The Circus Fire

Rating:
Summary: A keeper!
Review: I am sure that any decent writer who was willing to dig through the archives and old newspaper stories could have written a good book about the Hartford circus fire. For Stewart O'Nan however, that was not enough. He not only did the research that any author would do when writing about a historical event; he tracked down the survivors. That is what makes this book so good. The stories told by the survivors make the whole story much more personal and much more tragic. On top of all this, O'Nan's writing style is superb. As a novelist who usually deals in fiction he writes in a very engrossing manner that keeps the reader's interest from cover to cover.

The chapters are divided by dates and O'Nan takes each of the several families he follows in detail from their preparations for the circus to the very end. Whether that end is death or recovery we get the whole story. In this way the reader is able to connect in a personal way with the victims. If they escaped we find out how they got out. If they required hospitalization we get the story of their recovery. If they are killed we are taken through the identification process and some of the funerals. O'Nan even follows two of the survivors into their careers as firemen. The reader is also treated to the inner politics of the Ringling family and the power struggle after the fire. Along the way we meet circus people who were indeed negligent, politicians who struggled to cover their own negligence, nurses, doctors, and lots of policemen. We also meet many heroes; many of them policemen and firemen just like on 9/11. O'Nan spares no detail but he never gets boring. The reader will also get a good feel for 1944. The circus was short on workers because of the war. Hartford's residents were prospering because of the war industries. Gas and food ration stamps were so precious that the police were amazed that so many people turned in stamp books found on the midway or still in the smoldering big top. This book is just simply fascinating all the way around.

Finally, O'Nan takes the reader up to 1999, Fifty-five years after the fire. That fifty-five years brings new investigations, new theories, new suspects, and the end of Ringling Brothers' days as a tent show. In 1994 there is a touching fifty-year reunion of the survivors. To the very end, O'Nan handles the subject with dignity and grace. The subject matter is sorrowful and you will be moved close to tears, but I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Saddest Things I Ever Read
Review: My feelings about this book are admittedly mixed. On the one hand, I thought it was a tautly written and naturally compelling story-- one whose facts were so gripping that O'Nan had a lot of his work done for him already. On the other hand, I can't remember the last time I cried so much when reading a book. The thought of adults trampling over women and children and leaving them huddled on the floor to burn to death is horrific. The ordeal experienced by both victors and survivors is so painstakingly recounted that those who are faint of heart will hardly be able to bear the pain. And, as if that's not enough, there are some truly grisly descriptions of what the bodies recovered from inside the tent looked like. At this point in the book, I wondered if O'Nan was really as "humane" as other reviewers have made him out to be, although I confess that I kept reading.

There are some details in this book that redeem its exploitativeness somewhat. The stories of the heroes-- both those who lost their lives in the fire and the police officers and detectives who kept case files open for years afterwards-- lend depth and hope to "The Circus Fire." But to imagine all of those children who lost their parents, or parents who lost their children, left me sleepless for nights after reading this book. I don't know if something so disturbing warrants a full 5 stars, so I'm going to give this four stars and one warning bell (for the reader whose sensibilities are as delicate as mine).

Rating:
Summary: A horrific, moving account of an American tragedy
Review: Stewart O'Nan's thoughtful, careful account of the Hartford circus fire is a powerful narrative, leading to a greater understanding of the tragedies that often result from poor judgement and reckless disregard. It is also an inspiring story of heroics in the face of hellish conditions and a testament to the importance of community and family support in times of need. For three main reasons, I recommend this book.

1. Undoubtedly, this book has historical importance. O'Nan offers an account that is rich in detail, a valuable historical record. From direct dialogue to seemingly minute details, O'Nan recreates a time and place that few would otherwise experience. One common theme expressed by the survivors of this tragedy was that it was seldom spoke of--that after the tragedy, addressing the fire was avoided in the community and in individual families. O'Nan reminds us, though, that this is a story that needs to be told. The circus, though less popular today, remains a part of America's pop culture, and it's easy to dismiss pop culture as unimportant. However, what better reason than the fact that everyone has experience with the circus to learn more about it.

2. O'Nan has an attention to detail seldom seen in nonfiction accounts. At times, the detail is painful and disturbing. However, O'Nan carefully avoids sensationalism. The details he offers are necessary for an understanding of this tragedy. He does not exaggerate or dramatize. With this story, the facts alone are enough to move the reader and appeal to pathos.

3. Finally, O'Nan's story is an important reminder of the demands and responsibilities placed on communities and industries to protect public safety. It is a theme that we can trace throughout history up to our present--that the influences of the dollar must never override the importance of our security and safety. Perhaps it takes a setting as innocent as a circus to remind us this powerfully. This is a narrative as gripping and moving as any bestselling fiction. Nearly impossible to put down, and just as difficult to forget, a reader will long remember the stories of these victims and survivors. It is a horror that, fortunately, few of us will have to face. But it is a story from which, fortunately, we can learn.

Rating:
Summary: Riveting Story
Review: The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan is as riveting a narrative as is suggested by the blurbs and the other reviews. In some ways, the story is almost author proof as it comes with a easily recoginizable set of personalities and a moment that changes everyone lives. Fiction writers should have it so easy and that, in a way, is one of Stewart O'Nan's strengths. He turns his fiction writing skills towards writing a piece of history and creates this thrilling narrative. The bulk of the book is centred on that tragic day and we are led through the events with the help of some of the survivors and not a few of the victims. The book also shows the readers the aftereffects of such a tragedy on the lives of the survivors and the circus itself. This part of the story is presented in a manner that is as important and dramatic as the details of the actual fire. An exciting read.

Rating:
Summary: fills in a missing page in U.S. history
Review: Until I read Stewart O'Nan's excellent, humane account, "The Circus Fire," I had never heard of the tragic event in Connecticut in l944. Since it took place in wartime, and during the bombing of civilians in European cities, it was overlooked by chroniclers of that period. O'Nan's style, which brings up personal stories of many people caught up in the fire, reminds me of Walter Lord's classic "A Night to Remember," about the Titanic sinking. Here are heroes and villains, and, very sadly, many children. O'Nan describes the admirable response of Hartford's policemen, firemen, medical personnel, and people of other agencies, who were ready for this devastating event due to their "emergency preparedness" wartime stance. Many readers will find that they will read this book in one sitting, unable to tear themselves away from this tragic tale, so well told.