Review by Smokey-383 -- The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid
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Smokey-383
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Review by Smokey-383 -- The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid" by Gary Robinson.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid by Gary Robinson is a story of two men who have very difficult journeys and eventually meet. A true friendship develops between two very flawed individuals. Duke is at the end of his life and Gary is still a young man when they meet.
Duke Reynolds ran away from home at 15 and joined the circus. The story of his adventures and the portrayal of the characters he meets are fascinating and very realistic. Sometimes very harsh, but that adds to the realism. The stories of circus life are not whitewashed and make you feel that you are there with him. You genuinely feel the warmth the circus performers feel for each other and are saddened by some of the hardships they endure. The drugs and alcohol use is very difficult to read about and to understand, but if that is their reality, it was a very sad and hard life for them.
The circus closing was devastating to many of the performers, but particularly to Duke. He had done many different jobs with the circus, but sword swallower was his claim to fame. With no circus to perform at, he was left doing various shows in different settings, street corners, clubs, TV shows, etc. Duke found himself in some very dangerous situations.
Gary, aka a Chico kid, grew up in a home with an alcoholic mother. When he went to college, he easily fell into alcohol and drugs to try to fit in. Once college was over, he couldn't find a direction and basically was a misfit. And then he met Duke. Duke actually gave Gary some direction in life. He became a mentor to Gary, never criticizing, just being a friend. He took Gary on shows with him and taught him many things. But most importantly, he gave advice without preaching. Unfortunately, the drugs and alcohol continued for both of them throughout the story.
I give The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid 3 out of 4 stars.This was an extremely hard book for me to read. The writing was excellent and the two main characters were very well developed. I just could not connect to them. The subject matter is very dark. The language is harsh. Since this is a book based on reality, it is what it is, but it was still difficult for me to read. Some of the circus performers were very interesting people, I wish they had been developed more.
If you enjoy very harsh reality books then you will enjoy this. If you have ever wondered what circus life was like, you will love this book. It paints a very clear picture of the everyday life of a circus performer. There is a very realistic look into the mind and life of an alcoholic and a drug addict.
This is not a book for young children.
******
The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid
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3 out of 4 stars
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The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid by Gary Robinson is a story of two men who have very difficult journeys and eventually meet. A true friendship develops between two very flawed individuals. Duke is at the end of his life and Gary is still a young man when they meet.
Duke Reynolds ran away from home at 15 and joined the circus. The story of his adventures and the portrayal of the characters he meets are fascinating and very realistic. Sometimes very harsh, but that adds to the realism. The stories of circus life are not whitewashed and make you feel that you are there with him. You genuinely feel the warmth the circus performers feel for each other and are saddened by some of the hardships they endure. The drugs and alcohol use is very difficult to read about and to understand, but if that is their reality, it was a very sad and hard life for them.
The circus closing was devastating to many of the performers, but particularly to Duke. He had done many different jobs with the circus, but sword swallower was his claim to fame. With no circus to perform at, he was left doing various shows in different settings, street corners, clubs, TV shows, etc. Duke found himself in some very dangerous situations.
Gary, aka a Chico kid, grew up in a home with an alcoholic mother. When he went to college, he easily fell into alcohol and drugs to try to fit in. Once college was over, he couldn't find a direction and basically was a misfit. And then he met Duke. Duke actually gave Gary some direction in life. He became a mentor to Gary, never criticizing, just being a friend. He took Gary on shows with him and taught him many things. But most importantly, he gave advice without preaching. Unfortunately, the drugs and alcohol continued for both of them throughout the story.
I give The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid 3 out of 4 stars.This was an extremely hard book for me to read. The writing was excellent and the two main characters were very well developed. I just could not connect to them. The subject matter is very dark. The language is harsh. Since this is a book based on reality, it is what it is, but it was still difficult for me to read. Some of the circus performers were very interesting people, I wish they had been developed more.
If you enjoy very harsh reality books then you will enjoy this. If you have ever wondered what circus life was like, you will love this book. It paints a very clear picture of the everyday life of a circus performer. There is a very realistic look into the mind and life of an alcoholic and a drug addict.
This is not a book for young children.
******
The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Smokey-383's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid by Gary Robinson
