Eyeing the Flash: The Making of a Carnival Con Artist

by Peter Fenton

Book Overview

A fascinating insider's view of the carnival underworld--the cons, the double-dealing, the quick banter, and, of course, the easy money. The story of a shy middle-class kid turned first-class huckster, Peter Fenton's coming-of-age memoir is highly unorthodox, and utterly compelling.

The year is 1963, the setting is small-town Michigan. At age fifteen, Peter Fenton is a gawky math whiz schoolboy with a dissatisfied mother, a father who...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074325855X
• ISBN13: 9780743258555
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Carnival life

In Eyeing the Flash, the teenaged Peter Fenton is introduced by "Jackie Barron" to the world of the carnival. Though Fenton rose quickly through the ranks of the carnival con artists, he didn't make a career out of scamming marks; he pursued a college education and became a writer, working for the National Enquirer for 15 years. I imagine that some of the tricks he learned in the carnivals came in handy at the Enquirer. I'm not just cracking on the supermarket tabloids there--I think in any kind of creative endeavor with a commercial bent there's an element of "marksmanship" that's not so far removed from the carnivals. Shortly after meeting Barron, Fenton is introduced to gambling, and the pair soon run a clandestine casino out of Barron's basement, gleefully stripping their classmates of all their cash. Fenton, who was not the most popular guy in the school, learns that he's a lot brighter than the star basketball players, whose gifts on the court and in school can't help them in the casino, where Fenton and Barron--thanks to a thorough knowledge of math--have the edge. It's an unlikely sort of underdog story, and I'm guessing that you won't see an adaptation of that chapter as a movie of the week on the Hallmark Channel. That episode highlights a theme that runs through the book--gambling and con artistry as a great equalizer: the jocks might get all the fame, but it is the scammers who get the fortune. Fenton has a number of interesting adventures with Barron, eventually going on the road with him. He treats the reader to an insider's view of the various attractions of the traveling carnival, ranging from kids games to flat-out gambling games. You've got to read it to get the full flavor, but I'll give you a quick summary: they're all crooked. Even if you do win a prize, it's usually less than the price of one shot, anyway. The memoir builds slowly to its climax, a thrilling contest of conning whose resolution is doubly appropriate (though I'm not going to spoil the ending for you). All in all, it's a good look at carnival life in Middle America in the 1960s, and a reminder that, though they never get an even break, suckers can't get enough of a shot at a "sure thing."

Different and intriguing!

I read about this book in a trash magazine (don't ask me which one - I read them all.) Anyway, after reading the review, I thought I might just buy it and see what all the hub-bub was about. Eyeing the Flash : The Making of a Carnival Con Artist was probably one of the weirdest stories I've read in a long time. Peter manages to take you through his childhood, and introduces you to characters that you would never thought you would ever be introduced to. The characters are colorful and seedy. (Not that you would ever want these people as friends, or for that matter, acquaintances.) I didn't know what to expect from this book, but found myself, again, reading it in ONE FELL SWOOP. You know how you are dying to taste some new food, then it tastes bad, but you insist that your friend try it too? There you go. kat www.rendgraphics.com

good behind the scenes look at carnies

I have spent most of my life in small towns and have encountered my share of carnivals and carnies. This book provided me with a look behind the midway, combining a fascinating coming of age story with an engrossing picture of carnival life. If you've ever wondered what it would have been like to run away with the carnival or circus, you can find out in this vivid non-fiction book.

The Making of a Con Artist/Entrepreneur

As a student & 'mark' of the real Jackie Barron, Eyeing the Flash captured my interest. I wanted to know the ingredients in this Carnie's background that made him who he is and contributed to his success. It's also quite interesting that Fenton was a writer for the National Enquirer. This fact leaves you guessing how much of the book is actually truth or fiction and adds a bit of mystery to the story. Fenton's book is like a carnival ride; enjoyable, light, easy, satisfying and for the most part straightforward. The book doesn't go into great detail about the backgrounds of these colorful characters (or the carnival games for that matter) so I never became too invested in the characters. Fenton tells you just enough but not too much. Nevertheless, I will never look at a carnival in exactly the same way again. My wife actually took me at one point to the real King Animal Land Park in Richmond, MI. The buddy relationship between two young men on the precipice of adulthood, the traveling carnival world, some great dialogue and some good actors...and this might make a good movie! The young man who was good with numbers goes on to become a CPA and an advisor to major blue chip corporations. Although the book isn't a great example of a healthy family business, it does demonstrate that Jackie's family were entrepreneurs, tenacious and developed a certain work ethic. Just like in the carnival, a certain amount of jive, presentation, sweet talk, and customer service are important qualities in a successful business.

Fascinating... on so many levels

"Eyeing the Flash" is a fascinating coming-of-age story of a young man learning about life through the bramble bush of the Carnival midway. Equally as fascinating as the story the book tells, however, is the book itself. Consider: It purports to be a true story. But it purports to be the true story a a boy who made his mark by learning how to lie, swindle, and con gullibles marks by telling purportedly true stories. The characters in it are much too outrageous and colorful to have actually existed, But the characters are much too outrageous and colorful to have been made up. The town the story takes place in, Mineralton, Michigan, doesn't exist. But there is (or was) a Mineral Hills. The author is Peter Fenton and the main character's name is Peter Fenton, so it could really be a memoir and true. But Peter Fenton, the author, was a reporter for The National Enquirer, a publication known for, at the very least, coloring its stories when not blowing them up out of whole cloth. In short, the grifts, cons, and swindles Fenton describes in this delightfully funny book are real. But the question has to be asked: Are they all confined to the space INSIDE the covers? Whatever the answer, the fun to be had in (and for) the asking is immeasurable.