Chamblee54

PG is returning “Lives of The Circus Animals” to the library today. LOTCA is written by Christopher Bram, and is set in New York theater world at the turn of the century, but before 911. To Georgia stuck PG, it reads a bit like science fiction.
This is the third Bram novel that PG has read, the other two being “Hold Tight” and “Gossip”. Some patterns are starting to emerge. Mr. Bram is good at drawing characters, and invoking the atmosphere of a time and place. The bad news is that the stories don’t make sense after a while. LOTCA is in this pattern.
The cast of players is a hoot. There is Caleb Doyle, a playwright, and his sister Jessica. Their mother plays a key role in the conclusion. Jessica is the personal assistant for Henry Lewse, a British stage actor slumming in a Broadway musical. He becomes buddies with Toby, a young actor fresh out of Wisconsin, and a relationship with Caleb. Toby is in an off off off Broadway show directed by Frank, who is in love with Jessica. And you think Atlanta is an incestuous small town.
The action comes to a head one Friday night. Mr. Lewse attends a performance of the ooob show. He then goes to Caleb’s birthday party, along with all the other players. Not all of these people are welcome. That is quickly forgotten when the drama comes to a explosive conclusion.
LOTCA is not great literature, but is better than anything PG has done. It will not change your life, or the oil in your car. It is fun to read, which is all PG cares about.