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A Son of the Circus
A Son of the Circus
Author: John Irving
"A SON OF THE CIRCUS IS COMIC GENIUS....GET READY FOR IRVING'S MOST RAUCOUS NOVEL TO DATE." — --The Boston Globe — "Dr. Farrokh Daruwalla, reared in Bombay by maverick foes of tradition, educated in Vienna, married to an Austrian and long a resident of Toronto, is a 59-year-old without a country, culture or religion to call his own....The novel ma...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780345389961
ISBN-10: 0345389964
Publication Date: 8/30/1995
Pages: 704
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 95

3.3 stars, based on 95 ratings
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed A Son of the Circus on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Filled with bizarre characters and several threads for the storylines, but why anyone would consider this a science fiction, or even a fantasy, novel is beyond me.

I enjoyed the book and will probably read more of John Irving, but it is not an easy read.
reviewed A Son of the Circus on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
If you like John Irving, I think you may like this. It reads like a murder mystery and of course there are bizarre characters.
reviewed A Son of the Circus on
Helpful Score: 4
I am a huge fan of Irving's but this was just not very good.
kbockl avatar reviewed A Son of the Circus on + 27 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Not an easy read, but worth the effort. The story of a man born in India, schooled in Vienna, living in Toronto who never feels like he belongs anywhere. It's as colorful as a silk sari.
reviewed A Son of the Circus on
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed the book, it was not like anything I had read before. The novel is not about India but there is lots of take of India, also broken sexual boundaries.
Read All 20 Book Reviews of "A Son of the Circus"

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bookgoddessme avatar reviewed A Son of the Circus on + 106 more book reviews
I'll begin by saying I certainly respect the author, he has received much acclaim for his work. The book presented a couple themes I love, the circus, and India. The author certainly created characters I grew to care about because I wanted to stop reading it after I gave it 150 pages of my time, but I couldn't bring myself to stop " in case" it got better. Once Nancy's character was introduced I was really drawn in, but not enough for me to really like it. I can fault the male narrator, and the human flaws of all the characters, and there were many, because I know I don't respond well to either of those themes. Worth a read, I think the author is excessively wordy and detailed, but some people might love that aspect of the book. Try it.
reviewed A Son of the Circus on + 43 more book reviews
Really an unusual book for it's time. If you liked Garp, you will love this.
reviewed A Son of the Circus on + 35 more book reviews
All the quirkyness of a John Irving novel set against the patchwork quilt that is the nation of India.
reviewed A Son of the Circus on + 61 more book reviews
This was a REALLY good story! I REALLY enjoyed it!

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