Lives of the Circus Animals

by Christopher Bram

Playwright Caleb Doyle suffers through deep-set writer's block, even as his sister Jessie finds success as the assistant to British actor Henry Lewse, the openly gay star of a ludicrous Broadway musical. As Henry dotes on the handsome but dull-witted Toby Vogler, Toby pines for Caleb. Jessie has her own problems as the love object of director Frank Earp, whose floundering career has reduced him to staging children's plays off-off-off-Broadway. The secrets and heartaches of these many unfulfilled romances, unions, and associations unfold during the course of Caleb's bizarre birthday bash, where his pistol-packin' grandma causes even more mayhem.

The heavy themes of AIDS, sexual addiction, and unrequited love are expertly blended into the mix of slick humor and satire. Bram skillfully weaves together all the outlandish characters and their even more eccentric affairs, showing how all of them have a love-hate relationship with the theater, with each other, and with their own creative impulses. At turns graceful, shrewd, and ribald, Lives of the Circus Animals is terrific entertainment, steeped in the authentic details of theater life. This talented author's laugh-out-loud dialogue, burlesque situations, and shrewd insight into the vagaries of love are sure to win him an even more extensive readership.

Tom Piccirilli

Genres: Fiction, Gay, LGBT, Theatre, Cultural, Humor, American

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Bram grew up in Kempsville, Virginia. After graduating from the College of William and Mary in 1974 (B.A. in English), he moved to New York City four years later. There, he met his lifelong partner, documentary filmmaker Draper Shreeve.

Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein, about film director James Whale, was made into the movie Gods and Monsters starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser. Bill Condon adapted the screenplay and directed. Condon won an Academy Award for his adaptation.

In 2001, Bram was a Guggenheim Fellow. In 2003, he received the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement. He currently resides in New York.

Reviews

[Megan Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting this book was very confusing to me, and it took me a while to figure out why. One of the main characters, a playwright, is famous for having written a celebrated stage adaptation of a short story, Venus in Furs. Of course, Venus in Fur has been the hot play of the last few years, written by David Ives. In fact, I think one of my sisters was the stage manager for the Canadian premiere of the show. (I couldn't be thinking of another play, but I think I have the right one.)

Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.

In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook

[Estibaliz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vale: a lo mejor le podía haber dado las tres estrellas, puesto que en la medianía lo dejo y, desde luego, está bien escrito y es ameno... pero es que a mí esta historia de actores y dramaturgos, que son personas antes que artistas, me ha entretenido y me ha agradado, pero no me ha llegado como para no pasar a formar parte de la neblina de los miles de páginas difusas en breve.

No obstante, decir que Bram sabe cómo construir personajes y, aunque todo el conjunto se queda bastante en el costumbrismo, al menos nos ofrece un punto culminante de la historia que tiene su gracia.

Arte dentro del arte dentro del arte...

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight to reread this theatrical romp (on my Kindle this time); the characters range from the easily befuddled, somewhat anxious theater critic to hapless actors, a frustrated playwright, his concerned fearful mother, a self-important elder actor, and a gaggle of wacky additional folks who collide and conspire in New York's theater world. Bram manages to humanely create a farce that's never reduced to caricature in a steady balance of realism and absurdity.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I have corrected some mistakes in this review but altered nothing. I am sure if I was reviewing the book today it would be more jaundiced - somehow Christopher Bram has become one of my bete noires and I rather loath his books now. Still this is what I thought two years ago and I've no intention of looking at the book again to justify re-reviewing it - so this review stands).

I have read many short stories by Christopher Bram as well as his first novel 'Surprising Myself' and enjoyed them all immensely - he is a writer I always mean to read other things by - particularly every time I come across and enjoy one his stories - but have not followed though until picking up this novel. I have read only a short amount and have abandoned it - not because it is not well written, because it is - but because I just could not get into a novel set in New York's theatre world, so I have stopped reading it. This is no reflection on the book but on me (I know that sounds live a variation on the breakup line '...it's not you, its me...let's stay friends...') but I have a shelf groaning under actually books I want to read, and a mass of others noted on goodreads which represent pious wishes of mine to read rather then any realistic hope of doing so, but it is a well written book and I'll keep it on the never-never list of books to read, but I'd rather go back and read 'Surprising Myself' rather then this.

[Damian Serbu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well written, funny, and touches on the human condition in the arts. I loved how he wrote about so many different personalities and professions, from a critic to actors to writers, and all with the same sympathy and understanding of each and every individual. The surprise at the end was a bit startling, but I really enjoyed this book. There is a passion here that moves the reader.

[David Sheward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed Bram's other books such as Exiles in America and Gods and Monsters. Plus I've always been meaning to read this one since it deals with New York theater. While it was amusing to peak backstage at various levels of the biz from Broadway to Off-Off, the book falls somewhat short of being captivating. It was sorta like watching that bad TV series Smash from a few seasons ago. The characters weren't particularly believable and the plot was silly, particularly the last few pages where everyone gets together at a big party and BAM! (I won't reveal the big twist but it's pretty ridiculous.) The characters include a gay playwright, his sister who is the personal assistant of a big British star (Also gay) headlining a musical based on The Palm Beach Story, the sister's director boyfriend, the playwright's cute ex-beau, and the second-string critic for The New York Times. Some go to the same psychiatrist, some are having affairs with each other, some are working in the same show. It's a light little comedy and fun to have cameos of actual actors and writers (a few I actually know personally), but it's a lightweight soap bubble.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in junior high, my local library underwent a major overhaul and changed from a charmingly moldy literary cave to a sterile, plastic, fluorescent-lit space devoted to "popular fiction." At the time, I thought, "What the hell is that?" This book has provided me with the answer. Christopher Bram's Lammy-winning novel about theater people is designed first and foremost to entertain. And that it does. "Lives of the Circus Animals" is peopled with vivid characters in an intertwining story set in the early oughts when Rosie O'Donnell had a talk show; Kiki and Herb were performing at Fez; and Michaels Feingold and Feinstein were continually being misreferenced. As such, the book is a treasure trove of nostalgia for those of a certain age (like me). A real affection for the theater -- and by association, NYC -- infuses the proceedings as does a loving awareness of quintessential queer New York at the time. When's the last time you've heard mention of The Gaiety (Time Square's long-gone stripper club) or Stella's (the hustler bar nearby)? In a way, this book was made-to-order and because of that, I'll forge about the preposterous business with the gun.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interconnected group of people in New York theater. A critic, a big star who has fallen from playing Hamlet to appearing in a silly musical, a playwright who had a hit and then a bomb, an eager young actor, a personal assistant to the star, a director doing plays for kids who’s trying to put on an avant garde play with a motley cast of actors, and more. Gay and straight, they’re related through love, family, or theater jobs. There are some interesting tensions between some of the characters related to gender and sexuality. It’s a great love letter to theater and the people who make it happen.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lambda Literary award winner for gay fiction in 2004, an enjoyable novel about various folks in the theater world (actors, playwrights, critics). Bram intertwined the characters so well together that the story flowed perfectly from narrator to narrator. I don't know if there was anything super groundbreaking about this, some of the language was a little dated, and I couldn't fully connect to all the characters, but I did enjoy it!

CW for some slightly graphic sex scenes.

[Chris Tortorelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a person that's more about the journey over the end result this is for you. the book starts and continues strong for the most part then the climax/conclusion happened. I can't imagine it was written by the same person because, that ending was horrible. I forced myself to finish it just because I didn't want to leave it open ended but wow... A solid read until you get to the rush, unsatisfying conclusion. Maybe that was the point? No idea. It didn't do it for me.

[Justin L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a PT Anderson movie, which is pretty great.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Word from the Other End of the Spectrum of Critics

Christopher Bram is simply one of our best writers of fiction today. His previous works have met with well-founded acclaim ("The Notorious Dr. August: His Real Life and Crimes", and "Father of Frankenstein"), but for some reason THE LIVES OF THE CIRCUS ANIMALS isn't popular with most readers. I'm not at all sure why. This beautifully constructed book has vividly drawn characters, humor, scandal, absurdities, love form all sides of the sexual spectrum, tenderness, warmth, and a Ringmaster's viewpoint of just how untamable 'animals' can be. The plot centers around the misadventures of groups of theater people in New York City - actors, playwrights, critics, and wannabes - and Bram manages to stir the cauldron of these characters with such sensitivity that in the end - the Grand Finale of a birthday party - the whole extravaganza comes to a pitch perfect boiling point. The coda to the book shows very subtle resolution of all the lives. Bram's title comes from a poem by William Butler Yeats entitled "The Circus Animals' Desertion" and at one point out main character, the playwright Caleb refers to it " Where he says he gave his heart to the theater, but he's all burned out and his animals have run off. It's the poem with the lines 'I must lie down where all the ladders start,/In the foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart.'" Bram runs with this terrific quote and has created a novel that, for this reader, is equal to his other fine works. Highly recommended.

Grady Harp

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started on such a high note for me and then quickly went over the cliff. The characters are so self-absorbed and that they just started to grate on me after awhile. Jessie, sister of the playwright Caleb, really worked my nerves and I found her relationship with Frank to be unrealistic and downright bizarre. What man gets you out of your clothes and then doesn't want to do the deed? I did enjoy the neurotic personalities of the actors and the people around them, but I could only take them in small doses. There was just something off about everyone here. Frank seemed more like a gay man than a heterosexual, Henry's voice seemed like that of a much older man (I kept seeing Ian McKellen), not someone in his 50s, Caleb's conversations with his dead boyfriend were annoying, and Prager didn't seem like a real person at all to me (probably because he practically disappears halfway through the book and then pops up again near the end). I don't really know what Christopher Bram was trying to do here. If he wanted to show that theater people are crazy, he did a good job of that, but I just felt like this book was too scattered and schizophrenic.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bram is one of my favorite authors, with a direct, honest style, and a clear view of gay literary history and his place in it. Lives of the Circus Animals is a quick and fun view into a week in the lives of interrelated characters involved in the New York theater scene: actors, producers, directors, writers, and their family members. As such, it couldn't help but be interesting.

I do have a few complaints. It was written in 2003 - really not that long ago - but Bram pins much of the disfunction between characters on somewhat antiquated behavior like infrequently-carried cells phones, extensive and unanswered voice mail, etc. One or two instances of this would be acceptable, but it is pervasive throughout and is distracting.

Secondly, the relationships between the characters is highly interconnected, with rapidly changing sexual links, and unexpected events - all not truely believable occuring within one week. Well, this is probably acceptable in what is essentially soap opera.

[LibraryGirl2008 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This post-9/11 novel chronicles the madcap struggles of a small group of New Yorkers trying to “make it” in the Big Apple. Here’s a few of the “animals” that will be found in this particular circus: Caleb, a gay playwright who’s nursing a major writer’s block; Henry, a British actor who’s so talented, he can’t take care of himself; Jessie, his long-suffering personal assistant; Frank, a former actor who spends his life on the outside looking in; and Kenneth, a theater critic from the mighty New York Times who just really wants to be liked.

Lives of the Circus Animals is an entertaining, occasionally chuckle-worthy rom-com that’s as shallow as its main characters’ personalities. Over the course of the novel, the characters fight, make love, act out, and obsess over each other, while the outside world around them passes them by. If you’re looking for a light read that teaches you about the world of theater in New York, then this is an excellent book to read. If you’re looking for something deep and ponderous that examines the soul of humanity, you probably won’t find it here.

[Ric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well paced book by one of America's best gay themed writers. Bram's truly loves his characters writing them fully human and with ease. In LOTCA we quickly devour each one of them while he shows us the joys and sorrows of everyday life in the big city. Anyone who loves NYC will love his comical, smart and fascinating view of the theater scene. Although, coincidence may seem to some very unbelievable for even fiction he still manages to leave even the cynical of heart believing that serendipity can still happen in such a big city. What reader with a soft heart could ask for more?

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book full of characters that I, in turn, wanted to hug and wanted to smack. I have heard people complain that they couldn't connect with Bram's characters, but being a theater person myself, I felt like I knew every one of them. Overall, this was a sweet, touching novel with emotional writing that I felt in my chest, and I only wish it had been even longer.

[Rod · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lives of the Circus Animals by Christopher Bram 2003 read in Feb 2010
A novel about a group of friends; actors, playwrights, theatre critics and such. NYC is a small town where everyone has a connection to everyone else. A bit like Armistead Maupin’s novels. More froth than Mr. Brams Father of Frankenstein that I really enjoyed. This was fun entertainment.

[Sala Bim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Bram is undoubtedly a gifted writer but, personally, I didn't LOVE this story. The dynamics of show business and the stage and emotional detachment and such all came through loud and clear, but over-all it wasn't a very satisfying read for me. I couldn't really invest in any of the characters and I guess they were written to be just that shallow.

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but I'm still not sure that I liked any of the characters and for me that is important. But it was fun and quirky and I will read other books by Christopher Bram.Lives of the Circus Animals

[Alaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

"YOU: Why do you think you need to be happy?
ME: Aren't we supposed to be happy? Isn't that why we're here? We're obligated to be happy like we're obligated to succeed. Happiness is the point of life. Are the dead happy?
YOU: We transcend happiness. Unhappiness too."

The storyline was pretty mundane, but I found myself relating to characters and the real emotions they were going through.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, funny, not great literature but a pleasant read about a mix of contemporary characters in the Broadway theater world. A little slow to start but it builds to a climactic gathering at the end that brings all the characters together. Nothing apocalyptic--it's a birthday party.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I expected.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I expected much more. I just couldn't get myself to care about these characters.

[Fishsanwitt]

stamped

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good fast read with a peak inside the New York theatre world: Love, loss, success and failure. And of course a cute twink at the center of it all....

[Dorothea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story about interesting characters in the New York theater community.

[Andrew Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a guilty pleasure. Reading about screwed up lives in America makes you feel slightly better about yours.

[Greg Converse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. The lives of a theater troupe. I received this book as a gift from someone whom I told my grandfather was a clown.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts out slowly, and in places I found it a bit dull, but overall it was a pleasant read.