles Jr grew up in the world of freak shows, born with no legs and hand that ended in claw like items gave him the sideshow name Lobster Boy. Sadly his life was not all lights and glitz outside of the sideshow. Cruel to his family and wanting to pass on his genetic disorder Grady was happiest when drinking. All that changed when Grady was shot in the back of the head sitting in his own house. With plenty of suspects the police, a jury, and judge have to find out who killed Lobster Boy.
The story was just strange and I am not sure I really disliked it but it was not a story I had to keep reading. I do enjoy true crime but this was just so far out I had trouble believing it was based on a true story even.
August 1, 2018
I love anything out of the norm, this certainly qualified on two counts.
I used to love watching the Jim Rose Circus and Venice Beach Freak Shows on TV, so finding a book about a Carny both involved in murder and committing murder was a definite win/win.
As with previous books by Fred Rosen, the research is superb, detailing accounts from family, friends etc. There are crime scene photos, jury proceedings and a full history of the Carnys involved.
This will both fascinate and appall you but it does make a valid point to prove that, regardless of a person's disability, they can be as strong (and as brutal) as anybody else. You may also change your viewpoint along the way of just which sentences ARE justified. A very clever and in depth book.
I used to love watching the Jim Rose Circus and Venice Beach Freak Shows on TV, so finding a book about a Carny both involved in murder and committing murder was a definite win/win.
As with previous books by Fred Rosen, the research is superb, detailing accounts from family, friends etc. There are crime scene photos, jury proceedings and a full history of the Carnys involved.
This will both fascinate and appall you but it does make a valid point to prove that, regardless of a person's disability, they can be as strong (and as brutal) as anybody else. You may also change your viewpoint along the way of just which sentences ARE justified. A very clever and in depth book.
May 5, 2024
This book tells an extraordinary story and seems to be well researched. If it came out today it would probably have end notes, which would have made a lot of difference. It weirdly shifts focus 85% into the book to bring the author's writing and investigation into story. If I were the editor, I would have had him rewrite it to explain his process for researching and interviewing throughout. Make the whole book like the interviews contained in the afterward. It's worth reading, but be prepared for every third page to have a line along the lines of, "On a dark steamy Florida night, ...," or "On a cold Pittsburgh morning, ...," or, "In the pale moonlight, with the stars as their only witnesses, ..." But props to the author for really running this story down.
March 2, 2019
I found this book on Hoopla whilst looking for books about circuses and sideshows for my reading challenge this month. I had heard of the “Lobster Boy” but knew nothing about him and was very curious about his life. Sad to say I still do not know much. The book was very disappointing in its lack of information and poorly written. I would save yourself a few hours and just Google the man. You will learn about as much and won’t have to suffer the terrible writing.
January 26, 2020
Trashy true crime book about an unbelievably strange and brutal case. Rosen's writing is often awkward and amateurism. This becomes less interesting as it turns to focus on the trial but remains a fascinating case when focusing on the life of Lobster Boy and his various misdeeds. Grady Stiles Jr. was a real son of a bitch.
February 23, 2025
This is the story of Gary Stiles Jr., aka Lobster Boy, his family and his murder. Grady was born with hands and feet like claws but was known for his immense strength. He grew up in the carnival and as he grew older became an alcoholic terrorizing his family. I can't imagine the abuse. It gives me nightmares. I highly recommend this book!
May 25, 2017
Lobster Boy
Interesting story, but not very well written. Lots of unnecessary time spent on the trail s. I can't recommend this book. Really did not like seeing the pictures of the murder.
Interesting story, but not very well written. Lots of unnecessary time spent on the trail s. I can't recommend this book. Really did not like seeing the pictures of the murder.
October 22, 2017
Lobster boy
Very well written and in depth research. Shows the dark side of carnival life....and death. Good synopsis of the trial without getting too redundant. Great photos at the end.
Very well written and in depth research. Shows the dark side of carnival life....and death. Good synopsis of the trial without getting too redundant. Great photos at the end.
December 13, 2020
Very interesting true crime
This book, by the recently deceased Fred Rosen, is an account of the murder of Grady stiles and the subsequent trial. It’s a bit dry considering the salacious topic but still told and well written.
This book, by the recently deceased Fred Rosen, is an account of the murder of Grady stiles and the subsequent trial. It’s a bit dry considering the salacious topic but still told and well written.
August 19, 2025
Garbaugust 2025 Done! This is a very old book I’ve held onto for many, many years as kind of a joke. It fit perfectly with this week’s theme of SHOCK VALUE because the story is very sensationalized. I mean just look at the subtitle. I wouldn’t recommend it but it fit the brief!
October 10, 2017
A true story of crime and greed. Just a messed up family of carnival workers and killers.
August 18, 2018
It’s exactly what it says it is, and I’m kind of embarrassed I read it actually.
September 10, 2019
Well written and a very interesting story. Audiobook was well narrated.
October 13, 2019
Slow read
I don't feel this book was written well, and really struggled to finish it. Not worth $1 or the paper it was written on
I don't feel this book was written well, and really struggled to finish it. Not worth $1 or the paper it was written on
November 16, 2020
More courtroom stuff than I was expecting. Interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews