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The story is narrated by Bartholomew, billed as the World's Thinnest Man. He's not the most likable likeable of characters - he's snobbish about his ''gifts'' and his position in the hierarchy of curiosities. At the top of this class system are the True Prodigies (those born with physical abnormalities), then the Prodigies (where Bartholomew sees himself) who have unusual properties. Then there are the Exotics, like the rubber man Ricardo, and then the lowest of the low, Gaffs - little more than con artists whose decisions are taken to fool the public. Bartholomew believes that he educates the public and makes them think of their true nature rather than merely shocking them.

At it's its heart, this is a classic story of an outside influence coming in to shake up the status quo causing the original players to question their position. What makes this so entertaining is that the status quo features the World's Thinnest Man, his best friend, the World's Largest Lady, a giantess, a strong man and a rubber man. And the outside influence comes in the form of an enigmatically beautiful, bearded lady. Not only does Bartholomew's obsession with this new act affect his relationship with his other performers, it also leads him to consider his own ''gifts'' and the source of those.