I promised a full review, so here it is! I really loved the book, and I think anyone would enjoy it.
THE BEAST OF BOGGY CREEK: THE TRUE STORY OF THE FOUKE MONSTER
Anomalist Books / Hardcover, Trade Paperback, ebook
The Beast of Boggy Creek. Amazing book! It’s an in-depth look at the Boggy Creek Monster, complete with fascinating stories, eye-witness accounts, theories, a full accounting of the making of the movie The Legend of Boggy Creek, and some great pictures. The title tells you exactly what you’re going to get—the Beast of Boggy Creek. The book’s cover is a fun throwback to the movie’s poster and elicits an eerie feeling and the promise of fully delving into the mystery.
Blackburn does a fantastic job setting the scene and describing the small town of Fouke and the quiet, comfortable lives being lived there. The serene American setting was turned upside down beginning in the late 1940s and ramping up in the 1960s and 1970s when residents and those passing through began encountering what came to be known as the Fouke Monster. Their stories are riveting and really play to the fact that anyone who has been in the woods has at one time or another thought, “What’s out here?” The Beast of Boggy Creek seeks to answer that question.
Blackburn can describe fact and eyewitness accounts in a way that makes the reader feel as if they were there. His comfortable style and way with words draws you in from the very first sentence. I personally love stories that involve mystery and small town history. This book is full of stories that encompass both, so I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are pictures, mostly taken by the author himself, that serve to immerse you in the stories and their settings. I also enjoyed the wonderful artist renderings of some of the claims. Both types of pictures add to the way that the book pulls you into the middle of Fouke and its mystery.
An important part of the story is the making of the movie The Legend of Boggy Creek. This is a movie that brought this elusive creature into the lives of so many people, and it’s often cited as inspiration for a lifelong search of the “Big Guy.” I found the firsthand accounts of the movie’s progress so entertaining that it felt like being a part of it. I can certainly see how such a movie could steal the imagination of a young boy, and prompt a lifetime of curiosity and searching. Blackburn was such a boy, and he has done justice to the movie and subject with his book.
As a scientist, I loved how Blackburn always included plausible explanations for different incidents or pieces of evidence, rather than just throwing everything out there as fact. It adds credibility to his work without diminishing the impact of each story. However, there is still plenty that is very difficult to explain away with the usual reasonable ideas.
For anyone who has even a passing interest in the Fouke Monster, Bigfoot, or anything close, this amazing book is a must-read. And for those who enjoy an entertaining book, Blackburn definitely delivers on that promise.
For more information about Lyle Blackburn, please visit his website: http://www.lyleblackburn.com/
More information about the book and purchasing options: http://www.foukemonster.net/book.htm