| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazingly bitter, cynical, and sardonic - I loved it!,
By
This review is from: The Circus of Dr. Lao (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) (Paperback)
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.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A masterpiece of sardonic fantasy,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Circus of Dr. Lao (Hardcover)
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.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
so very lovely!!,
By
This review is from: The Circus of Dr. Lao (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) (Paperback)
the seven faces of doctor Lao was a favorite movie of mine as a child and i was very happy to see that the book far outshone the movie. it was a beautifully rendered snapshot of the most unusual circus on earth. Finney creates for us a place we would like to visit while giving us local characters who manage to be both satiric and realistic. I was sad to see that a few readers found the book to be inadequate....but it's bound to happen...due to the media of the day people can no longer understand anything that isn't spelled out for them and then cleanly ended, people don't want to have to think about what they've read or make even the smallest attempt at pondering it.and a note on the derogatory or racist terms used in the book for anyone who was upset by them....notice that they are not often used by the author but by the inhabitants of the town during a time when many people were very much against foreigners of any kind....they speak in a racist manner because a lot of people were that racist....we can't pretend they were all well bred and politically correct . it would be a lie.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
