Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Ballantine Books (1984), Mass Market Paperback
Description
A magnificent, colorful novel of the circus world of the 1940s and 1950s, rich in detail, bursting with power and emotion. Mario Santelli, a member of the famous flying Santelli family, is a great trapeze artist. Tommy Zane is his protege. As naturally and gracefully as they soar through the air, the two flyers find themselves falling in love. Mario and Tommy share sweet stolen moments of passion, but the real intensity of their relationship comes from their total devotion to one another and to their art. As public figures in a conservative era, they cannot reveal their love. But they will never renounce it. A tremendously moving tale, a rich family saga, a wise and compassionate portrait of a special love in a special world.
Media reviews
User reviews
LibraryThing member imayb1
For me, this book was one of those where I read the last page with a gasp, closed the cover, and sat there savoring it for a while. It's just that good. As much as I love MZB's fantasy work, I don't know how I missed this one, but it took someone else's recommendation to bring it to my attention
The story: It is an historical fiction novel revolving around the American circus in the 1940's and 1950's. More specifically, it is about the lives of a family of trapeze artists, "The Flying Santellis". One level deeper, it's about a pair of gay trapeze artists and their trials inside and outside of performance.
There is so much story packed into the book, I can hardly enumerate all of it (but I'm going to try). From an historical point of view, I think the author did an absolutely fabulous job of conveying the circus environment, the times, the attitudes, the fears and hopes of the nation, the changing times... I really can find no fault with her research and her wonderful grasp of the time period and its trappings.
Amid WWII and its aftermath, is the story of the circus, its people, and all the suspense and adventure therein. As a reader, I was moved by the various events of joy and tragedy within circus life. I felt the book really captured the sights, sounds, feelings, and attitudes of the circus-- the excitement of the performance, the dedication of practice, the dangers, the fatigue of circus routines and travel-- it's all there.
The characters: The Santelli family is full of such fantastically rich, vibrant, and realistic characters, I feel like I could go visit them and they would answer the door with welcoming arms-- because they drew me in and I felt welcomed by them in the story.
The story primarily follows Tom Zane, (son of Lambeth Circus' big cat trainer), and his dreams of flying trapeze. When "The Flying Santellis" join his circus, they decide to take him on and train him. As Tom becomes a part of their group, he's adopted into the family and begins to learn about the whole crazy family, how much they are a part of the circus; its history is their history in many ways, and many of the family's long-held traditions correspond.
From the beginning, Tom adores and admires young Mario Santelli, a handsome and promising performer and star who can do the legendary 'triple' on trapeze. Before too long, (and at age 15), Tom and Mario become lovers as well as performers, keeping their private relationship secret from everyone. All the way through the book, there is tension about what it's like to be gay and closeted during the time period. The personal relationships between lovers, family, and the world at large tie this story together beautifully. I very highly recommend it.
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and I'm very glad this book and I have found each other. The story: It is an historical fiction novel revolving around the American circus in the 1940's and 1950's. More specifically, it is about the lives of a family of trapeze artists, "The Flying Santellis". One level deeper, it's about a pair of gay trapeze artists and their trials inside and outside of performance.
There is so much story packed into the book, I can hardly enumerate all of it (but I'm going to try). From an historical point of view, I think the author did an absolutely fabulous job of conveying the circus environment, the times, the attitudes, the fears and hopes of the nation, the changing times... I really can find no fault with her research and her wonderful grasp of the time period and its trappings.
Amid WWII and its aftermath, is the story of the circus, its people, and all the suspense and adventure therein. As a reader, I was moved by the various events of joy and tragedy within circus life. I felt the book really captured the sights, sounds, feelings, and attitudes of the circus-- the excitement of the performance, the dedication of practice, the dangers, the fatigue of circus routines and travel-- it's all there.
The characters: The Santelli family is full of such fantastically rich, vibrant, and realistic characters, I feel like I could go visit them and they would answer the door with welcoming arms-- because they drew me in and I felt welcomed by them in the story.
The story primarily follows Tom Zane, (son of Lambeth Circus' big cat trainer), and his dreams of flying trapeze. When "The Flying Santellis" join his circus, they decide to take him on and train him. As Tom becomes a part of their group, he's adopted into the family and begins to learn about the whole crazy family, how much they are a part of the circus; its history is their history in many ways, and many of the family's long-held traditions correspond.
From the beginning, Tom adores and admires young Mario Santelli, a handsome and promising performer and star who can do the legendary 'triple' on trapeze. Before too long, (and at age 15), Tom and Mario become lovers as well as performers, keeping their private relationship secret from everyone. All the way through the book, there is tension about what it's like to be gay and closeted during the time period. The personal relationships between lovers, family, and the world at large tie this story together beautifully. I very highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member satyridae
I love this book. It's a wonderful, heart-wrenching story about a pair of circus trapeze artists who fall in love. The problem is they are both men, and it's the forties. Things do not go smoothly. It's a riveting story and a departure for Bradley, who wrote mostly sci-fi. The characters are
There's so much here, both about aerialists, their process and art, and about pre-Stonewall gay men, that one forgives the occasionally purple prose, the claustrophobic angst, and only sees the glory and the heartbreak. One becomes caught up in the story that leads, inevitably, to Stonewall (though the book ends well before that) and the gains we've made thus far.
Here's a quote from near the end of the book:
"But I mind," Bart said savagely. "I'd like to see a world where I could have my picture taken, say, with Tommy on my lap if I want to. For every woman who got upset because I wasn't, shall we say, available for her romantic daydreams, there's be some young kid reading the papers and going to movies, and he'd be able to stop hating himself and say, 'Okay Bart Reeder is queer, and he's happy and successful, and he's getting along okay, so maybe I don't have to go out and hang myself after all.' And the suicide rate would go down, and everybody would be happy"
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achingly real.There's so much here, both about aerialists, their process and art, and about pre-Stonewall gay men, that one forgives the occasionally purple prose, the claustrophobic angst, and only sees the glory and the heartbreak. One becomes caught up in the story that leads, inevitably, to Stonewall (though the book ends well before that) and the gains we've made thus far.
Here's a quote from near the end of the book:
"But I mind," Bart said savagely. "I'd like to see a world where I could have my picture taken, say, with Tommy on my lap if I want to. For every woman who got upset because I wasn't, shall we say, available for her romantic daydreams, there's be some young kid reading the papers and going to movies, and he'd be able to stop hating himself and say, 'Okay Bart Reeder is queer, and he's happy and successful, and he's getting along okay, so maybe I don't have to go out and hang myself after all.' And the suicide rate would go down, and everybody would be happy"
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LibraryThing member silversurfer
One of my all time favorite novels-A rich, moving family saga that is intertwined with the love story of the two main characters. A sweeping love story spanning 2 decades that remains in the memory long after the last page. I highly recommend this for those that can find it--currently out of print.
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A truly classic gay love story. Show Less
LibraryThing member LilleesUncle
I read this as a teenager decades ago. It was the first or one of the very first, books with gay characters and positive ones at that. I holds a special place in my heart.
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Might be thought to be a bit dated these days, but nevertheless captures how difficult it was back in the days before Stonewall. There was a time when everyone had to watch their every word and deed (or face extreme forms of society's negative sanctions).
Language
Original publication date
1979
Physical description
6.8 inches
ISBN
0345315642 / 9780345315649
Other editions
The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Paperback)