A Son of the Circus

Rating:
Summary: very disappointing
Review: I usually enjoy Irving's books very much, but this one was terrible. It was a real chore just to get through the first 50 pages!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant.
Review: 'A Son of the Circus' happened to be my first Irving, and I liked it so much that I went out and bought 'The World According to Garp'.

I was put off at first by the idea that this was a book about India, with a picture of Ganesh, the 'elephant god'on the jacket.There are just too many books on India by foreigners, well meaning or otherwise, that are irritating for an Indian to read, either because they are just too silly in their attempts to illuminate 'the mystery that is India' for their audiences, or because they slip up in the details. I was pleasantly surprised by this book: it did not attempt to 'experience' India, or make ghastly errors with names and places. Irving does not attempt to explain India to his readers, and in that sense this book is discouraging for someone who wishes to 'do India'. It is better because it uses India as the setting for his story, as he used Vienna in 'Garp'. And does it amazingly well, and subtly. I found it hard to believe that a non-Indian could have caught all the little details about India, and not have left them glowing like neon signs to tell his readers about how well he knew the country.

The story itself is extremely absorbing. Irving does seem to have something for freaks though, and I noticed while reading 'Garp', that transexuals receive particular attention whether as 'Rahul' in 'Circus' or as 'Roberta' in 'Garp'. Why? If some readers find the plot too baroque, read 'Garp' for a justification.

Rating:
Summary: An Indian Companion
Review: As this was my first Irving book I dont know what to make of the wild swing in star ratings. I do love India however, and he captured that aspect in comical, if not always accurate or "politically correct", fashion. Great characters and sub-plots, tangled and as complex as any Indian or traveller you'll meet on the sub-continent. Most important, beefy enough for a long Indian train ride. Lighten up, and take it for what it is.

The premise of an Indian doctor in Toronto put me off at first, just like the Irving prep school settings have kept me from pulling him off the shelf in the past. But plod along and you will be rewarded. I intend to plod into Owen Meany on my next long Indian train ride, an Irving fan in the making.

Rating:
Summary: Kinda weird...
Review: I just don't know what to make of this book. This is a reaction, I am sure, that will be shared by many. Being new to Irving, I did not know what to expect, the cover being a bit of a cipher. Having read Irving, I don't know what I got. If he was trying to be merely entertaining, he succeeded. Was there a deeper meaning? The characters were interesting if somewhat too comically drawn and the plots occasional inanity did not detract from the numerous moments of levity. If you have a lot of time on your hands, read it for fun. If not, don't.

Rating:
Summary: If you like Irving, go back to Garp or Cider House Rules
Review: I have read most of his books, and enjoyed them immensely. This book, however, was awful. I found it hard to believe that the author of Garp and The Cider House Rules, both excellent books, could write this drivel.

Rating:
Summary: If you like India - you'll love Son of the Circus!
Review: I have always enjoyed Irving, but Son of the Circus is by far my favorite. Perhaps that has something to do with my fondness of India and its beautiful chaos. I listened to the book on tape while driving cross country and then devoured the book shortly after. So... if you like India - you'll love Son of the Circus.

Rating:
Summary: Just enjoy it!
Review: I'm disappointed by so many really negative reviews, especially by someone calling this book "trivial" with a capital T. In some way (s)he didn't get the point. I mean, the book IS trivial indeed and that's exactly what makes it so billiant. Some combinations of trivialities are FUN, you know? To be concise: Reading A SON OF THE CIRCUS is a most DELICIOUS waste of time.

Rating:
Summary: It's as if someone cut John's leash.
Review: One thing I really enjoy about Irving is his ability to make one think they are reading something for entertainment and then it turns out to be so much more. Circus doesn't do that but it seems that Irving tried to salvage that ideal by inserting contrived sentimentality near the end. I didn't buy it. It was weird from the beginning and got weirder in the middle so I was expecting quite a bizarre ending. No such luck. I felt roped in to one type of book and then cast out. It seemed that Irving was trying to ride the caboose of the Garp-Owen train and he was on a different track. Trying to jump back, something happened and I don't know what. It wasn't a bad book; I just felt I was reading someone who wanted to write like John Irving.

Rating:
Summary: ...well...it ain't Owen Meany...
Review: This is a very diferent read than Owen Meany -- so if you LOVED Owen (as most people do), be prepared for a let down. In fact, I would suggest you skip this one and Re-read Owen Meany...or Cider House Rules.

Rating:
Summary: as disappointed a reader as can be
Review: John:Why? What happened? I used to think John Irving was one of the wittiest, funniest authors of his generation... But this book is one of the most pathetic ones I have ever read in a long time. By experimenting with pulp fiction John Irving made me forget about how good his previous books are. For anyone whose picking up one of his books for the first time: please stay away from Son of a Circus or you'll never read him again!