The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno: A Novel [Hardcover]

Ellen Bryson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 22, 2010

Water for Elephants meets Geek Love in this riveting first novel, an enchanting love story set in P. T. Barnum's American Museum in 1865 New York City

Bartholomew Fortuno, the World's Thinnest Man, believes that his unusual body is a gift. Hired by none other than P. T. Barnum to work at his spectacular American Museum—a modern marvel of macabre displays, breathtaking theatrical performances, and live shows by Barnum's cast of freaks and oddities—Fortuno has reached the pinnacle of his career. But after a decade of constant work, he finds his sense of self, and his contentment within the walls of the museum, flagging. When a carriage pulls up outside the museum in the dead of night, bearing Barnum and a mysterious veiled woman—rumored to be a new performer—Fortuno's curiosity is piqued. And when Barnum asks Fortuno to follow her and report back on her whereabouts, his world is turned upside down. Why is Barnum so obsessed with this woman? Who is she, really? And why has she taken such a hold on the hearts of those around her?

Set in the New York of 1865, a time when carriages rattled down cobblestone streets, raucous bordellos near the docks thrived, and the country was mourning the death of President Lincoln, The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is a moving novel about human appetites and longings. With pitch-perfect prose, Ellen Bryson explores what it means to be profoundly unique—and how the power of love can transcend even the greatest divisions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inspired by a vintage circus photograph, Bryson's first novel tells the fictional story of the unusual relationship between two human curiosities from P.T. Barnum's American Museum. Bartholomew Fortuno, the world's thinnest man, is asked by Barnum to keep an eye on his latest acquisition—Iell Adams, the bearded woman, who is kept in seclusion until the impresario can introduce her to the world. Fascinated by her and desiring a transformative experience, Bartholomew falls hopelessly in love with Iell, much to the surprise of his fellow Curiosities. Bartholomew also gets caught in the middle of a war between Barnum and his jealous wife for control of Iell's future. The story culminates at Barnum's birthday party, where Bartholomew is shocked to discover Iell's big secret. Though thin on plot, this work sympathetically conjures up the backstage world of Barnum's museum and the pecking order of his Curiosities, and magically transports the reader back in time to Gilded Age New York. Fans of Water for Elephants are sure to want to enter this wondrous midway attraction of a novel. (July)
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Review

"It must have been something, America at the end of the Civil War, and debut novelist Bryson imagines it beautifully in her inspired drama about freaks, showmen and the forces that twist our insides. Opening just after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the curtains part to reveal a sideshow within a spectacle, namely the singular attraction that was Barnum's American Museum in New York City, owned by narcissistic showman P.T. Barnum. . . . Bartholomew is a wonderful character who doesn’t struggle against his self-image but revels in it, challenging audiences with his bravado. . . . A rich tapestry of romance, illusory science, criminal trickery and human intrigue. Let the show begin."—Kirkus Reviews

"This work sympathetically conjures up the backstage world of Barnum’s museum and the pecking order of his Curiosities, and magically transports the reader back in time to Gilded Age New York. Fans of Water for Elephants are sure to want to enter this wondrous midway attraction of a novel."—Publishers Weekly

"Debut novelist Bryson has concocted fascinating historical fiction about one of showman P.T. Barnum's 'curiosities' who worked in the confines of Barnum's famous American Museum in lower Manhattan in the mid-19th century.... Bryson is a natural storyteller, and the fascinating interpersonal dynamics of her enticing characters keep readers' interest.... A strong first novel—recommended."—Library Journal

"Bryson, a proverbial ringmaster, delves deep into context, roping the assassination of Lincoln, scents of Chinatown, and heart-wrenching human misconceptions into poetic prose that captures the attention of ladies and gentleman, boys and girls of all ages."—Daily Candy

"Rich with magic.... Uncovering Iell's secrets leads Fortuno to expose his own, and this subtle but profound transformation casts a spell over the narrative until the last pages. Novel and character are awakened by the magnetic Iell, who makes Fortuno feel 'empty and full at the same time. Hungry and satiated.' By the end of the novel, readers should feel that way, too."—Christine Thomas, Miami Herald

"Riotous and touching.... It’s one delicious story."—Ann La Farge, The Hudson Valley News

"Ellen Bryson has found a doozy of a story to tell, and she tells the hell out of it. Earnest, accurate, entertaining—this book lets us peek into the life of a great circus, and the great circus of life itself."—Darin Strauss, author of More Than It Hurts You and Chang and Eng

"Ellen Bryson's The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is an atmospheric and enthralling story of one of the great, lost legends of New York."—Kevin Baker, author of Strivers Row and Dreamland

"The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno brings alive the curious world of P. T. Barnum's American Museum in 19th century New York, transforming in the process the freaks and prodigies into heart-breaking people.  Bryson is bedazzling, a real writer of extraordinary bravado."—Keith Donohue, author of Angels of Destruction and The Stolen Child

"Ellen Bryson is a truly gifted storyteller whose debut novel transports the reader through time and into history itself, into characters with strange bodies but all-too-human hearts. I was hooked by every act, all the way to the novel’s big reveal. Like Barnum’s museum, this book deserves a plethora of visitors looking for educational entertainment."—Cathy Day, author of The Circus in Winter

"I cannot remember another first novel as deftly written, as emotionally charged, as transporting as this one. Ellen Bryson's breathtaking debut makes us all believe anew in the power of love."—Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1 edition (June 22, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805091920
• ISBN-13: 978-0805091922
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #724,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a young girl, there were three things I wanted to do: dance, write, and be a monk. Why in the world I'd want to do things that take years of solitude, hard work, and living a life built on a financial quicksand is still beyond me, but I'm really lucky to have tried all three.

For over a decade, I eked out a living as a modern dancer in Cleveland, Boston, and New York. Still in my twenties, I was young enough not to care that I had to support myself waiting table, working as a temp, or in any other job to keep some kind of roof over my head.

Dancers, however, have a short shelf life, and after a certain age I knew I needed to do something else. So I applied and was accepted into Columbia University's General Studies program where, with the help of scholarships, I earned a degree in English and creative writing. During the summers, I sat meditation at a Buddhist retreat in Massachusetts, and managed to do two three-month silent retreats. By my third year, I seriously considered taking monastic vows.

But the world was too appealing, so I finished school, and then that old pesky "gotta-eat" thing bit at my heels again. As soon as I graduated, I took my first real job at the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation in Manhattan reviewing grants to mature painters and sculptors. What terrific work. Not part of my life triumvirate, perhaps, but the beginning of a career in philanthropy that lasted over a decade.

It was during this time that I met a Navy SEAL in one of my meditation retreats and married him. (This was way beyond luck.) Together, we started what I like to call our gypsy life. We left New York for San Diego, CA, Duluth, MN, and Manama, Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Eventually, we settled in Washington, DC. There, I went to Johns Hopkins University in DC for an MA in creative writing, working slowly on what would eventually become my first novel.

Just after 9/11, my husband and I decided to do something new: We began to dance the tango. In a moment of inspired insanity, we left our jobs in DC, sold our apartment, and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to dance. We stayed for three years, renovating an apartment, learning Spanish, and exploring. Tango, it turned out, provided limited pleasure, but writing was great, and living in a country where few spoke English changed my perspective forever. In the end, the controlled craziness of our own country proved more endearing than the uncontrollable craziness of another, and home we came.

We currently live in San Diego, but I suspect it won't last. We're already considering a move to Paris.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Should have loved it ...., October 11, 2010

By 

C Wahlman "cdub" (Merrillville, IN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno: A Novel (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I should have loved this book: historical fiction about human oddities after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, pretty compelling idea. The intriguing premise of the novel, however, did not deliver.

Barthy was a little too self-righteous to feel any real connection to and his intrigue did not compell me to read. The other characters did not engage me early on. Overall the story started with mystery and promise, but after the first chapter there was very little that kept me reading (other than my own desire to finish and write this review).

Strange, this should have been so much better ... not recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well-Written But Ultimately A Bit Disappointing, April 24, 2011

By 

A reader from California - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno: A Novel (Hardcover)

Overall, I liked the book, but did not love it. I thought it was very well written, and the characters and historical setting were interesting. However, I had two main issues with the book: Firstly, I found the main character, Bartholomew, not very likeable. He had his moments, but overall was self-indulgent and defensive even when treating other people badly. Secondly, the last two hundred pages were no different than the first one hundred pages. Not much more happened in terms of plot or character development. And the big surprise at the end: come on--anyone could have seen that coming a mile away. Given the potential of the setting and the characters, I would have liked to have seen something more dramatic. But overall, a good debut.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Freak Show World, June 2, 2010

By 

Terri J. Rice "ricepaper" (WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno: A Novel (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I remembered when I started reading Water for Elephants that the absolute last thing I thought I would want to read about was a circus. Water for Elephants proved me wrong. It was a fantastic book so when The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno came along I thought I should give it a go. The characters although freakish were boring. Their thoughts, words and actions were facile. The story began well enough but then just rambled on to its ho hum ending.

Having worked his way up in the freak show world from a traveling menagerie to the Barnum Museum, Bartholomew Fortuno feels certain his primary gift is not his freakishness... and his gift will soon be realized. As the thinnest man in the world, nothing good ever came from subjecting himself to the outside world. But those same people who recoiled in fright on the streets were willing to plunk their nickels down to gawk and stare at the circus. Able to eat only six green beans at a meal, he carefully cuts each into thirds and chews each bite twenty-five times. Next to him sits Martina, able to eat and eat and eat. Bartholomew's dearest friend is no other than the fattest woman in the world, Matina, a complex woman whose beginnings were as a second rate act on a riverboat show.

"Our uniqueness alone is enough to justify our special place in the world. But even more, our destiny insists we use our gifts to show others who they really are or show them what, in an ideal world, they could become. It may shock them at first, but, deep down, we open their eyes to greater possibilities."

Bartholomew's dearest friend, Matina, becomes jealous when the new act, the bearded lady, Iell, joins the show. Bartholomew is overcome, smitten with this woman and everyone wants to know, who she is, what her secret is.

I sped through the first hundred pages hours after it arrived in my mailbox. I loved the characters and the bit of mystery and the oddity of the characters, but then past the middle heading toward the last quarter of the book, it began to draaaag. The characters were not developing further, the plot was getting old, the dialogue began to bore me but I simply needed to finish reading it so I could find out in the end what happened to all these people. It did not satisfy.