Scan barcode
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
The Circus in Winter falls somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. As with a lot of short story collections, some of the stories held my interest better than others.
nbcknwlf's review against another edition
3.0
I suspect this book works best if you grew up in the Midwest. Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't find it confusing at all -- I rather enjoyed, during the later stories, having to piece together the way the descendents of the earlier stories fit into the narrative of the circus. The bleakness of the Indiana winter, the way that the circus heyday still keeps its fingers hooked into the lives of the people of Lima even as the town decays around them, the sense of hopelessness and longing -- I couldn't put this book down. It's not a difficult read, but it's worth reading. If you know anything about the history of Peru, IN, it's probably a little more interesting, but I don't think it's necessary in order to enjoy the book. It is probably more crucial that you have a sense of what it's like to grow up in a place like this.
papilooonglegs's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
eileen_critchley's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't even realize it was short stories until I started reading it. I love how all the stories were connected. I have not yet read "[b:Water for Elephants|43641|Water for Elephants|Sara Gruen|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170161179s/43641.jpg|3441236]" so I can not compare it to that. This book isn't as much about the circus as it is about the townspeople and their relationships with one another. A very good read.
viktoriya's review against another edition
2.0
I feel that my dislike for this book is totally my own fault. This is what you get for not reading the description of the book from A to Z. When I started reading it I thought I was embarking on another fascinating story of times long gone (Think [b:Water for Elephants|43641|Water for Elephants|Sara Gruen|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170161179s/43641.jpg|3441236] type of story) Instead, it was a collection of short stories from different times, viewpoints, characters, all centering on Lima, Indiana. I am sure there are really fantastic and brilliant short stories out there. I simply DO NOT like them. Reading them feels like I am on a one-night stand type of date. You don't want to get too involved because you know it will be over really soon. I got bored with this book...
sus7's review against another edition
1.0
This book is a series of the most depressing short stories I've ever read. I have no idea why this book was even written..no continuity of the stories and not one person is happy in well over 100 years of events. This book is for a discussion group, otherwise I wouldn't have gone past the second chapter.
alecrigdon's review against another edition
4.0
The Circus In Winter is a thoughtful collection of interwoven stories that come together the more you read. While some of the figures are left as caricatures, a few are fully fleshed out with comic, disturbing, or heartbreaking narrative. The final piece is a beautiful meditation on what it's like to leave the small town you grew up in.
susanbevans's review against another edition
4.0
Cathy Day's The Circus in Winter is a collection of stories woven through the lives of people connected in some way with the Great Porter Circus. The "feel" of the stories is almost historical/biographical, rather than what one normally considers fictional. The subjects of Day's stories are well-written and elicit from the reader a kind of depth of feeling not often found in short fiction.
An amazing piece of contemporary fiction, The Circus in Winter is undoubtedly a book worth reading and relishing. Cathy Day's style of writing is simple and without unneeded embellishments. I enjoyed each of her stories for what it was: a work when blended together with the others contained in the book, completes a beautifully moving portrait of the circus and small-town life.
An amazing piece of contemporary fiction, The Circus in Winter is undoubtedly a book worth reading and relishing. Cathy Day's style of writing is simple and without unneeded embellishments. I enjoyed each of her stories for what it was: a work when blended together with the others contained in the book, completes a beautifully moving portrait of the circus and small-town life.
rlbasley's review against another edition
5.0
The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day. Continuing my fascination with stories set in a carnival or circus. I found this gem. While it isn’t as much about a circus in wintertime, it’s more about circus performers and their families after their time in the circus is over and how it’s legacy lives on even after the big top. This quote in the book “no place is home. Every place is home.” Describes how I feel about places better than any other description. To me home is a state of being not a specific place and it seems that this belief allows me to share the wandering spirit that lives on in their children’s children. A very interesting book.