Rating: 
Summary: "The Circus of Dr. Lao"
Review: ...Not everything is, or should be, written for children. This is elegant sardonic fantasy at its finest. If there are racist characters, they are consistently portrayed as ignorant, and the fact that the Doctor speaks like a carnival "chinaman' to them, yet like a wise and brilliant metaphysicist to the characters willing to listen to him says a lot about the author's attitude. The author, on the small drab stage of Abalone, Arizona, brings forth an astonishing spectacle of history and imagination; everything from the wars in China, to ancient Greece, to the outlands of tall tale and myth, to the overarching cycle of birth, spawn and death. This book is brilliant, if one cares to read it like an adult.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: A definite must-read for anyone who appreciates real literature. This is a truly fantastic book. It's amazing that something written so many years ago can make such an engaging read today. The relevance and staying power of this intriguing book is a testament to the author's brilliance. In fact, there are few contemporary American authors I have read that can match Finney's skill and mastery of the English language. The subtleties in the dialogues, the multi-faceted characters, and Finney's brilliant economy of words make it difficult to put this book down. The story is a timeless one, it is set in an unknown small Arizona town but Finney brings the events magically to life. I found this a brilliant work that doesn't necessarily fit the modern science fiction genre. It's a refreshing and intellectual break from tired "classics" like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. I first read "The Circus of Dr. Lao" as a teenager and it's characters and events have stayed in my mind all these years. I'm very pleased to see it in print again, and I hope to see more of Finney's works on the shelves soon. He obviously deserves to take his place among the "greats" of American literature.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: A definite must-read for anyone who appreciates real literature. This is a truly fantastic book. It's amazing that something written so many years ago can make such an engaging read today. The relevance and staying power of this intriguing book is a testament to the author's brilliance. In fact, there are few contemporary American authors I have read that can match Finney's skill and mastery of the English language. The subtleties in the dialogues, the multi-faceted characters, and Finney's brilliant economy of words make it difficult to put this book down. The story is a timeless one, it is set in an unknown small Arizona town but Finney brings the events magically to life. I found this a brilliant work that doesn't necessarily fit the modern science fiction genre. It's a refreshing and intellectual break from tired "classics" like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. I first read "The Circus of Dr. Lao" as a teenager and it's characters and events have stayed in my mind all these years. I'm very pleased to see it in print again, and I hope to see more of Finney's works on the shelves soon. He obviously deserves to take his place among the "greats" of American literature.
Rating:
Summary: Amazingly bitter, cynical, and sardonic - I loved it!
Review: Finney writes as though he had been possessed by the spirit of Ambrose Bierce, and to me, that's a GOOD thing. More of a short story than a novel (I last read it in the space of a single afternoon), "The Circus" shines light in many directions and is best appreciated after more than a single reading. Frankly, I'm astonished that it got published in the first place, and even more surprised that it here receives what amounts to a "Criterion Collection" sort of treatment, including reproductions of the illustrations by Boris Artzybasheff from the first edition. The citizens of Abalone (plus a few visitors) are scathingly protrayed in amazingly understated passages. Presented with actual unicorns, satyrs, sea serpents, mermaids, and other "fabulous" creatures and miracles, hardly any of the townspeople can muster more than a yawn and a shrug. The ultimate spectacle, the sacrifice of a virgin to the giant bronze god of the rotten-to-the-core city of Woldercan, is absolutely a gem. The use of several racial epithets does nothing to reflect on Finney - it doesn't take a super-astute reader to understand Finney is reflecting on his *characters*, yes, even in 1935. As most reviewers have noted - this is NOT a children's book. And while the Tony Randall film of 1960 has some of its own charm (thank you, Barbara Eden!!), it is a kiddy-fied, watered-down version of this story. It was probably Finney's experience as a newspaperman that soured him on human nature - it must be an occpational hazard, since he shares that experience with the afore-mentioned Bierce as well as with another arch-cynic, Cyril Kornbluth of "Marching Morons" fame. The writing style varies (intentionally) from pulp to inspired to crisp and concise, sometimes all on a single page. Obviously not a book for everyone, but I find it refreshing, enlightening, and supremely entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Deservedly Out-of-Print
Review: I try not to comment on books I don't enjoy these days, primarily because I don't waste time reading such. This is more of a cautionary review. It is easy to mistake this book for children's literature, because of its whimsical cover (referring to the Vintage paperback edition). I've been searching for imaginative reading material for my son (please no e-mail about Harry Potter - my son's just not into the phenom), and picked this up, primarily as a result of Edward Hoagland's comments on the back cover. Hoagland is kind of an avuncular nature writer, known for essays on John Muir and the animal kingdom, so I figured his involvement (he writes the introduction) lent an air of respectability to the volume. All I can report is that I'm glad I didn't hand the book over to my son without reading it myself first. I am by no means a PC watch guard, but this depression era "fantasy" novel is mean spirited in the extreme. It is also blatantly racist (with a "little black Sambo" spinoff regarding a snake and a "coffee-colored fat boy"). The narrative also constantly refers to "Chinks" and other equally derogatory terms for various races and nationalities. What divides this kind of thing from Huckleberry Finn, for example, is the sensibility behind the writing that one comes away with. In Twain, we sense that the author is every bit as sympathetic towards Jim and his plight as he is scathing of the institution that binds him. With Charles Finney, it would appear that he is just a bigoted product of his era and exploits the racist tendencies that were unfortunately ingrained in the culture then. If there were truly redeeming qualities to the literature, I might even be able to hold my nose and recommend the author for his powers of imagination. The probem is, the literary merits of this novel are miniscule. It reads like a high school creative writing project. The author has picked up a few tidbits of world mythology and strings them together in an extremely haphazard crazy-quilt narrative. There is no attempt at characterization or dialogue, just a pastiche of ill-contrived monologues and "tall tales." When he has completely run out of steam after 100 pages, Finney fills the rest of the book with a catalogue of his cast-of-characters that is nothing more than pulp-filler. I am nonplussed as to why Vintage included this dime store novel in its reprints of 20th century classics. If this work has any redeeming value, I have yet to discover it. My advice would be to avoid it and I by no means suggest it as advisable reading material for young people.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of sardonic fantasy
Review: Into the drab, sleepy world of Abalone Arizona, where each resident thinks he's seen it all, comes a circus run by a "Chinaman" featuring, not elephants and bears, but the mermaid, the roc, the Hound of the Hedges and the ancient city of Woldercan. This astonishing short novel's narrative ranges from rustic yarn to elegant scientific speculation to bizarre flights of fancy. Added fun comes in the index featuring commentary on every human, animal and morsel of food mentioned in the story. Ignore the Tony Randall movie; the book beats it by miles.
Rating:
Summary: Dr. Lao and the Dance of Life
Review: It came as a surprise to me to find that one of my favorite films as a boy was actually based on a novel. It was even more of a surprise to find that the novel was written in 1935. It was a further surprise to find that it was written by a newspaperman that had served as an enlisted man in the old 15th Infantry in China back before WWII. Finally, it was a surprise that I actually liked this little book even more than the film. The story centers around the most unusual circus of Dr. Lao. The good doctor's circus is his own personal world- and seems to obey no laws of man or nature but his own (and that of his junior partner, Apollonius of Tyana.) This is an appropriate partnership, for Apollonius was perhaps the wisest man of the classical West, while Lao, if I am not mistaken, is patterned on Lao Tzu, wisest man of the classical East. Between them, they have assembled a remarkable collection of creatures from all places and times for their little show: a Chimera, a Unicorn, a Sphinx, a Sea Serpent, a mermaid, a werewolf, a hedge hound, the Golden Ass, a medusa, a satyr, a faun, nymphs, a Roc, and much, much more. All of this for the edification of the inhabitants of the sleepy, ordinary, little town of Abalone, Arizona during one hot, dusty August during the Great Depression. Everything is intended to wake the little town from its slumber, for everything reflects the great dance of life in all its appetite and lust, its wonder and terror. Yet, above it all, and in control of it all, are the two great sages. Many of the inhabitants of Abalone are left in wonder or in denial. Either way, most of them will never be the same again....
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars
Review: It is difficult to describe the wonder of this book. It is a short book of a little over a hundred pages. The category that it has been sold under is science fiction. The book has no plot but tells of a strange circus setting up in a small town. The owner of the circus Dr Lao is a Chinese man who changes between being a strange 1920's racist caricature to a person of the clear flowing oratory. The book develops as the residents of the small town visit each of the exhibits. Each exhibit opens up a world of magic. The author attempts to satirise the residents of the town by contrasting their mundaneness with a world of passion and mystery. The one exception to this is a dialogue between a sea monster and an office clerk. The sea monster is so large that it could destroy any other creature with a flip of its tale. Its power is dwarfed by the power of the clerk who is unremarkable but representative of the power of humanity as a collective mass. The climax to the book is one of the most humours pieces of writing in science fiction. This book is now sadly out of print and will probably never be published again. Yet it is a work that deserves to endure for ever.
Rating:
Summary: A True Fantasy Masterpiece
Review: Much as I love the movie, the book is so much better, more mysterious, more idiosyncratic, more cynical and even funnier. I have loved this book dearly for 40 years now. You can read it in two hours, if that, and then reread it an infinite number of times. I've bought 3 or 4 editions over the years as I keep wearing them out, but this new edition, a facsimile if the first edition with the bizarre original illustrations, is a thing of beauty, an edition worthy of this great classic. READ THIS WONDERFUL BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: A "must read" if you crave something different.
Review: My only regret upon reading this book is that I didn't discover it earlier. The imagery in this book will transport you into the author's universe - a bizarre circus full of equally bizarre creatures. When the main character, Dr. Lao, delivers his lectures on these unique beasts, the author's eloquent use of the English language is stunning. There is one point that I feel needs to be clarified, however. This book may not be suitable for all children. Although it engages the reader's imagination, it can be at times a very dark book. The appearance of Satan in the circus lashing a very pretty young witch comes to mind. Also, the use of derogatory racial epithets is something that most parents would probably not want to expose young children to. Finney's use of these words reminded me of William Faulkner's use of these words. They may seem gratuitous when you read them the first time, but later you realize that the author was in fact revealing a serious moral flaw in the character who was saying them. Overall, I feel that an intelligent older child would probably gain much from reading this book. The pros far outway the cons in this fantastic work of fiction.
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