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The Catch Trap

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 820 ratings · 89 reviews

A magnificent, colorful novel of the circus world of the 1940s and 1950s, rich in detail, bursting with power and emotion.
Mario Santelli, a member of the famous flying Santelli family, is a great trapeze artist. Tommy Zane is his protege.
As naturally and gracefully as they soar through the air, the two flyers find themselves falling in love. Mario and Tommy share sweet sto...more

Hardcover, 589 pages

Published May 1st 1979 by Ballantine Books (first published 1979)

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Sep 21, 2010 Calen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is hands down, the best book I've ever read with gay men as the main characters. It's honestly a masterpiece of gay literature. This is the story of love and romance between Mario and Tommy, two circus flyers, and everything that happens around them. It's so original, so creative, and so expertly written. The details and descriptions put into this are excellent and reading it was almost surreal. I was in love with it from the first chapter and didn't want it to end. I wish there were more b...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Erulisse rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was recommended to read this as an early entry into LGBT literature. Knowing that I have enjoyed other books by this author, I was looking forward to it. I never dreamed how much I would enjoy this. It's not erotica, most of the sexual escapades are not explicit at all. But the relationship that she develops between the two main characters is human, fallible, and rings true. They are each other's lifelines, and when they fully realize that along with their place in each other's lives as well a...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Zahra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are so many reason why I shouldn't love this book, but the simple truth is I couldn't put it down.
It's not an easy read. Tommy, the character whose POV is mostly used, is, at fifteen, young and naive, and so very much in love with Mario, his trapeze mentor who is about eight years older than him.
Mario is a hard person to love, though. He's self-destructive and full of self-loathing, despite being an immensely talented flyer and a natural teacher.

I love the time setting (forties and fiftie...more

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Oct 06, 2009 asteroidbuckle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama-angst

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved this book.

Set in the late 1940s/early 1950s, the story revolves around two central characters: Tommy Zane (through whose eyes most of the story is told) and Mario Santelli (aka Matt Gardner). Tommy wants to learn how to fly - on the trapeze - and Mario, the star flyer with the Flying Santellis, takes him under his wing. Soon Tommy becomes one of the family, even going by the name Tommy Santelli during the act.

Bradley does two things extremely well in this book: (1) describes circus life...more I loved this book.

Set in the late 1940s/early 1950s, the story revolves around two central characters: Tommy Zane (through whose eyes most of the story is told) and Mario Santelli (aka Matt Gardner). Tommy wants to learn how to fly - on the trapeze - and Mario, the star flyer with the Flying Santellis, takes him under his wing. Soon Tommy becomes one of the family, even going by the name Tommy Santelli during the act.

Bradley does two things extremely well in this book: (1) describes circus life and especially the art of the trapeze in rich and vivid detail, bringing it to life for the reader; and (2) creates a realistic love story between two men, not shying away from all the implications of that relationship for the characters and the time.

Mario and Tommy are in love, but they have to hide it. The forced secrecy exacerbates Mario's already volatile temper and frustrates Tommy. It also creates unavoidable tension between them, and their fear of being caught makes for a sometimes dysfunctional relationship.

The story is told in three parts. In the first part, Tommy learns to fly, becomes part of the Santelli family, discovers his sexuality in sometimes painful (emotionally) ways, and learns that life for he and Mario isn't as easy as it is for everyone else. It ends with an unwanted revelation that sets the tone for the rest of the book.

Part 2 is very short and consists of the rift between Mario and Tommy as they are forced to go their separate ways. Though brief, it hurts to read, as by now the reader is invested in the lives of Tommy and Mario.

The third part begins five years after the second part ends. Tommy returns from the Army to discover that Mario has gone missing. Finding him languishing in a two-bit carnival, their reunion is bittersweet and inevitable. Evenutally they decide to team up again on the trapeze, hoping to recapture the magic they once had. In the end, Tommy realizes that his place is as Mario's catcher. The realization is symbolic, as Mario needs an anchor, someone to catch him when he falls and when he soars - on and off the trapeze. He's no good on his own; physically he's strong, but Tommy is his inner strength.

While it is a love story, at the heart of the novel lies a rich and storied family saga. Five generations of Santellis are present in the story and the complex and sometimes conflicting themes of love and loyalty make the story a realistic and intriguing tale.

The book isn't perfect. The final conflict/resolution of the story is a bit predictable and Bradley overuses a few phrases to the point of monotony. But overall, it's a fantastic story full of rich details, compelling characters, and a believable and sometimes heartbreaking love story. Oh, and it's about the trapeze. How many books can say that?

I highly recommend this book to everyone.(less)

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Sep 26, 2009 Surreysmum rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1985, homoerotic-fiction-by-women, owned

[These notes were writte in 1985:]. Two people do a flying trapeze act, and fall in love with each other, face outside opposition, split up, and eventually, older and wiser, realize they can't live without each other, establish a new and firmer relationsip, and square things with difficult relatives. Oh, and not at all incidentally, they're both male: Mario and Tommy. I always suspected Zimmer Bradley had an overtly gay novel in her, though I'm surprised it took her till '79 to write it, and tha...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Jaylon rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just can't believe how disappointed I am with this book. I searched for it for so long and when I finally found it and read it I just...I can't adequately explain how I feel. I won't lament too much though & I will try not to include spoilers. I acknowledge beforehand that this is only my meager opinion.
Marion ZB was obviously a talented writer, and I have enjoyed some of her other works, but as a gay, male reader, I found this piece so poorly done, so brutal, even offensive at times, t...more I just can't believe how disappointed I am with this book. I searched for it for so long and when I finally found it and read it I just...I can't adequately explain how I feel. I won't lament too much though & I will try not to include spoilers. I acknowledge beforehand that this is only my meager opinion.
Marion ZB was obviously a talented writer, and I have enjoyed some of her other works, but as a gay, male reader, I found this piece so poorly done, so brutal, even offensive at times, that I honestly don't think I could read anything else by her. It has just shattered the author's mystique for me. I get that the story was set in the 40s & 50s (in fact, it was a primary reason I was so excited to read it), but it was so full of self loathing and the characters did so many pointless, heartless, unforgivable things (to each other and others) that I just can not appreciate it even for nostalgic purposes. I realized about a third of the way through that I honestly no longer cared for the characters and I did not even want them to be together in the end. I just stopped rooting for their individual happiness or their Happily Ever After, which was an honest-to-goodness first for me.
I am not slamming this book and I'm not just trying to be negative. I really put in some time and effort to find this piece of literature. I can appreciate that it was written in a certain time and some of the "glimpses of the past" were nice. There were a few very nicely written excerpts and some boldly tackled taboos, and I enjoyed the aspect of circus life, which led to a new interest for me. But the supposedly "romantic" aspect and the homosexual aspects were so awful for me that by the end I wished I had not started. I love lengthy novels and beforehand I saw the 500+ pages as a bonus. And to be clear, I was not bothered by the age differences and all that. I am not a sensitive reader. But it was all the self hatred (regardless of the era and societal issues), all the heterosexual dealings (there seemed to be more effort dedicated to the heterosexual aspects than the homosexual). I don’t know if that was purposely done or if it was just due to the author’s limitations as a heterosexual female. She almost seemed like she used the heterosexual aspects to “tow the line” on the subject matter, or balance the homosexual facets, which frankly is insulting. But there were so many other vicious moments for me (potential SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER: like Mario & Tommy, men supposedly so “in love” with each other, maliciously having sex with women (who they had just met & supposedly had no interest in) in front of each other just to prove points!) They were so cruel to each other at times. So much volatility and hostility, and quite frankly so many sadistic and brutal moments that I just wanted it to end. I guess the author was going for an epic, hard-earned love, but to me it failed miserably. It wasn’t tender or sweet like I hoped, at least not enough to compensate (repeatedly treating someone like dirt, then crying and apologizing about it doesn’t count).
Ultimately, I didn’t believe in the author’s story and I didn’t believe in her characters. I kept asking myself “How did Mrs. Bradley really feel about gay people?” Regardless of her reported scandals and all. Again, she was obviously talented, but it almost seemed like this was some inconsequential story that she didn’t really care about but wrote it just to prove that she could write about the subject matter. It definitely did not feel like a labor of love. I get that she put a lot of time and research in the writing, but it honestly did not come through for me. Now that I think of it, I think I may have actually enjoyed the story better if it just didn't focus on any sex or relationships at all. Perhaps if she had solely focused on the circus life and the aerial feats and such, I think it would have really been a great read for me. I felt so helpless and disappointed when I finished reading this and, with all the rave reviews, I wondered if there was anybody who felt the same. The story had such a promising premise, and I actually tried to re-read it to be sure but, alas, this one was torture for me.(less)

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Jaylon I just can't believe how disappointed I am with this book. I searched for it for so long and when I finally found it and read it I just...I can't adeq...more I just can't believe how disappointed I am with this book. I searched for it for so long and when I finally found it and read it I just...I can't adequately explain how I feel. I won't lament too much though & I will try not to include spoilers. I acknowledge beforehand that this is only my meager opinion.
Marion ZB was obviously a talented writer, and I have enjoyed some of her other works, but as a gay, male reader, I found this piece so poorly done, so brutal, even offensive at times, that I honestly don't think I could read anything else by her. It has just shattered the author's mystique for me. I get that the story was set in the 40s & 50s (in fact, it was a primary reason I was so excited to read it), but it was so full of self loathing and the characters did so many pointless, heartless, unforgivable things (to each other and others) that I just can not appreciate it even for nostalgic purposes. I realized about a third of the way through that I honestly no longer cared for the characters and I did not even want them to be together in the end. I just stopped rooting for their individual happiness or their Happily Ever After, which was an honest-to-goodness first for me.
I am not slamming this book and I'm not just trying to be negative. I really put in some time and effort to find this piece of literature. I can appreciate that it was written in a certain time and some of the "glimpses of the past" were nice. There were a few very nicely written excerpts and some boldly tackled taboos, and I enjoyed the aspect of circus life, which led to a new interest for me. But the supposedly "romantic" aspect and the homosexual aspects were so awful for me that by the end I wished I had not started. I love lengthy novels and beforehand I saw the 500+ pages as a bonus. And to be clear, I was not bothered by the age differences and all that. I am not a sensitive reader. But it was all the self hatred (regardless of the era and societal issues), all the heterosexual dealings (there seemed to be more effort dedicated to the heterosexual aspects than the homosexual). I don’t know if that was purposely done or if it was just due to the author’s limitations as a heterosexual female. She almost seemed like she used the heterosexual aspects to “tow the line” on the subject matter, or balance the homosexual facets, which frankly is insulting. But there were so many other vicious moments for me (potential SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER: like Mario & Tommy, men supposedly so “in love” with each other, maliciously having sex with women (who they had just met & supposedly had no interest in) in front of each other just to prove points!) They were so cruel to each other at times. So much volatility and hostility, and quite frankly so many sadistic and brutal moments that I just wanted it to end. I guess the author was going for an epic, hard-earned love, but to me it failed miserably. It wasn’t tender or sweet like I hoped, at least not enough to compensate (repeatedly treating someone like dirt, then crying and apologizing about it doesn’t count).
Ultimately, I didn’t believe in the author’s story and I didn’t believe in her characters. I kept asking myself “How did Mrs. Bradley really feel about gay people?” Regardless of her reported scandals and all. Again, she was obviously talented, but it almost seemed like this was some inconsequential story that she didn’t really care about but wrote it just to prove that she could write about the subject matter. It definitely did not feel like a labor of love. I felt so helpless and disappointed when I finished reading this and, with all the rave reviews, I wondered if there was anybody who felt the same. The story had such a promising premise, and I actually tried to re-read it to be sure but, alas, this one was torture for me.(less)
updated Feb 04, 2012 10:26am

Mar 23, 2013 Radubradu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't know what to expect from this book when I started reading it, I just picked it from a "best gay literature" list. The first chapters weren't that interesting and I was even considering putting it down. But it caught my interest when Tommy went to live with the Santellis and just got better and better until I was waiting my whole day for the moment I'll get to immerse myself again in the wonderful story of love between Tommy and Mario.
I am always careful about reading gay literature abou...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Mónica Silva rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Opinião no blog http://howtoliveathousandlives.blogsp...

Esta é uma saga familiar enquadrada num mundo muito especial: o circo. Marion Zimmer Bradley envolve o leitor neste cenário, ambientado entre os anos 40 e 50, descrevendo com perfeição os bastidores e os palcos circenses. Mais concretamente, a autora descreve a arte fascinante do trapézio, a glória de voar e a busca pela perfeição técnica na execução desta arte.

Dentro deste cenário encontramos a família Santelli, constituída por artistas d...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Adam Jacobson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gay, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 12, 2011 Jami Ouellette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book when it first came out in paperback, because I loved MZB and just knew that this would be as wonderful as her fantasy stuff, even without knowing what the story was about. I read it through in huge gulps, needing to know how the story would resolve itself, finished it and re-read it, and it was just as good the second time. In the years following, I read it over and over, each time finding something in there that convinced me again what a strong story it was. Unfortunately I len...more

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May 25, 2010 Erastes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gay-historical

As a fan of circus stories, and someone who has been so since a little kid, this was something I was really looking forward to. I had very few preconceptions, as I didn’t know what era it was set in or whether it had a romance ending, or anything. I love films such as Trapeze (I saw the homoerotic subtext in there, even before I discovered gay romance) and The Greatest Show on Earth so as I say I was happy to jump in to The Catch Trap.

And overall I wasn’t disappointed. Tommy Zane is the young so...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Madison Parker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, made-me-cry, historical, lendable

Absolutely captivating. This book had me completely immersed in this fascinating world of circus performers. I've actually woken up the past two mornings realizing that I had just been dreaming about these characters; that's how completely absorbed I have become in this story. These two men and the story of their love and dedication to each other and to their art has deeply moved me. There were at least three different points in the story where I was in tears because of the emotional intensity....more

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May 16, 2007 Rory rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have reread this book many many times... It takes place during the 20's and 30's in the life of a circus performer and the family that he joins to become a famous trapezee artist. This is an amazing look at circus history over several decades as well as about love both romantic and familial. It was one of the best books ever.

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Jun 12, 2010 Emrys rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, it was okay...

Honestly, I thought this book was too long. As I was reading it, I began editing it. Pages and pages could have been cut out, and it would have been a significantly better book. And I'm one of the few people who LOVE the original, HUGE and uncut version of Stephen King's The Stand...so that should tell you something!

The writing was almost clumsy in its repetition of thoughts and ideas. It was as if the author (who...don't get me wrong...wrote one of my favorite books...The Mi...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: love-storys-non-fantasy

Eines meiner absoluten Lieblingsbücher aller Zeiten. Ich habe es sicher schon 20 mal gelesen und werde es immer wieder zur Hand nehmen, auch wenn es langsam auseinanderfällt.

Es ist die Zeit vor dem zweiten Weltkrieg, irgendwo in den USA. Im Wanderzirkus lernt der Sohn des Löewndompteurs Tom bei den Flying Santellis die Kunst am fliegenden Trapez. Mario, der Star der Truppe arbeitet an einem dreifachen Salto - dem Salto Mortale.
Tom liebt das Trapez und bewundert Mario über alles. In einer sehr za...more

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May 03, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

Not quite sure about this book. I liked it. I liked Tommy and Matt but I didn't care much about any of the other characters.
I like acrobatics and circus shows and so I liked the settings chosen for this book but sometimes exactly the acrobatic scenes were bit too detailled for my taste.
And what to say about the love story?
I felt so sorry for Matt and Tommy ... it must be tough beyond words to be gay in times of this book. Either you came out and chose a life in a totally gay world, hated by t...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Dolphe rated it 5 of 5 stars

In "The Catch Trap", there is an ongoing debate concerning aesthetics versus flamboyance. That debate mostly surrounds the aerial trapeze circus act which serves as the backdrop for the story. The debate also sums up the love story between the two male central characters. In the time frame of the '40's and '50's in which this occurs, advertising their gay relationship was not a possibility, so they must be content with the personal knowledge of its correctness without a public demonstration of t...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Elisabeth Waters rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first read this book (in 1978) it was a carbon copy in two one-ream paper boxes. It took me two days to read it, and I found the flying scenes so absorbing that it seemed strange to have to go to my day job on the ground instead of being up in the rigging. (I even took trapeze lessons after I moved to California; there's a circus school in San Francisco. I'm not a good flyer, but at least I don't freeze on the bar.)

Re-reading it more than 30 years later, I still find it fascinating both a...more

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Jun 26, 2010 A.M. Riley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm interested in what other writers of GLBT think of Marion Zimmer Bradley. I feel almost as if a piece of her got blown into my heart a decade ago. Like a dandelion gone to seed.

The Mists of Avalon was the first Arthurian legend based book that answered the need I had to see strong female characters in my favorite myth. Poor old Lord Tennyson had pretty much destroyed the women of the Round Table for me. Mindless idiots and evil witches. The Mists of Avalon was a sort of redemption.

Bradley was...more

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Aug 21, 2009 David Watt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first read this wonderful book approx 20yrs ago, when I was in my early 20s and tend to read it at least once a yr since. I loved reading but this was the first book that truely moved me,in fact I was moved to tears several times. It takes through all the emotions and back.
Why do I reread it gives me hope, it makes me smile but most of all it is a wonderful story, Thank you Marion.
I have let a few friends the book, and on a whole they come back saying the same thing.
And for my 40th b'day...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Barbara Elsborg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked it. I think it's important to remember WHEN it was written and the period that it's dealing with - around 70 years ago when attitudes toward homosexuality were very different. Yes, the story was simple, yes there was a lot of angst and should I shouldn't I moments but for me it was a compelling read. Very interesting detail on trapeze artists that I didn't know and I was so desperate that this did not end unhappily, I can't tell you. I had a horrible sneaking feeling all the way t...more

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Jan 15, 2010 Maygirl7 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

I was a huge fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series when I was a kid. After reading all of the Darkover books, I stumbled on the Catch Trap and read it because it was by MZB. It was the first book I can remember reading about being gay and made me feel like I could imagine being a gay man. It scared the crap out of me (i.e., in the same way reading and identifying with a character caught up in the Holocaust). Definitely one of my favorite books that changed my worldview. I'm glad to see...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Filipa Silva rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book when I was 17 or 18 and didn't realize there was such a thing as Gay Literature (I still don't understand the concept of tagging a book like that). I simply thought it was a beautiful story, engaging and written in a way I couldn't put it down. I clearly remember reading the last 200 pages (the book has near 700!) in a school night, turning the last page around 2 a.m.
I don't know how would I rate ir today, but at the time it had a great impact in me and it remained one of my fa...more

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Jan 30, 2012 John Goode rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book every year.

It is like a vacation for me, I take time, set it aside and go visit Tommy and Matt for a few weeks. Every year it is different, every year it is the same. Every year I cry, every year I fall in love. There is so much magic in this book it s impossible to explain with just words, which is ironic since the magic was made with words but I digress.

A tale of two trapeze artists told in the backdrop of World War II, this book spans years and years of Tommy and Matt and the...more I read this book every year.

It is like a vacation for me, I take time, set it aside and go visit Tommy and Matt for a few weeks. Every year it is different, every year it is the same. Every year I cry, every year I fall in love. There is so much magic in this book it s impossible to explain with just words, which is ironic since the magic was made with words but I digress.

A tale of two trapeze artists told in the backdrop of World War II, this book spans years and years of Tommy and Matt and their evolution from two guys fooling around to soul mates. To be at least, it is THE gay love story of the 20th century and widely unknown to most people/

Mario Zimmer Bradley of course is famous for a whole other type of book, but she had a passion for gay men and the circus. In the print book forward she explains the differences of the real and the fictional circus which only shows how much she loves the subject. You can feel the dirt on your face, hear the crowd gasp, taste the crappy concession food...and yes, you fall in love with the boys.

This is a long read, not a little skim you can dance over in a few days. This book insists on your full attention and if you cannot give it or do not have the attention span to give, do not read this book. I am reading it on my Kindle Fire this year and I feel like I am cheating a little on my big old hardback copy, but the ability to open up and BE there with Tommy and Matt in a blink of an eye...invaluable. If my Kindle stopped doing everything else but display this book, I would still think it was a good investment.

This isn't a love story where two perfect people fall in love. This is a life story about two people struggling to find the best part of themselves in someone else. So if you are one of those judgmental readers who gets all pissy when someone is an asshole, or as I put it a real person, then avoid the book. These people are real, not chess pieces for your own private imagination. Matt is an asshole and Tommy is famously weak. They are caught in a spiral of passion that threatens to destroy everything they are and at times, that means good people do bad things.

But if you like fantastic writing, incredible characters and a setting that you will look back and go, i want to see that again...this my friend is your book. Now on the Kindle, it has NEVER been easier to discover the wonder of Catch Trap.

I'll be over setting up the rigging for the three o'clock show, wave and I'll buy you a hot dog before it starts.(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Sophie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, owned, lgbt, favorites

I have very fond memory of this one. I must have been around 13 when I checked this out of the library, during my big Marion Zimmer Bradley period, and I remember not having a clue what this was about when I started reading this. Well, I knew it was about a circus, but apart from that.. I also remember being unable to stop reading, and I skipped church class (in preparation for my confirmation) so I could read in my room, sitting on the floor, leaning against the heater while it was raining outs...more

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May 08, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, glbt-fiction, favorites

The Catch Trap was an incredibly moving story and I really liked it much. Below are a few of my random thoughts. For a far more insightful analysis I suggest you check out Teddy Pig’s review, he’s the reason I spent considerable time ringing 2nd hand book shops around the country trying to get hold of it! Which is what good reviews do, they should illustrate that the novel has touched someone in some way and give you, the reader, some impetus to whip out your much abused credit card.

So, in short...more The Catch Trap was an incredibly moving story and I really liked it much. Below are a few of my random thoughts. For a far more insightful analysis I suggest you check out Teddy Pig’s review, he’s the reason I spent considerable time ringing 2nd hand book shops around the country trying to get hold of it! Which is what good reviews do, they should illustrate that the novel has touched someone in some way and give you, the reader, some impetus to whip out your much abused credit card.

So, in short, 2 guys meet while working in the circus. Tommy is younger, considerably so at the beginning, and Mario is older, in years anyway (his emotional maturity left something to be desired at times!) They meet, they eventually become lovers and so on. But the story doesn’t just hook you in with longing looks and the faint hint of manlove moments, it’s also an authentic accounts of circus life that makes your remember why, at age 10 and spandex was still an option, you were ready to jump out the window in the night and join a troupe of acrobats.

In other reviews I’ve read there are some issues about the age gap when Mario and Tommy start fooling around. I didn’t find it objectionable, mainly because it was consensual and there was a authentic ring to it. I’m sure you could be all hurumph about it, but to be honest aren’t most teens that age fooling around doing something? I dunno. I think we as adults often see sex as an action loaded with power, connotations, consequences blah blah. I seem to remember that kind of thing not really being at the forefront of my mind at that age, nor were they guiding my actions either. So yeah, I thought it was pretty hot and heavy, with a realistic and accessible note that struck a chord.

Thematically there is a lot going on in this big ass book. It is lengthy and at times long winded. There are lovely bits of teen angst, Mario periodically throws himself on the cross and Tommy has these little pockets of youthful insight that are just delicious. There’s the sweet ache of a teenager leaving home, becoming autonomous and loads of courage too. I thought Tommy’s obvious emotional attachment not only to Mario, but to the Santelli family was nicely done. The theme of feeling disconnected and without community is also explored. The author even managed to have a bit of a go at inter generation family dynamics. You name it, this book’s got it. It works for the most part, despite it being a bit of a tome and that the occasional WTF moment —> see Tommy’s parents.

There were defnitely issues in the book and it’s not always perfect, but liked it anyway. Beautiful, erotic, sad, long, romantic and just really damn cool. If you can get a copy, give it a crack and read TP’s review, just cause its great.

http://sharrow.wordpress.com/2010/05/...(less)

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Dec 19, 2009 Melody rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this book. It's a wonderful, heart-wrenching story about a pair of circus trapeze artists who fall in love. The problem is they are both men, and it's the forties. Things do not go smoothly. It's a riveting story and a departure for Bradley, who wrote mostly sci-fi. The characters are achingly real.

There's so much here, both about aerialists, their process and art, and about pre-Stonewall gay men, that one forgives the occasionally purple prose, the claustrophobic angst, and only sees the...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Aussie54 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this early on in my gay fiction reading, and it’s one of my favourites.

Each time I read it, I find new things that I missed during my first readings. There’s so much to take in.

As much as I love this, (view spoiler)

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Jun 12, 2012 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The author really could have used a good editor to cut this book down about 200-300 pages. The most interesting aspect of the story to me was the shame Tommy and Mario felt over their homosexuality and it's unfortunate that the author didn't explore this issue more throughout the book rather than spending so much time relaying the aspects of "flying" and focusing on mundane conversations between members of the Santelli family (who really weren't all that interesting).

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Aug 12, 2012 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my second favorite book of all time, right behind Stephen King's The Stand. All I can say is that, to me, it's a story of bravery and love despite the odds in a time gone by that I hope we never see again. As with all of Bradley's books it is beautifully written, with no-nonsense but powerful imagery and a tight, well-wrapped up story. Highly recommended.

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About Marion Zimmer Bradley

Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often with a feminist outlook.

Born on a farm in Albany, New York, during the Great Depression, she began writing in 1949 and sold her first story to Vortex magazine in 1952. In 1965 Bradley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Te...more

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The Mists of Avalon (The Mists of Avalon, #1)

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“If he knew, if he was told in so many words, he would have to do the conventional thing, he would have to express the conventional shock and horror. But knowing without analyzing, knowing in a place that went deeper than words, he could see it, know it, accept it.” — 3 people liked it

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