Customer Reviews

The Juggler

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

From the compelling first chapter in which a capricious king orders a juggler's hand cut off, to the last, quietly triumphant page, The Juggler is a dark, meticulously detailed, compulsively readable Medieval fantasy.

The strongest portion of the book is undoubtedly the first chapter, which has a tone strongly reminiscent of that of Poe's quirky, macabre short stories-- "Hopfrog" in particular comes to mind. This is not to say that the rest of The Juggler isn't excellent-- because it is. The protagonist, a commoner named Beran, has sold his soul to the Devil (as literal and real a figure in the story as he was in the Medieval mentality) to become the greatest juggler in the world. Beran's journeys as a master juggler in the Middle Ages, narrated in almost a picaresque style, are carefully painted and convincing. Additionally, the author's note on the historical accuracy of his novel is both interesting and informative.

The Juggler isn't a perfect book; the romance is a little unconvincing, and the ending is somewhat anti-climactical. However, its surprising originality (considering it has two very overused fantasy elements-- a Medieval setting and evil incarnate) more than make up for its shortcomings. After all, how many Medieval books can boast of having a juggler as a main character? The Juggler is not a book for younger teens, but the older teen with any interest in dark fantasy or Medieval England will find it to be an engrossing read.

"The Juggler" by John Morressy takes place in medieval Europe. The book, written in the third person, opens with a thought provoking, although grim introduction in which a juggler who is disapproved of gets his hand cut off. "The Juggler" then follows with the first chapter in which a farmer's son, Beran, witnesses a juggler performing at a fair. From that day on, Beran aspires to become the greatest juggler in the world. After his village is attacked while he was out, he takes to the road to learn how to juggle. While on the road he meets various people including some pilgrims, who in the long run influence his life greatly. Beran becomes the apprentice of another man he meets while traveling. This man teaches him how to juggle superbly, but Beran is still not satisfied with his skills. One night while speaking with his master he said that he would give "anything" to become the greatest juggler that ever lived. During their later travels his master is murdered, Beran, fleeing from the killers, stumbles into the embodied version of the Devil. Beran knew who the man was immediately, "Yet the old man looked so kindly and innocent. His pale face was smooth shaven, his large dark eyes full of sympathy, his white hair snowy in the morning light. He might have been an angel, not the thing he was." (page 110) Satan and Beran make a deal that Beran was to be given the skills of a master juggler, skills whose limitations were the only hindered by the widths of Beran's own imagination, in return Beran would have to hand over his soul to Satan at 50 years from that day. Beran, still a young man, traveled all over Europe amazing everyone who saw him, not taking care to the atrocity he has created in himself. After some time Beran realized what he had done with his soul. He remembered the pilgrims he saw in his travels, and in order to repent for his sins he became one. He traveled to the Holy Land and wandered their searching for a way to save himself.

The first part of this book is magnificent. It realistically relays the travels of a man who is neither rich nor prosperous, of which very few accounts were written in medieval times. The book is very descriptive of things not only unique to the story, but of those things relating to most of the medieval era. "The Juggler" is very well researched; one who didn't know much about the ways or beliefs of common people in those times would be more than adequately supplied with information. For example, the belief that Satan was a physical being was a common belief of those living in Medieval Europe, however those living in the 21st century might scoff at the idea. The last part of the book, although, was rushed and at some points quite dull, not an ending that suited the well-written and thoughtful book. However, overall "The Juggler" was a good read, suitable for those who wish to know more about the life of commoners in medieval times, as well as those who enjoy a book containing adventure and travel.

This might have been an interesting read if the entire book hadn't fallen into the trap of telling rather than showing. Beran, the story's main character, is a cardboard cutout who doesn't really have a soul to sell. If there'd been more to the writing than Beran did this, then this, met so and so, wore fine/ratty clothes, did this, met a nice/evil/indifferent man, did this, went out on the road, and did this, The Juggler may have received more than one star from me.

This book is a delightful reimagining of the classic Faustian tale. It chronicles the life of a young man who is willing to sell his soul to the Devil in exchange for being made into the world's greatest Juggler. It is a beautifully written, methodically researched YA Fiction novel. And though it is posing as a Medieval Fantasy, it's actually a cleverly disguised tale about the price of redemption.

The first half of the book deals with the young (anti)hero, Beran. Beran starts life as a farm boy from a simple world who sees jugglers at a village fair and makes up his mind to become one. When tragedy separates him from his family, he takes to the roads, and both he and the reader meet a colorful cast of characters from all walks of life before he makes his deal with the Devil.

Having made it, Beran lives for a few years off of his ill-gotten gains, and the reader is treated to lavish descriptions of his juggling routines which incorporate so much magic and flair, it's hard not to wish you could be there watching it all happen in person. That's the real joy of this book: it pulls you in, line by line, and leaves you always wanting more.

Beran's encounter with a priest encourages him to seek redemption and win back his soul. But breaking a deal with the Devil is far easier said than done, and the entire second half of the book deals with his pilgrimmage and quest for redemption by journeying to the Holy Land. This part is what I took off half a star for: it's less engrossing, a lot slower, and lacks the malicious glee that made up the first half of the book before Beran decided to repent. Just more proof that the bad guys have the most fun, I suppose. A virtuous life is well worth seeking, but it can get a little dull at times.

Overall this book is a must-read for fans of historical and medieval fiction. It's a history lesson AND a fun read, and that's a pretty tough combination to beat.

"The Juggler" by John Morressy takes place in medieval Europe. The book, written in the third person, opens with a thought provoking, although grim introduction in which a juggler who is disapproved of gets his hand cut off. "The Juggler" then follows with the first chapter in which a farmer's son, Beran, witnesses a juggler performing at a fair. From that day on, Beran aspires to become the greatest juggler in the world. After his village is attacked while he was out, he takes to the road to learn how to juggle. While on the road he meets various people including some pilgrims, who in the long run influence his life greatly. Beran becomes the apprentice of another man he meets while traveling. This man teaches him how to juggle superbly, but Beran is still not satisfied with his skills. One night while speaking with his master he said that he would give "anything" to become the greatest juggler that ever lived. During their later travels his master is murdered, Beran, fleeing from the killers, stumbles into the embodied version of the Devil. Beran knew who the man was immediately, "Yet the old man looked so kindly and innocent. His pale face was smooth shaven, his large dark eyes full of sympathy, his white hair snowy in the morning light. He might have been an angel, not the thing he was." (page 110) Satan and Beran make a deal that Beran was to be given the skills of a master juggler, skills whose limitations were the only hindered by the widths of Beran's own imagination, in return Beran would have to hand over his soul to Satan at 50 years from that day. Beran, still a young man, traveled all over Europe amazing everyone who saw him, not taking care to the atrocity he has created in himself. After some time Beran realized what he had done with his soul. He remembered the pilgrims he saw in his travels, and in order to repent for his sins he became one. He traveled to the Holy Land and wandered their searching for a way to save himself.

The first part of this book is magnificent. It realistically relays the travels of a man who is neither rich nor prosperous, of which very few accounts were written in medieval times. The book is very descriptive of things not only unique to the story, but of those things relating to most of the medieval era. "The Juggler" is very well researched; one who didn't know much about the ways or beliefs of common people in those times would be more than adequately supplied with information. For example, the belief that Satan was a physical being was a common belief of those living in Medieval Europe, however those living in the 21st century might scoff at the idea. The last part of the book, although, was rushed and at some points quite dull, not an ending that suited the well-written and thoughtful book. However, overall "The Juggler" was a good read, suitable for those who wish to know more about the life of commoners in medieval times, as well as those who enjoy a book containing adventure and travel.

An innocent young man bargains his soul to become the best juggler in the world. Nearly 25 years later it all catches up with him. In between those years the book follows the young man around and how he must survive during the crude medieval times.

The book is very well written with many details that add a lot of realism. It is fast-paced and keeps you reading. The plot itself isn't very deep and has been used before, where the devil (or whatever) offers to grant his/her wish in exchange for their soul. Otherwise the book was very fun to read (especially when you have to read it for a book report =) )....

I thought that this book was very well-written. It included many details about life during the Middle Ages. It did so in a creative way, however. They storyline was very creative. It would have been five stars if the story moved along a little faster. Don't get me wrong, it was very good, but some parts became a little boring. Overall it was a good book and I would recommend it to students who need to read a book about Medival life for Social Studies or English, because it is a lot better than most books about this time period.

The Juggler looked promising, but it wasn't that good. Turned out boring and predictable. There were some good moments, though. The first review of this book seems to be placed on the wrong page by mistake: Beran does not get his tongue cut off. I think that reviewer was talking about The King's Shadow by Elizabeth Alder, which I have read. (And I agree about that book moving too slowly and not having a good ending!)

This is a very dark and creepy novel, may scare some children. A boy who's tongue gets cut off, that was scary enough! The book moves at a slow pace, which I found most annoying. The ending wasn't really fantastic, which made me ask myself: Why did I start this book at all?

Medieval books I prefered over this one would be: Zel, The Forestwife, Child of May, and even Little Sister by Kara Dalkey.

The Juggler by John Morressy follows Beran, a young boy who's only dream was to become the best juggler. After Beran finds his town destroyed and his people killed, Beran set of on a journey. He uses his talent for food and survival as he travels accross the land. As you follow Beran he grows up, learning new tricks and meeting new and interesting people. When he meets one man, he makes an unforgettable deal. I thought The Juggler was an excellent book; it was well written, and Beran's story was inspirational. John Morressy has mastered the art of detail and magnificence in this book, showing the book was well thought out and planned. The details in this book where wonderful and descriptive, from the fine clothing Beran wore to the way his hands glided as he juggled on the streets. This was a very inspirational story; it told of Beran's dream to be the best juggler there ever was, and what he would do to fullfill his fantasy.If you like well-written and inspirational stories, you will like The Juggler.