Customer Reviews

The Aerialist: A Novel (Sewanee Writers' Series)

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THE AERIALIST begins ordinarily enough - with two hapless guys, one who dodges responsibility and the other dying of cancer, taking a joy ride in a car that's obviously a murder scene - but once this novel gets going, it takes an extraordinary leap. Gary joins a circus by whim and by accident, and later pulls his buddy Dave aboard. What they experience there (particularly what Gary, our narrator, does) becomes something both larger and more gritty than a circus show. Schmitt takes his readers through Gary's various jobs in the circus as well as describing a variety of others, giving me the impression, whether false or not, that Schmitt knows his material. From bull prodder to aerialist, Gary becomes the circus with all its quirks and desperate moments, its glitz and its manure, the odd comraderie behind the scenes as well as the machinations that make the audience ooh and aah. Gary and the supporting characters are well-drawn and compelling in their off-beat ways.

This debut is a literary gem. Its originality, well-written prose, and the deftness with which the characters are drawn will assure Richard Schmitt of a solid following.

I am a circus performer forty years and i can tell you this book is the real thing. It is a beatitful book to read and it tells a story I know in my heart to be true.

I grew up in Sarasota, and would see circus performers working on their acts while riding my bicycle around town. I even lived in the Circus City Trailer Park mentioned in the novel. But I didn't know much about the actual circus until picking up this book.

The parts I enjoyed most were toward the beginning, when Gary was a butcher. I liked hanging out in the pie car, or avoiding ringcurb. After Gary becomes a performer and heads off to Europe, the book doesn't feel as sharply rendered.

But for a boy who grew up in Circus City, USA, and who dreamt of running off with the circus, this book feels right and true.

Some of us went to San Francisco, others went underground or to communes. Gary ran away and joined the circus and later brought us along for the ride. Here is a growing-up or coming of age story (if you prefer) that will take you places and show you events that are as familiar as the circus but as alien as another planet. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and savoured every chapter. I was taken to places and met people I would have never met otherwise. Don't miss reading this book.

Richard Schmitt's moving and mythical tale tells the story of one man's journey to peace and understanding. The amazing thing is that Schmitt takes all of us along for the ride. We come to understand not only the hidden world of the circus, but more, our role in that larger circus we all live: Life. From its rollicking opening to its moving conclusion THE AERIALIST is vividly rendered, funny, heartbreaking in places, and always surprising. The unlikely keeps cropping up and is made inevitable as Schmitt captures perfectly the subtle development of young Gary Ruden and his coming of age through a wide variety of characters, places, and lyrical prose not often seen in a first-time novelist.

In about 1953 or 54 I was about 12 or 13 years old when the Clyde Beatty Circus came to my hometown of Glasgow, Montana. My cousin and I were drawn to the grounds like every other kid in town. We were two of the lucky ones who were given the nod by an old grizzled guy and allowed the privelege of watering the elephants, assisting in the cook-tent and that night actually stuffing ourselves into a small car with a couple of clowns and 25 other kids, and popping out in the center ring.

Richard Schmitt's The Aerialist took this reader to the other side of the curtain I had the privelege of brushing up against that day. The book is vivid and fascinating in its description of the circus as society apart, one that reflects and mimics the complexity, limitations and disorder of American society.

The characters are well-rounded and complex. I especially liked the decision to include other points of view as first person essays between chapters. These small gems of insight round out the story without violating the first person limited point of view. Several of them are obviously the result of deep thought, imagination and endless revision - as finely crafted as any written today. Any of them could stand alone.

I have two criticisms. First is the introduction of two fascinating characters - Alberta and Marge - toward the middle of the book that are dropped without full development. I liked them both and wanted to know more about them. The second is that the book sags a little during the European period. The sense of novelty and freshness declines and the writing lacks the vividness of the first part. There is also a bit of under-development in the novel's resolution. After all of his experiences why did he settle for marriage to a non-entity?

The character of Gary is true to life and convincing. His voice is strong and confident, consistent, and carries the reader along in effortless participation. Makes it a great read. Good on you Schmitt! Keep it up.

Superb writing that leads you from one twist to another turn in this fascinating story about discovery and finding a place to fit in. Great characterizations that let you see the individuals and feel their emotions as they move through the story. I've not been interested in the circus since I was 10 years old and saw the old Barnum and Bailey back in the 50's, but I sure want to go again now. Thanks for writing a wonderful story with such rich characters.

I cannot but love this book. And the possibility of writing a review is irresistible, as the book and its protagonist keep returning to me, months after having finished reading it.

There are plenty entertaining books, but few have lasting effects such as this. This book often comes flooding back to my thoughts. It made me wonder at the beginning, but now that I feel I understand why, I feel compelled to share.

This story is told in a subtle and understated way, avoiding the use of over-dramatisations that may make a book more easily accessible and attractive. The same is true of the protagonist. You get to know him slowly, by way of his actions and points of view, akin to how one gets to know a person in real life. It is not all at once, and not through anything dramatic, but through little things. It makes both the story and the protagonist seem real, true. And that's a feat. It is this quality that sets this book apart from other books that provide a temporary escape that ends once the book is finished.

Moreover, the authentic feeling of this book creeps up on you as you slowly realize the depths of the protagonist and his story. And the funny thing is this books deals with the circus, which had no reality value to me. I can't say I had a good view of the circus before reading this book. I certainly did not find it attractive, being preoccupied with potential animal abuse. But the heart of the book is the search of the protagonist of identity and meaning and his place is this circus of a world. And the writer manages to make both the protagonist's journey and the circus attractive and realistic at once. Not a dream or a hero and a Hollywood fantasy, but a sincerity that draws you in.

Trust me, this is a wonderful book, written by an intelligent and talented writer. What is more, this writer owns one of the most gorgeous bums around!

This debut novel has just been awarded the Chautauqua South Fiction Award 2002 from the Martin County Library System in Stuart, Florida. This prize is given for a Florida novel of merit. The Aerialist is a wholly original,from-the-heart story, peopled with oddly compelling characters. Read it twice to make sure you "get it."

What a great peek into the circus world! We get inside views of the lives of performers, laborers, cooks, cleaners and assorted hangers-on. We travel on the circus train throughout North America and we caravan around Switzerland and Italy. We meet weird and wonderful characters from many countries. This book was particularly informative for me as my great-uncle was a circus performer in the `40s and `50s (George Lerch - he combined wirewalking and juggling). Schmitt knows his stuff and is a terrific writer. He deftly alternates between the first-person account of the main character's exploits intermingled with a dozen or so vignettes, each describing an important character (even his dog). Schmitt has taken me into a world I only knew from my great uncle's fading publicity photos and programs - and I thank him for that.