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A review by jackiehorne
Circul Fantasia by Margaret Mahy
2.0
All of the elements of a good fantasy novel are here: a post-apocalyptic society; a fantastic traveling circus; a world in peril; a quest; a cruel villain; a love plot. And written by one of the best writers around. Why, then, does the whole thing fall flatter than a pancake?
Perhaps because the book is all plot, and repetitive plot at that. Perhaps because Mahy shows rather than tells everything about what her characters are supposed to be thinking and feeling. Perhaps because the main character, Garland, comes off merely as whiny rather than as interesting, brave, or fascinating. Perhaps because the magic of the circus, the thrill of performing, is rarely featured. Perhaps because the villain is off-stage for most of the book. Perhaps because we never understand why this quest is at all important. Perhaps because adding a time-traveling group of siblings to all of the elements above overloads an already chock-full plot. Or perhaps because Mahy's become so big a name that her editor no longer edits her?
A real disappointment.
Perhaps because the book is all plot, and repetitive plot at that. Perhaps because Mahy shows rather than tells everything about what her characters are supposed to be thinking and feeling. Perhaps because the main character, Garland, comes off merely as whiny rather than as interesting, brave, or fascinating. Perhaps because the magic of the circus, the thrill of performing, is rarely featured. Perhaps because the villain is off-stage for most of the book. Perhaps because we never understand why this quest is at all important. Perhaps because adding a time-traveling group of siblings to all of the elements above overloads an already chock-full plot. Or perhaps because Mahy's become so big a name that her editor no longer edits her?
A real disappointment.