Abalone, Arizona, is a sleepy southwestern town whose chief concerns are boredom and surviving the Great Depression. That is, until the circus of Dr. Lao arrives and immensely and irrevocably changes the lives of everyone drawn to its tents.
Expecting a sideshow spectacle, the citizens of Abalone instead confront and learn profound lessons from the mythical made real--a chimera, a Medusa, a talking sphinx, a sea serpent, witches, the Hound of the Hedges, a werewolf, a mermaid, an ancient god, and the elusive, ever-changing Dr. Lao. The circus unfolds, spinning magical, dark strands that ensnare the town's populace: the sea serpent's tale shatters love's illusions; the fortune-teller's shocking pronouncements toll the tedium and secret dread of every person's life; sensual undercurrents pour forth for men and women alike; and the dead walk again.
Dazzling and macabre, literary and philosophical, The Circus of Dr. Lao has been acclaimed as a masterpiece of speculative fiction and influenced such writers as Ray Bradbury. This Bison Frontiers of Imagination edition features a new introduction by noted fantasy writer John Marco and striking illustrations by Boris Artzybasheff from the first edition.
What do high-school students think of Dr Lao? Here are comments by high-school students in the class I teach:
Charles G. Finney creates in his book, The Circus of Dr. Lao, a story of magic touching the disbelieving townspeople. This book is more of a collection of short stories rather than a novel. There is no one central plot, nor is there one protagonist, and there certainly isn't an antagonist. Finney doesn't add in any divisions in the book such a chapters, nor does he make use of foreshadowing or allusions. The fact that there was no central theme or plot bothered me when I was reading the book. Accepting a book such as this was hard, but once you realize that one should just enjoy the sardonic humor instead of hunting for a plotline, the read becomes a lot more enjoyable. I could sum up all of the happenings of this book without giving away any of it. Hard to believe, but in The Circus of Dr. Lao, each encounter that a human has with an animal can be described in very few words. It is not the twists in events that make this story interesting, but rather, the vivid descriptions of their actions, of their form, of their words. The rather unique character of Dr. Lao is especially humorous, often switching from the eloquent speech of a sophisticated individual to the stereotypical vernacular of a "chinaman." An interesting and light read, with characters to please minds of all ages.
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I would like to comment on the review by Babytoxie from 2002. I have not seen the movie and thus cannot speak to the differences between it and the book, but I can address some of Babytoxie's criticisms of the novel. To begin with, Babytoxie states that the locals "play no worthwhile part in the story." Without the locals, there hardly is a story. The story lies in the locals' reactions to the animals, which offer a great deal of insight into the minds of these ordinary people as they are confronted with the extraordinary. Far from being "cardboard locals" with no personalities, they present numerous perspectives and characteristics, which their reactions to the mythical creatures and seemingly impossible events of the circus display to the reader. The author's concise and understated description of the locals cuts right to the core of the natures of the characters and, by extension, of humanity as a whole. This is more of an extended short story than a novel, and it does not fit the standard mold of a novel. While it could probably be extended into a more developed novel, in the process it would lose much of what sets it apart from most books. The book's current format invites readers to explore the characters and the situations presented, draw their own conclusions about them, and search for the underlying message. The message may not be blatant, but neither is it inaccessible. By trying to make this story fit the confines of a standard novel, one cannot help but lose sight of its value as a unique and intriguing tale offering insights into humanity.
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While The Circus of Dr. Lao is certainly a very cleverly-written little book, it has no driving plot or particularly inspiring scene or character. Rather, it is simply a brief glimpse at a strange episode that happens to occur in Average Town, U.S.A., with the range of characters that one might expect to find there - drunken college students, a repressed schoolteacher, a wealthy old man, and many other middling sorts of people. Development-wise, the story just kind-of floats along, and then it ends. But despite this lack of conventional set-up, as the author shows this bizarre occurrence touching the lives of all the characters, the book turns out to be a rather interesting and hilarious examination of human nature. As an actual book, there is no reason to recommend it, because there is no hook, nothing truly attention-grabbing about it. However, I have decided to recommend it just the same, because it is one of those books that make its reader think. With no final resolution or grand declaration of purpose, it is left to the reader to try to figure out what the Hell is going on, and whether the characters are actually going to learn anything from this encounter.
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At first glance, it is easy to see why a reader might dismiss The Circus of Dr. Lao as racist, nonsensical tripe. This book does, after all, focus on the interactions between the largely racist population of a small town (Abalone, Arizona) and a circus of mythical creatures that, it seems, only a Classics professor would love. For some, this may be a hard premise to accept. Well, to each his own opinion. For my part, I thought that this was an excellent book. Finney's writing is both amusing and insightful: while the townspeople try to figure out what type of creature is in a cage ("It's a man", "No, it's a bear", "It's a Russian"), Finney both illustrates the way the people of Abalone try to rationalize the miraculous things they see before them and pokes fun at their ignorant ways of thinking. If you're looking for a book to read to your five-year-old (as, it seems, many reviewers are), or if you always hated ancient mythology in school, this book is not for you. For the rest of us, it is a treasure.
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An Amusing Read!!!
Books serve many different purposes: some are meant to teach, others are meant to convey life lessons, and still others are simply meant to be enjoyed. "Dr. Lao" seems to be a brilliant example of a book intended to be enjoyed. Boasting a plethera of miracles and comic relief wielded as if by Shakespeare himself, "Dr. Lao" makes a magnificent read. "Dr. Lao" shows a complete lack of regard for any type of cohesive plot. The book seems to reveal at a slightly dramatic level that humanity is simply beginning to deny the fact that miracles exist. Finney portrays the people of Abalone to be stubborn folk who don't believe that there is any such thing as magic. One would think in a town as mundane as Abalone people would be relieved to have a break from daily life, and indeed most of the people overcome by curiosity do indeed go view the parade and then circus. They are paid back in full for the efforts each of them witnessing amazing acts of magic or viewing an assortment of rare creatues. Whether they witness Apollonius raises the dead, or Medusa makes a statue out of a townswoman, or even a Roc egg hatch, the people of Abalone remain unphased. They take all such encounters as nothing more than particularly dry gossip. Finney creates a wonderful environment easily allowing minds to wander in and among the circus tents privately viewing all the inhabitents for any lenght of time. He does so by giving such vivid descriptions of both the physical aspects of the creature and also of their temperments. Finney does a wonderful job describing everything and anything in this book; from the exciteable Dr. Lao, to the pensive Apollonius or even the agressive attitude of the fearless sea snake. Everything human or otherwise adopts a personality and connects with the townspeople in different ways. This book needs no plot with so many other brilliant attributes. It's hard to get bored reading about so many different rare creatures and their affect on the hard to impress townsfolk. All in all "Dr. Lao" is a magnificent read, with characters that keep the pages turning.
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Interesting Read
Being not a big reader I generally stray away from books. I tend to only read books for school and often hate reading the whole time. This book, however, was an outstanding book. Although the plot and story line are a little vague, the book is always turning a corner and keeping you reading. Dr. Lao is the ring master of a odd circus that comes to Abalone. The people of the town do not know what they are in for. Dr. Laos' Circus is definitely one of a kind. With great descriptions of ancient creatures such as a chimera and the hound of the hedges the circus gets everyone interested. All of the creatures also have human like personalities and interact with the people that are visiting the circus. The creatures hold up conversations with the visitors, argue, and tell stories of mystic places and adventures. Magic is done and in the final show of the circus the the animals all go wild and the devil is even raised. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something exciting and that will keep them reading. For all the non readers out there like me I also recommend it for you because it is definitely interesting and it is also short so it can be finished in an afternoon. This book is a Casas and shouled be read by everyone looking for a book that is out there and that will keep them reading. I give this book two thumbs up.
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Charles Finney's "The Circus of Doctor Lao" is a novella about a circus full of magical creatures that stops in Abalone, Arizona during the depression. Finney's dead-pan prose - a delight to read - reveals both the banality of Abalone's citizens and the casual viciousness of Dr. Lao's attractions (the conversation between Mr. Etaoin the proofreader and the sea snake provides a particularly sharp juxtaposition). For readers interested in mythology, this story is full of treats.
However, those interested in tight plotting or climactic action should pass "Dr. Lao" by, as it has neither. The story consists in a series of vignettes, connected only by place and theme. If you require certain conventional literary forms - such as an overarching conflict or an indentifiable protagonist - to enjoy a work, "Dr. Lao" will only frustrate you. In addition, some characters employ racist language; if this bothers you, so will significant portions of the book.
I recommend "Dr. Lao" with the above reservations.
A really wonderful but odd little book I love this book. I love it when Apollonius imparts "For all the good or evil, creation or destruction, your living might have accomplished, you might just as well never have lived at all." What an utterly devastating thing to say to someone. I love the name Woldercan. And I loved the movie with Tony Randall.
Extraordinary!!! A Great Book!!! A brilliant, gentle, and wonderful book. This book has been found on great book lists and favorite book lists for over 70 years. Saturday Review, Ray Bradbury, and countless others hold it in high regard. Get it. Read it. It will probably become one your favorite books.
Dr..... WHY???? I came upon this book by random chance, and was mislead to believe that this was a piece of true literature. A book (short story really) that stumbles towards nothing. If you're looking for some popcorn reading, sure this might suite you just fine, but avoid like that plague otherwise. I suggest picking up some Vonnegut or Yates. I hope this review might save at least one of you!!!
PS: avoid frustratingly pointless epilogue..
Dr. Lao and the Dance of Life _It came as a surprise to me to find that one of my favorite films as a boy was actually based on a novel. It was even more of a surprise to find that the novel was written in 1935. It was a further surprise to find that it was written by a newspaperman that had served as an enlisted man in the old 15th Infantry in China back before WWII. Finally, it was a surprise that I actually liked this little book even more than the film.
_The story centers around the most unusual circus of Dr. Lao. The good doctor's circus is his own personal world- and seems to obey no laws of man or nature but his own (and that of his junior partner, Apollonius of Tyana.) This is an appropriate partnership, for Apollonius was perhaps the wisest man of the classical West, while Lao, if I am not mistaken, is patterned on Lao Tzu, wisest man of the classical East. Between them, they have assembled a remarkable collection of creatures from all places and times for their little show: a Chimera, a Unicorn, a Sphinx, a Sea Serpent, a mermaid, a werewolf, a hedge hound, the Golden Ass, a medusa, a satyr, a faun, nymphs, a Roc, and much, much more. All of this for the edification of the inhabitants of the sleepy, ordinary, little town of Abalone, Arizona during one hot, dusty August during the Great Depression. Everything is intended to wake the little town from its slumber, for everything reflects the great dance of life in all its appetite and lust, its wonder and terror. Yet, above it all, and in control of it all, are the two great sages.
_Many of the inhabitants of Abalone are left in wonder or in denial. Either way, most of them will never be the same again....
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
