The Circus Of Dr. Lao

THE CIRCUS OF DR. LAO
by Charles Finney

 Award: National Book Winner 1935

 Date Read: November 19, 2019

 The Circus of Dr. Lao is unlike any other novel I have read. Set in a fictional, rural town in Arizona, this circus mysteriously arrives in town neither by road nor rail. The circus is comprised of mythical creatures such as a mermaid, sphinx, chimera, medusa, etc. As the towns people are drawn to this circus, they fail to be impressed and never question the origins or facts about these creatures.

 The big finale is the show under the big top in which a pagan ritual is performed and a virgin ultimately sacrificed. In what is a stroke of genius, the book ends with a cast of characters and questions that identify plot holes that the readers may not have known to even ponder, let alone ask.

 While I prefer a novel that is more character driven, this is a truly singular work and I doubt anyone could ever duplicate it. Apparently a movie was made loosely based on this work that features Tony Randall. While I adore Tony Randall's work, I doubt I would be a fan of this particular work of his.

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