''Circus'' is a
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
written by the
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
author
Alistair MacLean. It was first released in the United Kingdom by
Collins
Collins may refer to:
People Surname
Given name
* Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat
* Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration
* Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middle- ...
in
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
and later in the same year by
Doubleday in the United States.
Plot introduction
Bruno Wildermann of the Wrinfield Circus is the world's greatest
trapeze artist, a
clairvoyant with near-supernatural powers and an implacable enemy of the
East German regime that arrested his family and murdered his wife. The
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
needs such a man for an impossible raid on the impregnable Lubylan Fortress where his family is held, to remove a dangerous weapons formula from a heavily guarded laboratory. Under cover of a traveling
circus tour, Bruno prepares to return to his homeland. But before the journey even begins a murderer strikes twice. Somewhere in the circus there is a
communist agent with orders to stop Bruno at any cost.
Background
In October 1973 it was announced Alistair Maclean was researching the novel, which would form the basis of a film called ''Circus'' to be made the following year by
Irving Allen
Irving Allen (born Irving Applebaum, November 24, 1905 – December 17, 1987) was a theatrical and cinematic producer and director.
He received an Academy Award in 1948 for producing the short movie ''Climbing the Matterhorn''. In the early 19 ...
for
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
in collaboration with the Ringling Circus. Allen had previously made ''The Big Circus'' (1959) but said ''Circus'' would be different, being shot in 70mm and 3D with a budget of $6 million. Maclean was researching the novel by travelling with the circus. The film was never made.
Literary significance and criticism
The story, written in
third person narrative
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
, includes espionage, murder, romance and humor. Many MacLean fans do not consider this to be one of his finer works. It is typical of his later period works, in that while it is quite well plotted (if stretching the bounds of believability), it is simplistically characterized, with dryly sardonic and superbly competent protagonists (particularly Bruno Wildermann, the trapeze artist and secret agent), a ravishingly beautiful and virtually helpless female protagonist, and almost cartoonish Communist antagonists.
Reception
The ''Los Angeles Times'' called it a "first rate piece of suspense".
The book was a best seller.
[Best Seller List
New York Times 31 Aug 1975: 185.]
References
In popular culture
In the film ''
Operation Thunderbolt'', Col.
Yonatan Netanyahu (
Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon ( he, יהורם גאון, born December 28, 1939) is an Israeli singer, actor, director, comedian, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure. He has also written and edited books on Israeli culture.
The son of Sephardic Jewish ...
) reads the novel en route to the
1976 Israeli raid on
Entebbe Airport in
Uganda.
In the 1978 film The Comeback, character Nick Cooper is reading the novel in bed.
External links
Book review at AlistairMacLean.com
1975 British novels
Novels by Alistair MacLean
British spy novels
Novels set in circuses
William Collins, Sons books
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