I found the skimpy bits of information about the secondary characters quite bothersome. When one of the guys goes missing, we never find out if he was ok or not. There were so many interesting characters in this. Their development would have really enhanced this book.Jeyasivananth wrote: ↑07 May 2018, 16:28 I enjoyed reading and reviewing this book. I loved the imagery and the symbols used like the metaphor of the circus. I especially liked the usage of Tattooing as a symbol to validate the arbitrary nature of morality. Tattooing, an art that was tabooed in the past, is today a part of mainstream culture. Another imagery that fascinated me was the significance of Chico. Chico is described as a breeding ground, in which even a ‘tumbleweed’ like Gary himself can grow roots and flourish. However, I was disappointed with the writers’ treatment of the minor characters. I was especially left wanting for answers with regard to the fates of Gonad, Wubby, Lucy and the other members of the circus family, after the dismantling of the circus. I was astonished to see Duke Reynolds does not make any efforts to get in touch with his former friends once out of jail, despite describing them so fondly. Similarly, the character of Angel too was not fleshed out well. We know nothing of the source of her troubles except her drunken rants on love and hurt. Her relationship with Gary Robinson seems less convincing. These pitfalls leave you feeling that the plot has many loose ends.
Overall rating and opinion of " The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid" by Gary Robinson
- kfwilson6
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Re: Overall rating and opinion of " The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid" by Gary Robinson
- P Reefer
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What I like most about this novel? I love the excitement captured by the landscape of the circus and the crowd.
I like least the use of obscene and violent language by the characters. I also dislike the several paragraphs of two lines and the bland language use.
When I have completed reading this novel, I may opt to either recommend or not recommend this text
to others.
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I somewhat understood the obscene jokes about sword swallowing. They were pretty obvious and true to how a real-life performance would go. People think jokes about sex are funny so Duke uses them to draw in the crowd. At other points in the book, I agree with you. I didn't care for it either.Bookmermaid wrote: ↑13 May 2018, 21:52 I am still in the process of reading this novel, so I will reserve my judgment on a general opinion.
What I like most about this novel? I love the excitement captured by the landscape of the circus and the crowd.
I like least the use of obscene and violent language by the characters. I also dislike the several paragraphs of two lines and the bland language use.
When I have completed reading this novel, I may opt to either recommend or not recommend this text
to others.
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Younger people may be exposed to obscene language but the more prevalent it is, the more they will see it as the norm. I think if their exposure can be limited, they are less likely to pick up the habit. I saw an interview with Mary Higgins Clark about how she never uses sex or curse words and every new book she puts out is a bestseller. So anyone wanting to say these things are necessary in order to appeal or relate to readers is wrong.Bookmermaid wrote: ↑16 May 2018, 11:33 The use of obscene language by authors is far from the taboo that it had been centuries ago in many territories. Quite often it expresses the character's frustration or recklessness about a particular event. In suggested,reading list for students, the use of obscene language, in the text remains a highly contentious issue as some parents and church bodies have strong objections towards it. Critics and some educationalists argue that students are often already exposed to such language and the merits of the critical issues the texts feature far outweighs the demerits of the language use.Like Kfwison6 I prefer not to read it in a text and I am more impressed when an author is able to express the emotions of his or her characters without having to frequently blurt out obscene language.
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When the author started describing his own character, I was interested at first. As this part of the story went on, the character became less believable, more introspective, and less appealing. He seemed too wrapped up in his own thoughts for me to feel empathy for his situation. It was almost narcissistic.
When the third part of the book started, I was happy to see the return of Duke's character. The author continued the story from Gary's point of view. This ruined it for me. Since I was not able to feel compassion towards Gary's character, I was not overly moved by his redemption.
I don't think I would recommend this particular book to others. However, the author has potential. I would read more of his future works to see how he grows as a storyteller.
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It depicts love, care, sorrow and circus life... It was quite an adventure for me while reading this marvelous book. I look forward to reading more in the future!
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I'm only about 20 pages in, but I'm feeling much the same way. I want to finish it, but the sentences are so choppy and I found 10 grammatical errors in the first 7 pages alone.roslyn_read wrote: ↑14 May 2018, 12:51 I could not finish the book. For the life of me I could not get past the first 20 pages. It's a real shame because I very much wanted to enjoy it but it seemed to me, more like a first draft than a final copy of a novel. I couldn't get past the dryness of the writing either, the lack of imaginative description.
I definitely agree with you on the book feeling like a first draft- I'm wondering if anyone actually proofread it before it was made available on Amazon.