The Circus in Winter

The Circus in Winter
By Cathy Day (271 pages)
Published by Harcourt
Bookish rating: 4

The Circus in Winter is essentially a collection of short stories (a la Olive Kitteridge), but also essentially a novel. How can it "essentially" be both. It just can.

Through the viewpoints of multiple people and multiple generations, we see the character of the town of Lima, Indiana, which houses the circus during its off-season, grow and develop. Some of the stories are very circus-y, some merely take place in the same town, but they're all connected and give multiple impressions of the town and the rise and fall of the carnie life.

The Circus in Winter is darker than, say, Water for Elephants, and the exploitation of the circus "freaks" is astutely handled without being preachy or self-righteous. Mostly, the novel is an interesting study in the craft of writing interesting and unique characters, portraying time and history, and articulating the sense and soul of a particular place.

Overall, this novel is a worthy piece of writing and was pretty enjoyable. To appreciate the book, you've got to get past the short story aspect--don't get too attached to a particular story line or character. Because it will end shortly. And they will probably die.

Recommended.