Rating: 
Summary: Irving recovers from Owen Meany with a vengeance
Review: I was such a huge fan -- Garp, Cider House especially -- that I think I was panting when I asked a bookstore to set aside
the very first copy of Owen Meany. And it remains one of the few books I put down right in the middle, disillusioned
with Mr. Irving.
Which is a long way of saying that only a great work would
have brought me back into the Irving Fan Club as quickly as
Son of a Circus did. The hardest part - aside from not wanting the book to end - was chosing which character was
the best: the transvestite toe sucker? the good hearted
doctor? the circus dwarf-turned limo driver to the stars?
the winking elephant on the front who knows all?
In addition to typical Irving wackiness, Son... delves into
the bizarre, dark world of sexual deviants -- transvestities,
transsexuals and every other permutation in between.
Never one to rest, Irving gets his potshots at society, castes, religion, ethnic groups, movie stars.
One caution: expect sadness as you turn the final pages;
you won't want this romp to end.
Rating: 
Summary: the longest book about nothing
Review: This is a very strange book. On over 800 pages J. Irving manages to say absolutely nothing. The book isn't boring. It's well written and easy to read, I just couldn't understand why it wasn't squeezed into 200 pages. Not a single character in the book is in the least sympathetic.
I personally couldn't care less if the leading characters will live or get murdered in the end. Only in two goals the book acheaved it's aim: it portrayed the most convinsing
gallery of uprooted characters I ever encountered in literature and during it's unending pages it gives a convinsing example of the indian pace of life, but
it doesn't worth the time it takes to go truogh all this pages.
Rating:
Summary: it's not like his other books, that's for sure...
Review: When I read "a son of the circus" the first time I HATED it vehemently! "Damn it, I want more Owen Meany!" I thought to myself. I was incredibly disappointed by this book.Then, about a year later I was desperate for something to read so I picked it up and read it again and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!! This is now my favorite of John Irving's novels. And during the second (and third, etc.) rereadings, I found myself rolling with loud laughter and delighted by Irving's vivid, colorful descriptions of India and Indian life. If you read this book expecting a continuation of Owen Meany, forget it. But if you want to read an excellent novel that is nothing like anything else Irving has written, pick this up with an open mind and prepare to be delighted!!!
Rating:
Summary: "A Son of the Circus" changed my life!
Review: Although some may not appreciate John Irving's leap across time zones and continents, I have to say that this was better than "Owen Meany," "The Hotel New Hampshire," and "Garp." It was more bizarre, filled with a more colorful cast of characters, written with amazing descriptive grace and style and evocative of a time and place which is just as foreign to you or I as it is to the main character, Dr. Daruwalla. Although Irving stipulates that he has never lived in India, his imagery makes readers feel as though they do. The themes are many, varied and complex, but perhaps the most important one is the lack of identity that Dr. Daruwalla feels. This is so prevalent in today's constantly shrinking world that Irving really hits home with those of us who feel like we don't really "belong" anywhere. In addition to all of these great literary achievements, "A Son of the Circus" is a rollicking good story, a page-turner and sure to bring you both laughter and tears. As crazy as Irving gets, however, he always maintains his brillant sense of humanity. This book has inspired me to study people, ethnicity, migration and statelessness. I'm not kidding
Rating: 
Summary: Irving makes us laugh
Review: Books Read: A Son of the Circus, by John Irving
This is the last Irving book that my library has handy, and so it will probably be the last Irving that I read for a while (I'm not sure what I've overlooked of his anyhow, except for "The Water Method Man."
This is a long book, and takes place mostly in India. The main character is Dr. Farokh Daruwalla, who was born and raised in India, but lives mostly in Canada. A recurrent theme is Farrokh's feeling of disconnect from both India and Canada; he is frequently described as feeling like he straddles both worlds without fitting in anywhere. One minor criticism is that we should have seen more of the doctor's life in Canada-probably 90% of the book takes place in India.
This is a minor complaint, and the book was really extremely well-written, even by Irving's high standard. With two hundred pages to go, a main plot thread involving the apprehension of a serial killer is wrapped up. At first, I was wondering how on earth he could keep my interest for 200 more pages, and I worried about the foundering that I experienced in "The Fourth Hand." But I shouldn't have worried. The last section of the book flew by, and I was even left wanting more in some respects.
Another small criticism is that there are simply too many perfectly mechanized plot turns, mostly based on the seemingly supernatural ability of the various characters to figure out things that seem objectively impossible to discern.
The various leap from the page, including a transvestite cold-blooded killer, a dildo-wielding hippie who marries a straight arrow police detective, a man who is hated in India for his offensive recurring portrayal of "Inspector Dhar" in the movies, a snobby steward, and a bodyguard/chauffeur, a dwarf who was formerly employed as a circus clown.
Rating:
Summary: goofy stuff
Review: Very creative outing from the old master, even with all the weirdos in the plot. You'll feel like you've spent years in India after reading this. Probably his most ingenious story since Garp. Every character is a gem; villain and good guy alike
Rating:
Summary: Overlong and rambling - but John Irving
Review: I love John Irving. I love circus. This book would have been riveting if an editor had the guts to tell Mr. Irving to cut it from 700 to 300 pages. As it is now, it's overlong and, as such, too boring for its potential. It's got the expected Irving motifs: prostitutes, Vienna, sex, transsexuals, animals, and medical maladies. Unfortunately, this book doesn't take place at the circus. The book is a "side show" of sorts, which I hate to say because it's an insult to the real-life people described - dwarfs, an extra-large foot, etc. True, these young characters either become prostitutes or, if they are lucky, are treated by the doctor-hero and join the circus. Meaning, it's mentioned but, ironically, the only thing not described. Much of the information is superfluous, and to me, included in the book because it was of interest to John Irving. Okay. When I was a teenager I loved Garp and The Hotel New Hampshire, then the three earlier ones; and, as an adult I've liked some of the newer ones. Now, in my 30's, though, I feel I'm reading the inner thoughts of a sex-obsessed teenager in an older man's body. Every character, described in far more detail than the story warrants, has sex as an integral part of his life. The setting has sex as in integral part of its life (we've got detailed descriptions of three different types of transsexuals, how they are perceived by each other and by their communities - the prostitution community and the community at-large).
The style of the narration is authoritative, stilted, and nearly academic - at odds with its material. The sentences, too, are too long. Commas, semi-colons, em-dashes. He just rambles. The story is told through omniscient narration, and in such great detail, that we've got not a "who done it"--a murder serves as a sort-of grounding point--but a "how will the characters learn." Since the reader knows who the killer is less than half-way through, and I didn't feel very much for the characters, this element was lost on me. I read all of it because John Irving is in my soul, somehow. Had this been the first one I'd read, and at this age, I probably would have stopped around page 100. As it was, I had to take time out to read short stories between. I also looked forward to its end - I've got other things to read, after all - and looking at 400, 300, 200 pages in front of me that can only be more of the same just doesn't make for optimal reading. Three stars for being John Irving. For keeping me reading. For my being in love with him since adolescence. But, if you're looking for a first John Irving book to read, I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point.
Rating: 
Summary: Not The Greatest Show on Earth
Review: As a John Irving fan, I picked up this volume with great expectations. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met. For a massive tome, the Bombay setting and characters were highly repetitive. Though richly narrated, and enjoyable, the sheer volume of narrative did become a bit laborious. Hardly a page turner, the plot did take a number of interesting and unusual twists and turns. Irving's theme of twins, dual and multiple personalities, dual settings, and allusion to schizophrenia are successfully carried out throughout. This 600+ page tome could easily be adapted as a screenplay as once the settings and characters are established there is precious little momentum. Many times I found myself skimming along several chapters just to see if anything relevant to the plot was going to happen. Often times there was no relevance to many, many pages. At the outset, I was expecting some parallel development of Dr. D's Toronto life with as much excruciating detail and repetition as he gave us regarding Dr. D's Bombay life. Such was not the case. The Toronto portions were of no particular relevance or use to the overall setting of tone of the novel. The only importance appeared to be that Dr. D. lived somewhere other than Bombay. Since Irving apparently lives in Toronto part of his life, I was expecting a far richer depiction of that life, but again was disappointed. On the whole Newbies to Irving's work would be better off starting with Garp, Owen Meaney and Cider House Rules.
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