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47th out of 283 books
—
345 voters
The Circus of Dr. Lao
by
Charles G. Finney,
John Marco (Goodreads Author) , Boris Artzybasheff
Abalone, Arizona, is a sleepy southwestern town whose chief concerns are boredom and surviving the Great Depression. That is, until the circus of Dr. Lao arrives and immenselyand irrevocably changes the lives of everyone drawn to its tents.Expecting a sideshow spectacle, the citizens of Abalone instead confront and learn profound lessons from the mythical made real--a chim...more
Paperback, 154 pages
Published
April 1st 2002
by University of Nebraska Press (Bison Books: Bison Frontiers of Imagination)
(first published July 1935)
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THE. MOST. UNSETTLING. THING. I. HAVE. EVER. READ.
As if in coda to my completion, a painter brought into my folks' decorating store a dead hummingbird he found in the back of his van. He brought it forward like an acolyte bearing the thin weight of his aged master, forward toward a raised dais, laying it down, then prostrating himself in supplication. The painter said to me, lying the stiff, inert carcass upon my desk, "I thought you could give it a good burial. I...I...I just don't know how it...more
As if in coda to my completion, a painter brought into my folks' decorating store a dead hummingbird he found in the back of his van. He brought it forward like an acolyte bearing the thin weight of his aged master, forward toward a raised dais, laying it down, then prostrating himself in supplication. The painter said to me, lying the stiff, inert carcass upon my desk, "I thought you could give it a good burial. I...I...I just don't know how it...more
I have a fondness for the people of the sleepy little town of Abalone, Arizona. I too live in a small desert town. It's not in Arizona but it is a stone's throw away on the other side of the Colorado River. I wouldn't call it sleepy since it is on the I-10, one of the busiest interstates in the nation. Yet it does occasionally seem like it is on the verge of lapsing into a coma. We even have a circus that comes into town twice a year. It has a not-so-big-top tent, an asthmatic ringmaster and an...more
This is a great reissue by Bison Books.
First published in 1935, The Circus of Dr. Lao is a marvel: or as John Marco so rightly puts it in his introduction, ‘an obscure classic’. (page xvii)
Though Charles Finney published other novels and stories, this (his first) is perhaps his most famous, though even this is not all that well known. Like many others, I suspect, I know it personally through The 7 Faces of Doctor Lao, the George Pal movie of 1964 starring Tony Randall in the titular multitude of...more
First published in 1935, The Circus of Dr. Lao is a marvel: or as John Marco so rightly puts it in his introduction, ‘an obscure classic’. (page xvii)
Though Charles Finney published other novels and stories, this (his first) is perhaps his most famous, though even this is not all that well known. Like many others, I suspect, I know it personally through The 7 Faces of Doctor Lao, the George Pal movie of 1964 starring Tony Randall in the titular multitude of...more
This strange slender deadpan novel (I think Charles Finney is the first incarnation of Kurt Vonnegut) from 1935 charmed me half to death when I first read it years ago. And it pretty nearly did it again just now. As the years rolled by I think it's got even stranger. For one thing, for a silly fantasy about a circus full of the world's most mythical beings (a sphinx, a chimera, a sea serpent, a mermaid, a werewolf, a hound of the hedges, whatever that is, along with Appolonius of Tyana, a magici...more
A book quite unlike anything else I’ve ever read. It concerns the visit of Dr Lao’s circus to a small Midwestern town during the Depression. This is a very unconventional circus. It’s a collection of mythological creatures, but not everyone who sees them can agree about what they are. There’s really no plot at all, the book merely deals with the effects that Dr Lao’s circus has on the various people who see it. It’s a kind of fable, with a definite touch of surrealism to it. The early 1960s movi...more
A highly original tale of a shabby little circus that shows up suddenly in a small town in Arizona. The inhabitants find, to their surprise, that the mythological creatures are real. The mermaid is real, the Hound of the Hedges is real, the Satyr is real, the sea serpent is real. Particularly surprised is the woman who thinks the Medusa is a fake, but not for long, and her husband gets an unusual statue out of the encounter. Some lives are changed, such as that of the English teacher who meets t...more
This is a truly extraordinary book. it packs into its short length more commentary on human nature in both its sad and wonderful aspects than many authors would struggle to depict through vast volumes of work. I believe that in a just world this book would be considered among the paragons of American letters, right up there with free-thinking luminaries like Mark Twain, who Charles Finney indeed often calls to my mind while reading The Circus of Dr. Lao. The whole story takes place in a day and,...more
Jun 09, 2009
Andreas
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
can't really recommend this book
Shelves:
fantasy
This was a disappointing book. I read it because Woldercan is mentioned in Evil Guest and I expect that some parallels can be found in Gene Wolfe's cryptic book that might reveal what's going on. (A future read will show if this is true.)
The circus of Dr. Lao is a weird place. There are a couple of very old, mythological beasts that can be watched. As it turns out, the beasts are too strange for the people of a small place in Arizona. They are convinced that everything is fake and even when they...more
The circus of Dr. Lao is a weird place. There are a couple of very old, mythological beasts that can be watched. As it turns out, the beasts are too strange for the people of a small place in Arizona. They are convinced that everything is fake and even when they...more
A fun movie but a down-right oddball book - the paperback equivalent of an "enigmatic stranger" - its a social commentary, its a comedy, it's stream of conciousness - and it ends with a big list of questions that remain unanswered.
More to discover upon each re-read.
Oh - and what's it all about? Well, a circus comes to a small, US town...
More to discover upon each re-read.
Oh - and what's it all about? Well, a circus comes to a small, US town...
This book inspired Ray Bradbury (and countless others) and so I had to pick it up. It's weird and amazing (especially when you realize this came out in 1935 originally). In a small town, during the Great Depression, a circus of marvels arrives; among them a sea serpent, the hound of the hedges and a medusa (just to name a few). There isn't a plot, per se, other than peeking in on the various visits by townsfolk - but the bite of the book is in these visits. With few exceptions, most folks compla...more
Jun 13, 2009
Erik Graff
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of fantastic fiction & of Ray Bradbury
Recommended to Erik by:
James Koehnline
Shelves:
literature
This was one of many books--and magazines--recommended and loaned by James Koehnline, roommate at 1634 W. Chase Ave., Chicago, with Linda Harrington and me. Like most, if not all, of these books, it was, ah, "different."
"I am a calm, intelligent girl," Miss Agnes reassured herself. "I am a calm, intelligent girl, and I have not seen Pan on Main Street. Nevertheless, I will go to the circus and make sure."
Published in 1935, “The Circus of Dr. Lao” is a forerunner of all those books where a mysterious circus or travelling fair (or even shop) appears in a small town, full of wonders that have a powerful affect on the townsfolk, whether for good or bad.
When a notice in the local newspaper announces the arrival of a...more
Published in 1935, “The Circus of Dr. Lao” is a forerunner of all those books where a mysterious circus or travelling fair (or even shop) appears in a small town, full of wonders that have a powerful affect on the townsfolk, whether for good or bad.
When a notice in the local newspaper announces the arrival of a...more
A strange little story for sure, about a circus that arrives in a sleepy Arizona town only to turn out to be packed full of real mythological creatures - a chimera, a satyr, a werewolf, a mermaid, etc. - though what makes the story strange is not the circus itself but the townspeople's disinterest in these impossibilities. They come expecting a "real" circus, are disappointed when it doesn't meet their expectations, and most leave complaining.
The novel is very short, just over 100 pages (with i...more
The novel is very short, just over 100 pages (with i...more
I try to read this book every couple of years. After the first time I read it Charles G. Finney was catapulted to my favorite writer.
Each time I read it, I experience it differently. The first time I read it I thought the world was a cynical place full of hate and misery, and that humans are horrible people. The second time I read it I felt that the world was mysterious and strange, and I felt that most people don't realize this.
I am not sure how Charles G. Finney wanted to make people feel wh...more
Each time I read it, I experience it differently. The first time I read it I thought the world was a cynical place full of hate and misery, and that humans are horrible people. The second time I read it I felt that the world was mysterious and strange, and I felt that most people don't realize this.
I am not sure how Charles G. Finney wanted to make people feel wh...more
One of the most interesting things about this book is that with the exception of some of the outdated racial language (not the ones in the dialogue, but some of the narration) the prose and language is shockingly modern. If I had picked the book up blind I could have believed it was from the Sixties, or Nineties, or even from a new slipstream/modern fantasy type author.
If you come to this book after watching the movie, be aware it is more cynical, and a bit darked. It is also less plot driven. N...more
If you come to this book after watching the movie, be aware it is more cynical, and a bit darked. It is also less plot driven. N...more
A remarkable book just for the sheet history, and remarkable in that it was done without the Internet. More of a reference book than an actual story, but it holds with the tenants of all good pulp fiction its fantasticalness. It also has the added bonus of one of the finest appendixes of all time.
Perhaps it would've benefitted had Finney elected to tell the adventures of Dr. Lao capturing the performers, but then it would forgo the main question of the book: when we look at something in a cage d...more
Perhaps it would've benefitted had Finney elected to tell the adventures of Dr. Lao capturing the performers, but then it would forgo the main question of the book: when we look at something in a cage d...more
i really really wanted to like this book - because I have such great memories of the sixties movie, and I thought it would be weird and circusy. but it was lame. laaaaaame. it was like a really lame version of "ishmael," set during the depression, but with a talking snake instead of the gorilla. that really awesome monologue at the end of the movie, where the doctor says "Mike, let me tell you something. The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it. The way the sun goes down when yo...more
A strange tale of a circus that comes to a quiet depression era town. The story itself is kind of fun in a magical realist sort of way, but where the author really shines is when he steps out of the story telling to give pretty scathing critiques of society and progress. Sort of reads like Kurt Vonnegut at times, especially in the glossary defining all the characters and inconsistencies in the book. Good stuff (although one reviewer is mistaken that his is Charles Finney's only book. A very quic...more
Jun 17, 2007
jackalope Mack
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Not many people
Shelves:
generalstuff
First of all, I'm not a Tony Randall fan. Men who seem even a little efeminate (sp?) kind of creep me out. But one of my favorite movies of all time is 1965's "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao." So when the book upon which the movie was based got republished, I was very enthusiastic. But fans of the movie be warned, Director George Pal took some liberties with the book to make the movie better. In fact, the book has some downright R-rated material that doesn't contribute much to the story.
Until I read th...more
Until I read th...more
A perfect example of crystal clear and exciting prose fronting extraordinarily opaque meaning. You could easily just enjoy this as a collection of weird and amusing non-sequitur encounters. There is much more here though. You can dig and discover a deft commentary on racism and possibly imperialism (I think that’s one of the subjects Finney is spreading open, but again, it’s not entirely clear). I have never read anything so ahead of its time, both in style and subject matter. The method in whic...more
Saw this as a movie when I was a kid- now as an adult I also enjoyed the book. At only 150 pages it is quick, but included are many of the run-of-the-mill type of folks you all know. A bonus is a healthy dose of mythology both traditional and freshly brewed. Written in 1935 it reflects much of that era, but timeless in many ways, as humans never change.
I really enjoyed this book. I find it incredible that it was written so long ago because the sensibility is very current. The use of language was over the top and fantastic. I found myself uncomfortable with some of the racist content but of course in the thirties it would not have jarred anyone. I would love to see this book as a graphic novel.
Yes, and amen to all the glowing reviews. It was one of two books that followed me in my wandering for years. Both got read and reread till the spines cracked and they were held together with tape and rubber bands. I never thought to look to see if there was another book by Finney. For a long time I thought it was written by Frederick Brown.
great tragicomedy. it is written before, but it reminded me strongly of the athmosphere from the movies of Federico Fellini: the parade of grotesque characters, the festival of fools setting, the humor and the sharpness of observation for humain foibles. A short , concentrated narrative, alternatively humorous, subversive, scary or lyrical.
Finney's book is unsettling. You're given sound-bites of dialogue and gain some insight into characters, but they often don't react as you'd expect. The people of Abalone have a 'whatever' kind of attitude to the arrival of Dr Lao's fantastic circus of mythological beasts, and throughout the story I could see many parallels to our desensitized and blinkered culture. The illustrations are bizarre but in harmonizes with the plot. It is a funny little book and somehow gets under your skin.
I liked this initially and the premise was intriguing: A mysterious Chinaman brings his circus of strange creatures to a small Arizona town in the 1930's(when the book was written). But the plot doesn't really go anywhere and my interest was waning about 3/4 through just as it gets increasingly bizarre-o. The movie version sounds good, I'll probably like it more than the book.
This is an odd little book that I wasn't sure I liked just after I read it. Some parts are painfully of its time. (1940's) But the circus imagery and disturbing carnavalesque situations always seem to pop in to my head when I'm writing. A good book is one you think about later. This qualifies.
One of those rare cases where the movie is better than the book. Perhaps this is unfair to me as I came to the book with the movie in my mind, and that was what I wanted and expected. It's not what you get! Tried to read it again a year or so ago and found it just as impenetrable as ever.
So odd and so good, a strange little snapshot of mythological East meets not-quite-so-mythological West. Crisp, wry and engaging writing style, and a fucking hilarious index of characters at the end. Reminded me of the rather more recent 'John Dies At The End' by David Wong.
I found this an odd little book with some interesting bits but, overall, unsatisfying. As with anything this old, one has to keep the time in which it was written firmly in mind, often to keep from throwing it across the room. It did have its lovely moments though. I'm not sorry I gave it the time I did but I was ultimately glad to be done with it.
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Charles Grandison Finney, 1905-1984 a grand-grandson of Charles Grandison Finney, 1792-1875.
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“I was like you once, long time ago. I believed in the dignity of man. Decency. Humanity. But I was lucky. I found out the truth early, boy.
And what is the truth, Stark?
It's all very simple. There's no such thing as the dignity of man. Man is a base, pathetic and vulgar animal.”
—
7 people liked it
And what is the truth, Stark?
It's all very simple. There's no such thing as the dignity of man. Man is a base, pathetic and vulgar animal.”
“...it obeys none of the natural laws of hereditary and environmental change, pays no attention to the survival of the fittest, positively sneers at any attempt on the part of man to work out a rational life cycle, is possibly immortal, unquestionably immoral, evidences anabolism but not katabolism, ruts, spawns, and breeds but does not reproduce, lays no eggs, builds no nests, seeks but does not find, wanders but does not rest.”
—
3 people liked it
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