Campus Connection

Media Credit: www.saragruen.com

I avoid modern novels by convention. They are commonly filled with poorly disguised political statements, or worse, devoid of any kind of statement at all. But I found myself purchasing this novel to fill the time of a lengthy airline delay. It was with great trepidation that I turned the first page, but once I did, I became completely immersed in this fantastic story.

It is evident that Gruen did an incredible amount of research on the train circuses that were so popular during the Great Depression era. The book is sprinkled with historical photographs, and the slang language of the circus troupe is effortless woven into the story. Gruen paints a picture so vivid, so delicious, yet in such contrast to the squeaky clean image presented to the circus audience, that the novel feels like a voyeuristic peak behind the curtains. Beware, though, Gruen leaves nothing out. Graphic sex scenes, animal abuse, and profanity are all a part of this lurid tale.

The novel is told interchangeably in two eras: one in which its main character Jacob Jankowski is an old man, dissatisfied with his existence in a nursing home and one in which Jacob is still a young man, fresh from college and working as a veterinarian in a circus. The novel transitions seamlessly between these two stories as Jacob, a decrepit and forgotten old man, recalls his youth.

A tragic accident takes everything from young Jacob at the beginning of the novel. He loses, at once school, family, home, and job; and in a strange series of events, accidentally joins the circus. 

But the Benzini Brothers are a far cry from the family friendly environment expected of a circus. Once his schooling as a veterinarian is discovered, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the menagerie, a mangy group of animals that are underfed and abused. The circus owner Uncle Al is a vulture, swooping down to collect the remnants of other failed circuses in order to build his own. He brutalizes the men who work for him simply because he can. Further, August, a paranoid schizophrenic with violent tendencies, is the animal trainer to whom Jacob must report. August's wife, Marlena, quickly becomes the object of affection for young Jacob, an attraction with deadly consequences.

The circus travels by trains, a gritty fast-paced existence that keeps pace with the fantastic events of the novel. Though I found the ending of the novel to be a little absurd, I still consider it an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

Due to its massive popularity, the novel is scheduled for translation to the big screen sometime in 2009.

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