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Summary: To be read, reread and read again 'till death
Review: I came to this book fortuitously, being a real fans of MZB Darkover novels. I never thought to find myself with such a moving tale. Over 700 pages of pure contentment, too soon devoured! The story of this love is the paramount of MSB's creation.I wonder why this book was never translated, here in France, or why it was never advertised in any way, is Marion ashamed of this work? Another question is 'Are we to know what happened to Tommy during those few years of separation?'. I think this is room enough for another novel, and another sleepless night...
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Summary: MZB fanatic begs to disagree
Review: I can't believe the reviews I just read. I'm a Marion Zimmer Bradley fanatic -- AND a lesbian, so don't think it was the theme that threw me -- and I HATED "The Catch Trap". It's one of the four worst books I've ever read (the other three being "Sar", "Unbalanced" by Lass Small, and all that "Magic's Prattle" garbage by Mercedes Lackey). If you like lots of badly written melodrama and angst, this book is for you. Two closeted gay men who happen to be circus performers stagger around feeling tortured because they scarcely dare love each other. This doesn't even succeed as soft porn. Bad, bad, bad. Go read "Mists of Avalon" or "The Shattered Chain" to get the taste of this awful, awful novel out of your mouth.
Rating:
Summary: a MUST read. truly a wonderful book.
Review: I don't ever remember reading a book in which I felt I could actually SMELL the popcorn, but this one I could. Every word, ever pause is a delight, not only is the story amazingly well researched, but the love story is well, wonderful. If you don't buy this for yourself, buy it for a friend.
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Summary: Was the first gay book, and MZB is the cause of my adiction
Review: I found this book in a regular book store and bought it because of the picture on the front cover. The jacket said nothing about the gay theme. I have since bought two more paperbacks for me, dozens for my friends, and did a book search for the hard back. It really touched my soul
Rating:
Summary: An Unexpected Gem
Review: I had read and enjoyed The Dreyfus Affair, and one of the people who reviewed it here mentioned that The Catch Trap covered some of the same ground better. I read the description and immediately decided it wasn't for me. I don't care for circuses, and I don't particularly care for works set in this era. For some reason, though, the title stuck with me--perhaps because I have enjoyed Marion Zimmer Bradley's works in the past, so one day I picked up the book in the library and read the blurb. Again, it just didn't appeal to me, so I put it back. A few days later, I was desperate for something to read and finally gave it a try. I am so glad I did. This is a rich and beautifully nuanced novel. The characters came to life for me as only a few have in many years of voracious reading. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone. Don't let the description put you off!
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Summary: One of the most touching stories I have ever read.
Review: I ordered this book through Amazon just because it had a gay theme. What I received two days later was a masterpiece. From the opening to paragraph to the climactic end, I was entranced. I never believed I would ever read a book that I literally could not put down, but this book...There were nights that I was up until 8:00 the next morning, and I hadn't even realized it had been that long. The touching and dramatic story of Tommy and Mario as they flew through the air and into each other's hearts quickly became my favorite novel. I was desperate when I finished to actually go to the circus. The plot is so centered, the characters so defined, and the story so entrancing, I found myself buying copies for friends I knew. This is truly a wonderful piece.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: i originally read this years ago, and was surprised last year that it was as moving as i remembered. this certainly gave me a glimpse into the pressures faced by gays during this time period -- how much have things changed? one of the things that might make people pause is the age difference between tommy & mario (7yrs) -- but if it had been tammy & mario, would anyone ask questions? anyone else looking for a sequel?
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Summary: Emotional, thrilling ... A pleasant surprise.
Review: I picked up this book originally because I'd really liked Marion Zimmer Bradley's other works, particularly the Darkover series. I didn't know what to expect: it's difficult to write a novel about homosexuality in today's uptight, politically correct society. But Bradley has accomplished it. Both typos and time's passage receed as the reader is drawn into the circus-driven plot of the book, and into the emotional lives of the main characters, Tommy Zane and Matt Gardner, "Tommy and Mario Santelli". Tense, melodramatic, and fiery - Bradley blends the necessary perfection of performance, the frustration of long hard practice, and the emotional turmoil of two characters with a secret that cannot be revealed, into a thoroughly believable story.
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Summary: Still One of My All-time Favorites
Review: I read this for the first time almost twenty years ago, when I was in college. I read it a couple of more times in the following years, but this is probably the first time I've reread it in eight or ten years. And again, I can't put it down. I will still be sad when I'm done reading it, because I'd like to have more of it.
This is one of the best gay love stories you're likely to find, at least if you're a soppy romantic like me. I fell in love with the characters and the setting, not to mention the historical details. Hell, to this day I have a thing for redheads, in part because one of the lead characters, Tommy Zane, was a redhead. If I ever go to the circus, it's because of this book. I want a sequel, but at the same time I want the ending to be the "happily ever after" the characters deserve.
From a mechanical perspective Bradley was not the greatest writer, but she sure could spin a yarn. The book grabs you and does not let you go until well after you've put it down. You can't help but get involved with the main characters, the Santelli family, and their circus milieu. It also works on the level of social history and commentary. Mario and Tommy are like many gay couples of that time in their response to the repression society heaped on them. Their struggle to make their love survive and even thrive under such conditions leaves me misty-eyed by the end. In a very real sense, I think the book is Bradley's tribute to the struggle and pain of that generation of gay men and women, and the strength it took to endure. The reviewer who derided the story as being about closet cases needs to understand that things were very different back then. As for me, I would make this mandatory reading in every high school, especially in the Bible Belt.
So get it, read it, and pass it on to your friends and family.
Rating: 
Summary: Melodramatic, but engaging
Review: I really don't understand the hate some feel for this book. It accurately depicts the angst of the closet at that time. The gymnastics, the ethnic passion, and the romance may be over the top for those expecting a contemporary attitude, but I enjoyed it a lot. I've read it twice. The protagonists are sexy, conflicted and defiant, eventually. It's one of the great 'old style' gay novels. I don't know why it hasn't been made into a film, not that that justifies a novel's quality.
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