- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Red Hen Press (Aug 1 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1597090247
- ISBN-13: 978-1597090247
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 15.2 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Booklist
What city-weary soul hasn't thought of running away to join the circus? That's the dream of Lor Cole, a young black man leading a lackluster life in early-twentieth-century Connecticut. Lor has talent to match his professional ambition. Tall and agile, he is a superlative high-wire walker, having honed his skills throughout boyhood on the towering branches of neighborhood trees. It's not long before the ringmaster of the Bringlebright Circus turns the young man into a star. For Lor, tiptoeing along the tightrope is infinitely easier than navigating the politics of the circus business, and he must watch his step around roustabouts and seasoned performers alike. Among them: copiously tattooed ruffian Legman Jack and his amply mustached pal, Bar None; fire-eating Cirella, with blazing red hair and a personality to match; and Barnacle, the mercurial ringmaster obsessed with success, starlets, and sex. Prasad conducted extensive research into the world of early-twentieth-century circuses for this richly textured first novel packed with glamour and grit. Allison Block
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Product Description
Death of a Circus tells the story of the Bringlebright Circus, a small fictional troupe traveling the United States in the early twentieth century, an era when circuses are falling out of favor and only the largest shows are enduring. Initially, the book follows Lor Cole, a young African American man from Connecticut who dreams of leaving behind his provincial past and making a name for himself as a high wire walker. Upon joining Bringlebright, however, Lor quickly learns that the characters who join him under the Big Top have their own stories to tell.
Closest to Lor is Cirella Flannery, a beautiful and startlingly devious fire-eater who has struggled for survival since her spirited days in a juvenile detention facility. Ranju, Bringlebright's reclusive chief animal trainer, hides a history of magic and trickery that may be his undoing. Stalwart, Ranju's young protege, finds solace in his journal even as he grapples with a mysterious connection to Lor. Presiding over the show is Mr. Barnacle, the Ringmaster, a charlatan who constantly concocts new stratagems to keep Bringlebright afloat. Together, these performers create a colorful ensemble that illuminates the twin sides of the show: one rapturously razzle-dazzle, the other rough-and-tumble.
Death of a Circus is a novel of multiple narrative lines. It captures the rapid pacing of an adventure story, but it is ultimately much more. Chock full of circus allusions, Big Top lingo, folklore and historical detail, it is a far-reaching fairy tale that speaks to the foibles of the human heart and what happens when life is lived both within and outside the center ring spotlight.
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Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a fascinating look at life in a small circus, Jan 2 2007
By Trina Beck - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: DEATH OF A CIRCUS (Paperback)
"death of a circus" explores interracial romance, animal abuse, the dangerous lure of fame, and the price of defying a system of misogyny and sexual repression, all against the colorful backdrop of a big top tent. ms. prasad's thorough research enabled her to bring to life a world with its own distinctive language, customs, and rigidly hierarchical society. as the circus train meanders about the country and through the early 20th century, the narrative shifts focus between a series of protagonists: the daring young black man who's willing to risk his life to be a star; the fiery redhead who uses her beauty and fearlessness to escape the tenements of her childhood and, fittingly, become a fire-eater; the mysterious animal trainer who isn't quite sure how to interact with humans. as the next generation of performers prepares to take center ring, the circus struggles to compete against the more powerful ringling brothers, with predictable results given the book's title. a great read, especially for anyone who's always been fascinated by the big top.
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