A Son of the Circus by John Irving
"A Son of the Circus" by John Irving is a multifaceted novel centered around Dr. Farrokh Daruwalla, a doctor of dwarves researching achondroplasia while living a dual life as a screenwriter in India. Struggling with feelings of displacement, Dr. Daruwalla feels caught between his Indian roots and his life in Canada, a sentiment that shapes his narrative. Set primarily in Bombay, the story unfolds with a mix of humor, intrigue, and emotional depth, featuring a vibrant cast of characters, including dwarves, actors, and detectives, each navigating their own complex identities and relationships.
The novel explores themes of belonging, identity, and the human condition, as Dr. Daruwalla grapples with his own sense of purpose amidst the chaos of his surroundings. Irving's rich descriptions of the circus environment and the bustling streets of Bombay bring the setting to life, while the symbolic presence of elephants serves as a metaphor for the burdens and challenges faced by the characters. Throughout the six hundred pages, readers are treated to a blend of comedy, tragedy, and thought-provoking moments that invite reflection on the nature of humanity and connection. Ultimately, "A Son of the Circus" offers a deeply engaging reading experience filled with surprises and insights into the circus of life itself.
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A Son of the Circus by John Irving
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1994
Type of work: Novel
The Work
John Irving’s sweeping novel A Son of the Circus tells many stories. The central character, around whom the colorful cast is centered, is a doctor researching achrondroplasia in dwarves and moonlighting as a screenwriter of action films in India. A “little, potbellied man,” Dr. Daruwalla sees his major concern as a lack of “belonging.” Born in India and practicing medicine in Toronto, he feels neither Indian nor Canadian. He describes himself as “merely a guest of honor” in whatever country he lives.
As the novel opens, Daruwalla is in Bombay where, in the process of doing his research, he visits the circus and has a traumatic encounter with the wife of one of his dwarf subjects. He then reunites with the film star who plays the “James Bond”-like character in his screenplays.
What follows is six hundred pages of intrigue, high comedy, sexual encounters, mistaken identity, serial murder, and soul searching.
Within the subplots, Irving presents Vinod, a dwarf (reminiscent of The Hotel New Hampshire) with a limo/taxi service; John, the handsome Indian actor who plays the “Bond” character, Inspector Dahr; John’s identical twin brother, Martin, who is studying to be a priest; Nancy, an American hippie who is married to an Indian detective; and Rahul, whose sex change affects them all eventually.
Most of the action takes place in Bombay, and Irving’s eye for detail and sense of place is, as usual, engrossing. His depictions of the circus, the private club, the teeming streets, the countryside, and his vast cast of characters fulfill what his avid readers expect.
Replacing the bears so familiar to Irving fans, elephants abound in the novel. One is purported to be the reason for the limp that afflicts a young beggar in whom the doctor takes interest. A murderer draws a one-tusked elephant on his victims, and Lord Ganesha, the elephant god, is described in detail. Even the faucets in the private club’s bathrooms are elephant shaped. At one point, the maimed young beggar admonishes Dr. Daruwalla, “You can’t fix what elephants do,” reminding the doctor there are no pat solutions to the myriad problems he faces.
Although the majority of the tale is told in the limited omniscient point of view of the doctor, Irving also takes the reader into the minds of Nancy, Martin, Rahul, and the detective.
In the end, back in Toronto, “It seemed to Dr. Daruwalla that his story was . . . simply settings.” Although still feeling himself without roots, he knows that he will return to Bombay again and again, not to continue his dwarf experiments but to rejoin the “circus” of humanity that he cannot escape.
The idea of reading a six-hundred page novel may seem as ponderous as the elephants who trample throughout, but it is not so. Irving presents a full three-ring circus full of beautiful acrobats, crafty pitchmen, freaks, and clowns, coupled with trips to the sideshow and excursions on the loop-the-loop, Ferris wheel, and roller coaster. Irving captures readers’ imaginations and treats them to a well-crafted, constantly surprising, and often hilarious experience.
Sources for Further Study
Chicago Tribune. September 4, 1994, XIV, p. 1.
Library Journal. CXIX, September 15, 1994, p. 91.
Los Angeles Times Book Review. September 4, 1994, p. 1.
New Statesman and Society. VII, September 23, 1994, p. 40.
The New York Times Book Review. XCIX, September 4, 1994, p. 1.
Publishers Weekly. CCXLI, July 4, 1994, p. 51.
Time. CXLIV, September 12, 1994, p. 82.
The Times Literary Supplement. September 2, 1994, p. 11.
The Wall Street Journal. September 15, 1994, p. A12.
The Washington Post Book World. XXIV, September 4, 1994, p. 5.