The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan (1995)

The debut novel by the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning A Visit from the Goon Squad.

Book Review: The Invisible Circus is set in the 1970s, which adds a quaint touch in showing the end of the Aquarian Age, but in its other themes could be set in any time. I very much enjoyed Goon Squad, so was looking forward to reading Jennifer Egan's first novel, and was only mildly disappointed. The book is well written, easy to read, and the first half of the book compels the reader forward to find out what happens. I was impressed with Egan's evocative language and happily being carried along on her writing. But this does read like a first novel, and by the second half the pace had slowed, characters had failed to grow, and the reality had gotten progressively weaker. The story then became predictable, melodrama for the sake of melodrama, and the bratty main character became tiresome, being far too naive for the life she is portrayed as having led. She also had become self-centered, self-indulgent, cruel and willful for no apparent reason. It became hard to suspend disbelief, and there were gaps in the arc making the story seem incomplete, again for no apparent reason. The main character's sister just couldn't carry all the novelistic weight put on her. By this time there are so many similes and metaphors that some were failing to work. And the last 70 pages or so seemed to be chapter after chapter in search of an ending, until it was all neatly wrapped up for our main character, who may have been about to begin her own story. Other than the name on the cover I wouldn't have thought this was by the author of Goon Squad. All that snarkiness being said, I still enjoyed reading this and seeing Egan's early (21 years ago) writing. I could read it again and it was enjoyable (especially the first half), just not up to her best work. I still want to read her other books. [3½★]  🐢