Spangle

Rating:
Summary: International Circus
Review: Gary Jennings has carved out a niche for himself in modern fiction - long, intricately plotted novels based around a single character in a little known historical area. Great reads, full of love and violence, colourful and exciting. And educational - history comes alive in his books, virtually bursting out of the page to take you by the throat. Or the heart.

In Spangle he has outdone himself. This is my favourite of all his books, and perhaps the most poignant. We follow Zachary Edge, a colonel riding away from Appomattox, from his chance meeting with the down at heel circusman Florian through post Civil War America across the Atlantic to Europe, all the way to Moscow and back, ending in the beseiged Paris of the Franco-Prussian War.

Along the way Florian's circus grows and prospers, until he performs before the very crowned heads of Europe. Colonel Edge learns the circus trade, all its tricks and traditions, and we learn along with him. It is a road story of course, as all circus stories must be, but this one is longer than most, and travels a more colourful, exciting road than the circus itself.

It is a grand entertainment from start to finish, at every page revealing the fruits of Gary Jennings' research into the history of the circus.

And in these latter days, where the animals are mostly gone, and circuses are fewer than they were, it is a journey back to freeer, happier days.

One of my personal favourites, as much for the wealth of detail as for the story.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not great -
Review: I am a big Jennings fan, but after finishing all 3 books in the Spangle series, I can't help but feel there was something missing. I enjoyed the story, and the history, but maybe got confused with some of the characters. If you are a fan of historical fiction or Gary Jennings you should read this saga....

Rating:
Summary: The finest historical fiction I have ever read.
Review: I don't want to spoil any surprises...this is a beautifully written book about a travelling circus in the USA and Europe during the period 1865-75, give or take. It's phenomenal. You can almost hear the applause of the audiences, and some of the events seem like a physical blow, they're so surprising. On an artistic note, this is better than Jennings' _Aztec_ and _Raptor_ in my opinion. The circus setting allows new characters to be introduced and older ones to be written out over the length of the book, as opposed to the first-person narratives of his other works. Not all the characters survive the narrative, even the really clever or strong ones. Other plusses include the use of circus slang and explanations of various props, equipment, and tricks of the trade. Finally, I have to mention my favorite scene: a duel between a scarred con man and a strongman from a rival circus. You can almost feel the punches and grapples in this scene

Rating:
Summary: Gary Jennings at his best - don't plan to get much sleep
Review: I only picked up this book because of the author. The subject matter didn't look at all interesting to me. I was wrong, as I was hooked from the first page. Jennings' ability to weave a convoluted thread against a historical background shines here. As the circus travels around, the members interact with each other and their surroundings. This makes for a great history lesson, as well as an in-depth study of the circus life. I learned more than I ever cared to about European history or the circus, and enjoyed every minute of it. Aside from entertaining me greatly, this book affected me deeply. Usually I am sad when I come to the end of a great book because that means a great read is over. In this case the characters were made so real, I was also sad to leave them, to the point of getting a little teary-eyed. Jennings' historical and cultural accuracy is "spot on" as they say. Students of foreign languages will notice the pains Jennings took to be this accurate. The reason I rated this book a nine and not a ten is because of the "adult content". Maybe he does this to appeal to an even wider readership. I felt that there was just a bit too much gratuitous sex. Some readers might think this is a good thing though. Finally let me say that because of this book, I cannot wait until the circus comes to town! Also, I became very interested in one of the countries that the circus travels through (Hungary), to the point of reading up on it, and studying the language. Pretty good for a book of fiction to have such an effect, don't you think?

Rating:
Summary: Quite Simply the most absorbing book I've read in years
Review: I very much liked this book. The circus lore and the social/political history of America and Europe at the turn of the century were fascinating. Some downside: Florian, the circus owner reminded me overmuch of Frank Morgan of Wizard of Oz fame. Also, two or three episodes did not ring true (the child molesting midget and the cats; Edge and the Empress). Not quite "Aztec" or "The Journeyer" level, but pretty close. A very fine piece of historical fiction. Thank you Mr. Jennings.

Rating:
Summary: A Real Winner
Review: Someone should definitely re-print this one. Spangle is one of the best historical novels I've ever read. It can be a little formulaic in spots, but I still have strong memories of reading it almost a decade after the fact. Hard to argue with that.

Rating:
Summary: My God, What A Journey!
Review: The best thing about Jennings' work is that you become smarter as you read. I learn so many things, I find myself spouting them in casual conversation. I've read all three books so many times that the covers are gone and the books are mangled. There's always a Spangle novel lying open in my house. You MUST NOT miss this trilogy, nor should you miss Aztec. I've been all over the world, learned different languages and truly lived in my mind because of this brilliant man. Enjoy and Learn!

Rating:
Summary: Spangle - by Gary Jennings
Review: This is one of Jennings' best books - definitely on a par with "Journeyer" and almost as good as "Aztec". As alsways, his historical research is immaculate, and he weaves reality into his fiction in an almost seamless way.

The story follows the travels of a circus ("Florian's Flourishing Florilegium") from America at the end of the Civil War to Paris at the time of the Franco-Prussian War. The characters are all strongly drawn, and the circus memorabilia excellent. The story line runs the gamut of emotion from humour to tragedy. Jennings is able to draw the reader into his story so that we can see the book unfolding in our imaginations.

A worthwhile read - and it would make a fantastic movie - if he were younger, Clint Eastwood would make a great Zachary Edge!

Rating:
Summary: Spangle - by Gary Jennings
Review: This is one of Jennings' best books - definitely on a par with "Journeyer" and almost as good as "Aztec". As alsways, his historical research is immaculate, and he weaves reality into his fiction in an almost seamless way.

The story follows the travels of a circus ("Florian's Flourishing Florilegium") from America at the end of the Civil War to Paris at the time of the Franco-Prussian War. The characters are all strongly drawn, and the circus memorabilia excellent. The story line runs the gamut of emotion from humour to tragedy. Jennings is able to draw the reader into his story so that we can see the book unfolding in our imaginations.

A worthwhile read - and it would make a fantastic movie - if he were younger, Clint Eastwood would make a great Zachary Edge!