A Son of the Circus

By: John Irving

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 26 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Born a Parsi in Bombay, sent to university and medical school in Vienna, Dr. Farrokh Daruwalla is a 59-year-old orthopedic surgeon and a Canadian citizen who lives in Toronto. Periodically, the doctor returns to Bombay, where most of his patients are crippled children.

Once, 20 years ago, Dr. Daruwalla was the examining physician of two murder victims in Goa. Now, 20 years later, he will be reacquainted with the murderer.

©2007 John Irving (P)2007 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Ringmaster Irving introduces act after act, until three (or more) rings are awhirl at a lunatic pace....His Bombay and his Indian characters are vibrant and convincing." ( The Wall Street Journal)

"Irving's nimble humor springs from compassionate insights into cultural and sexual confusion and alienation, baffling questions of faith and purpose, and the kind of hope that thrives in even the most jaded atmosphere." ( Booklist)

"His most daring and most vibrant novel.... The story of circus-as-India is told with gusto and delightful irreverence." ( The Washington Post Book World)

The narration alone is well worth the purchase.

The story is full of byways that lead back to the central narrative. Great Listen!

Stick With It

The first 4-5 hours are difficult to endure. Lots of character introductions and scene setting. But if you can hang through this, you will find this a charming, quirky, funny novel.
The main charcter is loveable and quite endearing. I felt I was in India along with Dar and the Duckworthians. The author gave me such a feel for the characters. He made me care about their antics in this mysterious country. Now I want to visit India and see the Royal Circus.

Inrternational Misfit

I would have liked to give this book three and a half stars. It has in it some extremely humorous episodes, involving discrepancies between different world cultures. It has in it an intriguing murder mystery, ultimately solved.
The problems with it have to do with a large diversity of plots and stories and people, and far too much writing. Especially at the end, after the murderer has been caught and brought to justice, it becomes very tedious. In spite of my early delight with it, I was really happy when the author finally decided to end the book. It would have been much better to stop listening just about 2/3 of the way through.

Read it 2 times in a row.. Maybe I will start ag

ain. Descriptions of the circus life, juxtaposed to the life in Bombay, interpreted by the silver iced Torontonian, Fabulous.

Another John Irving Gritty Tale

Where does A Son of the Circus rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

How does John Irving keep doing it? What must sound like a ridiculous story line and plot, and yet you keep listening. Loved it as always.

What did you like best about this story?

The almost unbelievable, quirky characters just keep coming. An East Indian/Canadian physician who writes corny detective trash screen plays? His dwarf, circus clown chauffeur/body guard? Really? And yet it works and you believe every bit of it. Somehow it's even plausible.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved it all. Every goofy, unbelievable scene after scene.

Who was the most memorable character of A Son of the Circus and why?

I just loved Inspector Dhar and all his complications, from his ability to step in and out of character as he enters or leaves India to his mysterious twin, I just couldn't figure him out.

I think this is my first book from John Irving

I think this is my first book from John Irving and I thought David Colacci's narration was very good. I listened to this book at a time when it suited me to have an ongoing story stretched out over a few days and I enjoyed it. The writing was colourful and well crafted, the characters and plots were well developed and the chronological segments were well integrated. I would consider another book from John Irving.

Three Of Everything

When I first began reading this book, I noticed something very odd: all things happened in threes. For example, if the author describes something using an odd turn of phrase, you will see it used in three different ways very soon. The book itself is in three parts though you might be pressed to see a dividing line since, like the circus he is immitating, the action of one ring draws your attention as you are still aware of the others. In form, this book is a masterpiece matched by only a few. As for story, I was somewhat disappointed as nothing much seems to happen (even though there is a great deal of build up). But, as with all of John Irving's work, it is about the view along the road, your fellow travelers, and your remembrances along the way and not an elaborate chase scene ending in a massive explosion...

5 plus 1, averaged, = 3

There are two gurneys in the mad doctor's surgery, each with an unconscious body. Huge syringe in hand, the doctor approaches the nearer of his two subjects, a 10-year-old boy. The syringe already contains drops of a tincture that will forever stop maturation, and the doctor eases the needle into the boy's brain to withdraw the juvenile essence at the perfect, penultimate moment. Up into the syringe streams the love of all things repulsive and disgusting; the emerging sexual obsession; the fascination with all that's kinky, shocking, or sick.
Still holding the syringe, the doctor approaches his other subject, a seemingly ordinary man, but one's who's been prepared with a serum of world-class writing skill and a spectacular breadth of imagination. Carefully he inserts the needle into the man's brain and depresses the plunger. Into the man's brain flows Joy of Awfulness. Decay, disease, excrement, vomit, deformity, psychosis, child molestation, mutilation, rats, snakes, vulture-plucked corpses, fungi, all in no particular order.
He releases the little boy, who scampers off unaware that he's become a much better person, someone his mother can actually love unreservedly. He watches the man, waiting with excitement for him to awake. To awake as ... John Irving.

Five stars for stunning writing, one star for loathsomeness.

AUDIO: If sought, small imperfections can be found, but they are microscopic relative to the challenges and range of the novel. David Colacci has created a masterpiece in his own right.

Great Book

This is my firt Irving book that I have listenedto/read. It will not be my last. Very enjoyable book with many different characters and story lines. At first you wonder how will they all mesh together - but they do and in a humourous way. The narrator is also a plus to this book.

Love it or hate it!

Reading the other reviews here it's very obvious that you either love John Irving's style or you don't. I do. Unapologetically.

For 27 hours one is lost in another world. One of real characters, well defined and rounded. No matter that it's India rather than New England one feels transported. If you can't spare the time to lose yourself in it then don't, but you will be poorer for it.

I have the time and I love the book. The narration is perfect, maybe not to an Indian purist but it's an American book so an American voice is surely right.

As I said, love it or hate it but don't condemn it for not being what you want it to be, rather accept it for what it is. And if you do you will truly enjoy it.