What do you think?
Rate this book
The Circus of the Earth and the Air
A woman volunteers for a circus magic trick...and vanishes. When her husband sets out to discover what has happened, he is tortured, tempted, and analyzed and eventually sheds his identity and gains a new one-as a tightrope walker whose strength is his vulnerability. Photographs.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
11 people are currently reading
559 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 19, 2012
i love this book. it haunts me. i want more from the author. or maybe not, maybe this is enough. it left me longing for a tutu and the truth.
July 5, 2011
Brooke Stevens joined the circus as a young man, and somewhere along the way he realized circuses are kind of like a religion. Or maybe stages are like... life... and we are all performers? Or maybe audiences are what hold truly incredible performances back and so the trick is to have a permanent circus isolated and without spectators.
Or maybe he just decided it would be great fun to write a story about a man whose wife vanishes inexplicably after volunteering for a vanishing act at a circus and said man's slow (fast? pre-existing?) spiral into madness when no one will listen or help him or believe that the circus was even there in the first place.
Or maybe he was, at various points, excited about all of those ideas, but forgot to edit what he had previously written to follow along with his new enthusiasms. This book is a mess, the ending is kind of hilariously off-key, and the first 100 pages or so (post-disappearance and pre-Island Quest [come to think of it this book has quite a bit in common with that other disappointingly unfocused Island Quest narrative of recent years]) were pretty much the only ones worth reading.
Or maybe he just decided it would be great fun to write a story about a man whose wife vanishes inexplicably after volunteering for a vanishing act at a circus and said man's slow (fast? pre-existing?) spiral into madness when no one will listen or help him or believe that the circus was even there in the first place.
Or maybe he was, at various points, excited about all of those ideas, but forgot to edit what he had previously written to follow along with his new enthusiasms. This book is a mess, the ending is kind of hilariously off-key, and the first 100 pages or so (post-disappearance and pre-Island Quest [come to think of it this book has quite a bit in common with that other disappointingly unfocused Island Quest narrative of recent years]) were pretty much the only ones worth reading.
October 31, 2010
I've lost count of how many times I've read this book. This book will suck you in in under twenty pages, you won't want to book this book down. I burrowed this book from a friend in high school and I never want to give the book back to her. It took me a very long time to track down this book.
August 7, 2013
This book is so memorable. I read this book over 20 years ago and still sticks in my head. I had gotten out of Bangor Public Library. I remember where it was and the smell of the library and everything. Very memorable.
February 15, 2013
This book would be better categorized as some kind of inner-journey fiction, rather than fantasy.
Both the good and bad reviews of this book are spot on. The synopsis says all you can say, becuase this isn't an action book, and, 'a guy goes to the circus, looses his wife and spends way too long looking for her,' really says it all. In a summary like that, you can't add, 'but he looks for her with the most poetic musings', and not make it sound FoS.
That said, I read this ages ago, but I remember enjoying it. The large blocks of story that I can't remember are becuase you want to smash the main character in the head with the very book you are reading and make him do something more. But I also remember that the prose was great and it carried me through to the dark end. What I thought of the end, is another story entirely, one that I can't tell without some spoilage, so, This book illustrates how, not only my tastes have changed, but publishing standards have altered to meet the rigors of the ADD generation that demand more trick, more intrigue, more action, and more satisfaction from their stories. I don't know if I could read it today, but I really did enjoy it more than ten years ago.
Both the good and bad reviews of this book are spot on. The synopsis says all you can say, becuase this isn't an action book, and, 'a guy goes to the circus, looses his wife and spends way too long looking for her,' really says it all. In a summary like that, you can't add, 'but he looks for her with the most poetic musings', and not make it sound FoS.
That said, I read this ages ago, but I remember enjoying it. The large blocks of story that I can't remember are becuase you want to smash the main character in the head with the very book you are reading and make him do something more. But I also remember that the prose was great and it carried me through to the dark end. What I thought of the end, is another story entirely, one that I can't tell without some spoilage, so, This book illustrates how, not only my tastes have changed, but publishing standards have altered to meet the rigors of the ADD generation that demand more trick, more intrigue, more action, and more satisfaction from their stories. I don't know if I could read it today, but I really did enjoy it more than ten years ago.
June 15, 2015
Perhaps because it is very psychological, surreal, and almost on the border of incoherent did I really love this book. The description really throws you off, I didn't want to read about circuses (i hate circuses) yet this is not a circus loving book, but the metaphor of the grim realities of it and symbolism. its almost filled with philosophical anecdotes, the aching feeling of loss - and the heart ache it leaves you - the psychological trauma of it, theres also history (i won't spoil it)...americana.. yes i could go on.
Stevens conveys this in dream-speak...so it can be odd to read but i read it in..3 days, its a very haunting book and magical realism can sometimes rub people the wrong way but i love it, as a weirdo who often contemplates what is real, and what is a dream this book captures that perfectly, there are loose ends that I'm still trying to connect, perhaps Stevens didn't tie them up tightly but they serve a beautiful, if not sad aspect to this story.
final thoughts: what is real, and what is not? if this line speaks to you...you would like this novel.
Stevens conveys this in dream-speak...so it can be odd to read but i read it in..3 days, its a very haunting book and magical realism can sometimes rub people the wrong way but i love it, as a weirdo who often contemplates what is real, and what is a dream this book captures that perfectly, there are loose ends that I'm still trying to connect, perhaps Stevens didn't tie them up tightly but they serve a beautiful, if not sad aspect to this story.
final thoughts: what is real, and what is not? if this line speaks to you...you would like this novel.
May 24, 2017
I liked pieces of this book on their own, but put together it is a totally disjointed narrative. I wanted to like this more than I did. The whole island section, okay on it's own, barely even fit into the story and afterward had no effect on the main plot or characters. You could have taken the whole middle of the book out and you would never have noticed a gap in the story or character growth. It was odd. Like all that time and training on the island was totally forgotten by him the instant he left. It had literally zero effect. There was no point to it at all. I thought it was building to something, so I kept going with it, but then it didn't. The end.
January 7, 2018
This book is a perfect blend of mystery, adventure, fantasy, and romance.
A man and his wife visit a circus, where she participates in an act as a volunteer from the audience, to disappear. Only she really does disappear, and her husband can't find her anywhere, especially when the circus vanishes without a trace of anyone knowing about its existence.
A man and his wife visit a circus, where she participates in an act as a volunteer from the audience, to disappear. Only she really does disappear, and her husband can't find her anywhere, especially when the circus vanishes without a trace of anyone knowing about its existence.
December 7, 2015
As flaccid and sad as a collapsed circus tent. Written as if by accident, so putting it aside was not.
September 27, 2019
I keep reading books that I don't know how to rate and I'm not sure what's happening. Like a 3.5? As soon as I think it deserves a lower rating, I remember things I really liked about it and want to raise it. It's a tough life, man. I'll think it over and come up with a rating soon. And maybe a review.
Read
August 15, 2022Dead dove, do not read.
February 6, 2017
This book is written in a very surreal way. The type of way that makes everything in the book feels like a hallucination or a dream sequence. The events that occur, the people Alex met, the things Alex does, they all blend together in one quest to find his missing wife.
It is very hard to tell if magic and the supernatural is supposed to exist in this book. If it does not, this a book about a man gone insane with the disappearance of his wife, hopelessly chasing after the circus to find her. If it does, it is about a man who seems to fall into another world and is on this quest.
It's a very strange book and it is very hard to say whether I enjoyed it or not. It certainly kept me hooked and I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. At the same time, it gave me headaches occasionally. Maybe in a few weeks, I will be able to decide better, for now, 3 stars provisionally. If you are looking for something different, give it a shot.
It is very hard to tell if magic and the supernatural is supposed to exist in this book. If it does not, this a book about a man gone insane with the disappearance of his wife, hopelessly chasing after the circus to find her. If it does, it is about a man who seems to fall into another world and is on this quest.
It's a very strange book and it is very hard to say whether I enjoyed it or not. It certainly kept me hooked and I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. At the same time, it gave me headaches occasionally. Maybe in a few weeks, I will be able to decide better, for now, 3 stars provisionally. If you are looking for something different, give it a shot.
July 24, 2013
This was an awesome read! I loved the vivid descriptions of the circus performers and their acts. It came alive so well in my thoughts; everything from the flying mans's animal like laugh, to the image of Macaroni perching on his high wire.
It was the type of story that leaves you hanging though. I'm hoping for a sequel! :)
It was the type of story that leaves you hanging though. I'm hoping for a sequel! :)
March 21, 2014
The book started out good and then I just wanted to know the end. Could have just skipped all the weird stuff in the middle. It didn't really make sense and the surprise ending was just kind of annoying. I went through all that to find out what? Eww.
January 11, 2017
25 years after reading it for the first time I still think about this book..Its haunting and at times strange sometimes even heart wrenching but it is never boring. I'll likely read it again, for a 3rd time
as its been awhile and I kind of miss it!
as its been awhile and I kind of miss it!
March 1, 2009
OOOOhhh... it wasss SOOO GOOD!!
May 18, 2011
Failed the "100 Page Rule" - If after 100 pages you still don't care about any of the characters, life is too short to be reading this.
With this book, it failed the 100 Page Rule by page 93. Next!
With this book, it failed the 100 Page Rule by page 93. Next!
March 17, 2012
A perfect book.
June 30, 2016
Microwaved surrealism with a salt flavored center.
March 15, 2025
five stars for the dream like atmosphere that i am always yearning for as well as the dark disappearing circus and mysterious blue glow. i don’t think much about the rest but ive never read anything like it
August 19, 2019
This fantastic novel by Brooke Stevens, nominated for a world fantasy award, was written quite a while back, but I discovered it over the summer and was immediately captivated and have since reread the book three times. Referred to most often as a fantasy, The Circus of the Earth and the Air really defies genre classification. Its fantastical elements are almost allegorical in nature, but at its heart is a love story, but one that is fully unique--utterly original. What readers will first about Stevens' style is his brilliant ability to craft beautiful and yet chilling language as aptly as any poet. He constructs multiple motifs, most notably a blue light that seems to follow the central speaker throughout his desperate search for his wife who has been stolen by a bizarre, seemingly ethereal circus. This narrator, a lovable, flawed protagonist, Stevens develops with deft skill. In fact, Stevens' character development is so engrossing that it really serves to fuel the novel's suspense as much as the plot itself does. As this protagonist sets out on a journey to recover his wife, readers note that in fact he is truly recovering a part of himself which he had never fully understood. His thought sequences are both profound and humorous. Stevens wields a brilliant ability to balance both tone and mood. This is a plot that could easily have turned into something heavy handed; instead, readers remain highly entertained throughout--I laughed out loud in so many sections of this book that my husband finally made me stop everything and start reading it aloud for him to enjoy also.
A word about style: Stevens' sentence structure is incredibly readable. I found, especially as of late, that many award winning writers seem to be settling more and more for awkward sentence structure. With Stevens, on the other hand, one has the sense that each and every sentence was revised and honed to precision, and this makes great work remarkably readable. Writing is an art form with words, but think of so few writers as qualifying as true artists. Stevens is absolutely an artist.
It is difficult to discuss this incredible book in detail without adding spoilers, but I want to state for the record that if I were still a literature student in graduate school, I would have written countless papers on this masterpiece. I know with utter certainty that Brooke Stevens is a certifiable genius because anyone who can write a work this brilliant with such depth and yet such wit and humor absolutely has to have an IQ over 150. Do not miss out on this novel; I am so grateful that I discovered it. It's the sort of book one would take to an abandoned island if one could only take five books for the rest of one's life. If you are drawn to Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut, or Don DeLillo, you will love this book. You will love it even if you aren't drawn to those writers. I don't read books more than once if they cannot hold up--this is one I will probably read repeatedly for the rest of my life. The skill with which it's written is just that admirable!
A word about style: Stevens' sentence structure is incredibly readable. I found, especially as of late, that many award winning writers seem to be settling more and more for awkward sentence structure. With Stevens, on the other hand, one has the sense that each and every sentence was revised and honed to precision, and this makes great work remarkably readable. Writing is an art form with words, but think of so few writers as qualifying as true artists. Stevens is absolutely an artist.
It is difficult to discuss this incredible book in detail without adding spoilers, but I want to state for the record that if I were still a literature student in graduate school, I would have written countless papers on this masterpiece. I know with utter certainty that Brooke Stevens is a certifiable genius because anyone who can write a work this brilliant with such depth and yet such wit and humor absolutely has to have an IQ over 150. Do not miss out on this novel; I am so grateful that I discovered it. It's the sort of book one would take to an abandoned island if one could only take five books for the rest of one's life. If you are drawn to Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut, or Don DeLillo, you will love this book. You will love it even if you aren't drawn to those writers. I don't read books more than once if they cannot hold up--this is one I will probably read repeatedly for the rest of my life. The skill with which it's written is just that admirable!
July 9, 2021
This is a well written book, but so many things happened to Alex (the main character) that I even felt tired reading about his journey to find his missing wife. I had to take many breaks reading it because when I first started the book, I felt like I wasn't understanding Alex's initial reaction to his missing wife Iris properly (aka super duper depression).
Anyway, after my super long break, I reread the beginning and then I didn't take a break until the part where Alex initially gets on Volenti's island. Since I was so invested during my second read, I practically was getting traumatized with Alex as he was seemingly tortured without end.
He literally never gets a break. I have never personally experienced losing someone I love fortunately, but I also never experienced something like Alex's dependence on Iris, so obviously I never understood why he would go through all of what he went through just for Iris.
Something I absolutely loved about the almost never-ending journey Alex goes through is that every step leads to the next step. Alex constantly goes back and forth a lot, but it also made sense for him to do so. I took one star off mainly because it ended in incest. It makes sense at the end where Alex finds Volenti Sr. and he explains everything but I felt my whole heart crack because this was definitely not the ending I expected nor wanted.
This is a super hefty book, hence my super hefty review. I'll most likely reread it again in the future just for the hell of it but the whole book is like a fever dream.
Anyway, after my super long break, I reread the beginning and then I didn't take a break until the part where Alex initially gets on Volenti's island. Since I was so invested during my second read, I practically was getting traumatized with Alex as he was seemingly tortured without end.
He literally never gets a break. I have never personally experienced losing someone I love fortunately, but I also never experienced something like Alex's dependence on Iris, so obviously I never understood why he would go through all of what he went through just for Iris.
Something I absolutely loved about the almost never-ending journey Alex goes through is that every step leads to the next step. Alex constantly goes back and forth a lot, but it also made sense for him to do so. I took one star off mainly because it ended in incest. It makes sense at the end where Alex finds Volenti Sr. and he explains everything but I felt my whole heart crack because this was definitely not the ending I expected nor wanted.
This is a super hefty book, hence my super hefty review. I'll most likely reread it again in the future just for the hell of it but the whole book is like a fever dream.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2017
I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could. There are a lot of really beautiful surreal scenes in here, like something in a weird dream or maybe the background in a music video. I got sucked in for those periods, getting lost in the pure bizarreness of the micro-worlds Stevens creates. But the story does nothing for me. I feel like I never actually got to know the characters in any depth or understand them in any way beyond surface motivations or snapshots. I kept holding out that all the strangeness would have some kind of pay off at the end, that it would all come together into something coherent...but too much is left unresolved for me and the ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. The philosophical ramblings about circus and stage and performance certainly built the surreal feel, but never coalesced into something that worked with the story. I'd be curious what the author was going for, because I clearly missed it.
August 6, 2016
From the inside jacket, this book sounded like a real interesting read. The comments on the back jacket also gave me hope that this book was going to be something like I've never read before.
They weren't wrong, they were just right in a different way.
It sure is nightmarish - the editing is atrocious. It's like whole paragraphs of explanation are completely left out. If this was a film it would be rife with jump cuts.
It sure is utterly fascinating - fascinating that this got published.
I made it to page 85 before I closed this book for good. Zero emotional attachment to the character. Zero understanding about what was even going on in the novel.
They weren't wrong, they were just right in a different way.
It sure is nightmarish - the editing is atrocious. It's like whole paragraphs of explanation are completely left out. If this was a film it would be rife with jump cuts.
It sure is utterly fascinating - fascinating that this got published.
I made it to page 85 before I closed this book for good. Zero emotional attachment to the character. Zero understanding about what was even going on in the novel.
October 10, 2014
This book has great examples of vivid imagery and I like the surrealist theme. There are couple things wrong with this book and like everyone said it was trying a bit too hard to be symbolic and yet it didn't get the meaning across. Towards the end Alex's search got tedious and I felt like the book would have ended nicely with him eating macaroni on a tight rope forever. Then maybe they could have the old man come at the end and tell him. As for the plot twist at the end I was a bit confused because the old man stated the plot twist but then says the circus lies- so whether are not you believe I don't know. It was vague.
March 20, 2008
I'll admit that I was suckered into reading this by the descriptions on the back that involved 'hallucinatory' (if I recall correctly). I'm always a sucker for something hallucinatory. But this didn't really live up to its promise. The story is definitely non-standard and could I guess be considered downright weird, which is fine by me. Maybe it was the writing I didn't really enjoy - it was a little bland for my taste. But for all my bitching, I was pretty engrossed through most of it and didn't feel let down until it sort of fell apart at the end.
March 28, 2007
Favorite Quotes
Everyone has to play a role; everyone has to take a point of view.
When you’re growing up, it takes a long time for you to realize that there’s something different about you. On one level, you know there’s something strange, but on another, yourself is the only thing you ever knew.
Everyone has to play a role; everyone has to take a point of view.
When you’re growing up, it takes a long time for you to realize that there’s something different about you. On one level, you know there’s something strange, but on another, yourself is the only thing you ever knew.
September 4, 2007
Two trusted friends recommended this to me so I took it on my honeymoon but was very disappointed. Though sometimes I remember the language and want to give it another shot. Haven't had the heart yet, though.
Want to read
February 23, 2009From Josh Bazell interview: I just finished a so-called literary novel, The Circus of the Earth and the Air by Brooke Stevens. It has about 20 things I hate in a book—dream sequences, doppelgangers, magical realism, and so on—but was fantastic.
January 17, 2016
A very original story, beautifully crafted. It's like you've entered the twilight zone. My only complaint is that the end leaves a lot of questions unanswered, but this is still a very enjoyable and fascinating read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews