[.ca] Son Of The Circus (Mp3) (Unabr.) (ISBN 1423335996)

Not Garp....:
OK, that goes without saying. This book does show Irving as a very meticulous writer. Given the size of this book, Irving is adept at keeping all the pieces together. Everything fits. The problem I had with the book is that everything fits. Not because it is a very polished work, but because I could see what was coming and how it would work. Once I had a good idea of who was who, I see that I am only half way through the book. There is no sense of wanting to turn the pages to see what is coming up next. I really like the character of Daruwalla. The notion of being a stranger in your own home is fascinating and Irving's linking this to the image of the circus is well done. As a writer, it is hard to find fault. As a study of his Irving's writing, this is a good book. As a real "page-turner," I find that this novel falls a little short of that mark. If you have not read Garp, then I would recommend reading that instead.

Mystery may not be his strong point.:
Now, this was a great novel with a minor flaw. The great character relations are all intact, and the plot is awesome, but the whole epilogue thing was pointless. It killed the story. It could have lingered with me for quite a while if it hadn't been so neatly wrapped up. I mean, it would have been fine if it ended with the last chapter, but the characters could really stick, you would really still feel close to them atthe ed, if we didn't know what the rest of thgeir lives were like.

Irving's third best:
A Son of the Circus is a great book by a terrific author. It tells the story of an orthopedic surgeon who is trying to decide where he truly fits in (he was born in Bombay, educated in Europe, and permanently settled in Toronto), while dealing with numerous exotic characters and unique situations. Irving paints a beautiful picture of India and it is as well crafted and intriguing as any of Irving's books. It is a little more difficult to relate to and get into then A Prayer For Owen Meany or Garp, so I would recommend reading either or both of those books before trying this one, but it is a wonderful story, so once you are accustomed to the Irving style this is a book you should not miss. I would certainly recommend it to all Irving lovers or anyone simply interested in a good book.

Identity search at the heart of "Circus":
Bordering on sensory overload, John Irving enthralls readers with this excellent story of an orthopedic surgeon who is neither at home in his birthtown of Bombay, India nor his adopted residence of Toronto, Canada. Set amidst the backdrop of colorful India with its circuses, prostitutes, dwarfs, transvestites and cinema, the story is a hybrid of murder mystery, relational drama and satire. Irving makes excellent use of flashbacks, weaving the plots and subplots with the mastery of an expert author. Despite the many characters with diverse backgrounds, one theme remains at the heart of the story: The ongoing search for identity and the importance of self-acceptance. Fans of Irving may be tempted to compare this book to his previous works, but this book is truly in a class by itself. Readers looking for another "Garp" will be disappointed, but those simply looking for an excellent story will find "A Son of the Circus" a sheer delight.

Circus dwarfs and transsexual murderers - Vintage Irving:
A Son of the Circus is certainly John Irving's most ambitious novel to date, if not his finest. Irving fans who adore the eccentric characters and bizarre, over-the-top plot twists that Irving is known for will find much to enjoy in this novel. Rest assured, there are enough prostitutes, transvestites, transsexuals, midgets, and instances of mistaken identity and sexual confusion to keep die-hard Irving fans entertained for hours. While this book rates behind Garp, Owen Meany, and others on the long list of Irving's works, it is a pleasurable read and surprisingly quick for its 682 pages. As with any Irving novel, an attempt to summarize the plot in a few short words, or even paragraphs, would fail miserably. Once again, Irving has chosen a colorful locale as the backdrop for his zany cast of characters - this time, it's in Bombay, India. There we meet Dr. Farrokh Daruwalla, an Indian who has lived most of his life in Canada but returns periodically to his place of birth. Daruwalla is an orthopedic surgeon by day and closet screenwriter by night. He is also a life-long fan of the circus, of which there are many in India. His cast of friends includes several circus performing dwarfs, the perpetual star of Daruwalla's detective movies (who always seems to be slightly in character), the movie star's long-lost twin brother, who is in training as a Jesuit priest, and the local police detective investigating a series of murders at the posh country club. With a group like this, and the inevitable intrigue and suspense of an upper-crust murder mystery, the action and the comedy are in abundance. And yes, there is the slightly sentimental element that Irving has such a gift for. Daruwalla is a man who feels he has no home. As his father once told him, an immigrant is always an immigrant. He worries he will never be fully accepted in Canada, and will never truly be able to consider himself an Indian. His story is as much a comedic jaunt through India as it is a story about a man in search of his inner identity. And as always, Irving blends these themes with grace and tenderness.