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The Circle That Fits
Kevin Lichty's The Circle That Fits explores the fraught relationships between two parents and their son as they live in a traveling carnival; the emotional, intense surrealism on display in this compressed novel knows no bounds.
136 pages, Paperback
Published October 25, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 17, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up - a beautifully written collection of vignettes, short and compelling, with an incredible cast of characters. Quite lyrical (a little much at times for my personal taste) but flows seamlessly and immerses the reader very effectively in Daniel’s surreal, raw, gritty, beautiful world.
August 25, 2024
A beautiful and complicated coming-of-age narrative. The book is short but it left a lasting impression on me.
October 16, 2022
Tim O’Brien noted that you could tell if a war story was true if it didn’t make sense. I would extend this to life. This novel does and doesn’t make sense. Much of it reads as surreal. Or is it? It follows a young carnie from ages eight to eighteen. The carnival setting is interesting in itself, but the characters are amazing. The coming of age aspect involves the boy’s search for his mother, who abandoned him and his father when the boy was eight. Does he find her, or does he only imagine finding her? A good tension builds in the third section: Will he or won’t he? And a plot twist comes that is both appalling and expected. The best kind, yes? If you like lyrical fiction, this one is for you.
February 14, 2024
Surreal, lyrical, painful and hopeful all at once. The main character, Daniel, unfolds his life and his heart for us via vignettes, as he grows up - along with his parents, who make & serve funnel cake - as part of a traveling carnival troupe. His world is cyclical, full of sameness and unquestioned expectations. It's also made of fears too big for a child's shoulders. Will he seek a life different from the choices his parents made?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews