This post first appeared in slightly different form on June 28, 2007.
CIRCUS PARADE is pretty episodic, and some of the episodes are so grotesque and over-the-top that you have to wonder if Tully made them up or at least embellished them. His books are supposed to be non-fiction, but I have a feeling that he didn’t always let the facts get in the way of a good story. Also, the sex and violence in this book must have been pretty shocking to readers in 1927, when it was originally published. Even a cynical old Adult Western writer like me was shocked a few times.
I didn’t like CIRCUS PARADE as much as I did BEGGARS OF LIFE, but I did enjoy it and found it to be well worth reading. I’m sure I’ll read more of Jim Tully’s books, too, but I’ll probably wait a while before trying another one.
By the way, I read the original edition, but the retitled paperback reprint has a better cover, so that's the one I've posted above.
Tully was friends with Harry Stephen Keeler who dedicated one of his loopy mystery novels to Tully. I see this book in used bookstores all the time and have been tempted to pick it up solely because of Tully's "Keeler Konnection." But for some reason I always thought is was juvenile fiction and I resisted. Obviously, I knew nothing about Tully. After reading this review I know the next time I see that stray copy of CIRCUS WORLD I'm buying it.
ReplyDeleteIs this anything like Gresham's Nightmare Alley?
ReplyDeleteI haven't read NIGHTMARE ALLEY, but from what I've heard about it, there might be some similarities, although Tully's book is supposed to be non-fiction.
ReplyDelete