Rating: 
Summary: What happened?
Review: As a huge John Irving fan, I found this one to be a crushing disappointment. Nowhere is the usual magic found...the characters are uninspired, the plot goes nowhere and the India setting is totally wasted. When a few eccentrics do appear, they just seem like Irving is stretching for something, anything, to try to entertain us as we slog through this mess. This is something I thought I'd never say when I was first into the throes of Owen Meany and Cider House, but here it is: This John Irving novel is boring!
Rating: 
Summary: Martin Mills worth the price of admission!
Review: Nothing John Irving has written since "Garp" has equalled that book's sheer brilliance, but this one comes close. A savagely funny and bizarre novel; Martin Mills is so hilariously pathetic, he has to rank as one of Irving's most unforgettable characters ever.
Rating:
Summary: Irving was clueless
Review: Why did Irving choose India as his setting for this novel? The whole book rambles on in a world of sexual deviants and fussy old men with a little bit of India thrown in, more like the garam masala that one adds to Indian cooking. I have read all of Irving's books and after reading "Son of the Circus", I think Irving will do well to keep his stories in places that he has lived in. He has no clue as to what India is and makes no effort to appreciate the complexities of the nation. He trivializes the massive and very real problems that factors such as caste and colour have caused for Indians. His under-researched view and opinions of Indian society and Hindi cinema , in particular, make sad reading for Indians. So much for the setting of the novel. The story-line itself leaves a lot to be wished for. When compared with such masterpieces as "The Cider House Rules" and "The Hotel New Hampshire", this one is mere wordplay. I do believe that "The Pension Grillprazer" was really the only good story that John Irving wrote. "Son of the Circus" _hurts_ in its treatment of social deviants. While this is a recurring theme of John Irving books and has made interesting reading all the way, it stops being interesting in this book. What was all that about collecting blood from dwarfs? I fail to appreciate John Irving's experiences in India, if the book truly reflects them.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read in years
Review: I loved this book! Irving's best since "The Cider House Rules". You are dropped into what becomes the epicenter of the plot and the book expands from there. You go off into sub-plots that appear to have nothing to do with anything, but are part of an intricate story that is brought together at the end. Dr. Daruwalla is one of my favorite characters. He was so decent and so human that he seemed real. Even minor characters like Mr. Sethna were alive and very welcome additions. Irving somehow ties together getting blood samples from dwarves, a woman unknowingly smuggling drugs and money in an enormous dildo, separated at birth twins being reunited, the India film industry, circuses,assimilation and a serial killer into a rich story that is at times funny, desparately sad, horrifying (what is it about Irving and mutilation, either self induced or accidental?) and very telling about ourselves. I wish I could read this book for the first time
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: Although Cider House Rules is still my favorite, I found this book highly entertaining and full of John Irving all-the-way
Rating:
Summary: Undoubtedly the best Fiction I have ever read.
Review: Wow! I too, like some other reviewers that I see here was somewhat disappointed with Owen Meany. Son of the Circus was a non stop good read that unfortunately had a last page. I dread waiting another 2 years for the next Irving novel
Rating:
Summary: Highly entertaining..you live in Bombay for a while
Review: Wonderfully entertaining from start to finish. Having lived in India I must highly compliment David Colacci (the narrator) for the authentic accents he applied to all the characters. It was such a perfect portrayal of all I remembered of Bombay that it brought back all the sights, sounds, and smells I remember of that facinating country. Although John Irving stipulates that he had never lived in India, he wrote as if he was sitting on a balcony in Malabar Hill, recording all he saw before him. I hated to place that last cassete in my player and urge any one who is curious about life in India to listen to this book
Rating:
Summary: Outstandingly insightful!
Review: This novel manages to cover several themes at once in a
complex, yet witty, format. The author's insight into
life in Bombay as well as the overseas Indian experience
is truly poignant. Fun and educational with something
to offer for a wide variety of readers.
Rating:
Summary: Irving take on India!
Review: Irving does it again. A book of excellent scope and far-reaching originality, it is a must read for all Irving
fans.
Typical of all books by Irving, it not only insightful
and exciting, but full of subtle (and not so subtle) humor
which reeks of both irony and humanity.
Dhar is one of Irving's best characters. As always, richly texured, with a suspension of disbelief that only
Irving can obtain.
Rating: 
Summary: This bizarre book helps you appreciate life and chaos.
Review: Readers who thought Irving's previous books were sprawling and odd will not believe this one. If you can make it past the first 50 pages, you do find order in the chaos. Pressing on to the end will bring you to a bittersweet conclusion that tries to wrap up all of life itself. Irving's reach was phenomenal in this novel, and it almost but not quite exceeded his grasp. A spectacular tour de force that's not for everyone
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