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JOSSER is the powerful and moving account of Oxford-educated Nell Stroud's life in the circus. It is also the story of the people of the circus: the trapeze artists, the clowns, the high-wire acts, the grooms, the llamas, the elephants - their commitment and expertise, their hard, marginalised, miraculous lives. Following a terrible riding accident which left her mother permanently brain-damaged, Nell ran away to the circus. What she found there was a life which became more real to her than the one she left behind. She found people who had sacrificed their lives for their art, who worked in all weathers, perfecting some of the most dramatic and beautiful acts ever seen. She found third-generation show-people who travelled around forgotten parts of Britain to bring their abstract, polished, multi-layered show to ever dwindling audiences. She found herself in an art form that soon, if we are not careful, we will lose. Whilst she has lived and worked among the circus people for several years, she is not one of them: she was not born in the circus. In their words she is a 'josser' a person in the circus from the outside world. This is her story.'The circus does cast a spell over some people. I felt overwhelmed by it. The circus filled up existence and left room for nothing else. What was there to do?
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Virago (April 6, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1860496954
ISBN-13: 978-1860496950
Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,921,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #188 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Theater > Circus #14749 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Actors & Entertainers #15378 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies > Biographies
As a former circus performer and trouper myself (20 years in the business) I found Ms. Stroud's book an enjoyable read. Her descriptions of life on modern English circuses could apply here in the US. Her chapter on the hypocrisy of the animal rights fanatics in Great Britain in regards to the presence of horses in the circus and their apparent lack of interest in the use horses in other aspects of human activities to me was one of the most interesting chapters in the book. Circus life is a tough one and not for the weak -- they just don't last. If you want to find out what it is like day to day with tented circuses, especially British shows, in this age when, through the actions of uncaring, unknowing and unreasoning organizations and individuals dedicated to the demise of the circus, the circus is relegated to the fringes of society, this is a must read. If you think the circus is all pretty girls, cotton candy and the clowns, read this one!
not a tell all or a history but nevertheless a valuable insight into circus life. i enjoyed the read I did
Josser
