Spangle (novel)
 Hardback Cover | |
| Author | Gary Jennings |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
Publication date | 1987 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 869 pp |
| ISBN | 0-689-11723-X |
| OCLC | 14718906 |
| 813/.54 19 | |
| LC Class | PS3560.E518 S6 1987 |
Spangle is a historical novel written by Gary Jennings and first published in 1987.
Plot introduction
After surrendering at Appomattox Court House in Virginia at the end of the American Civil War, two Confederate soldiers wander off and join Florian’s Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders, a traveling circus that has managed to continue performing throughout the war. Escaping from the coming Reconstruction of the South, the circus embarks for Europe where they meet many adventures as they travel throughout Europe between 1865 and 1871.
Plot summary
Spangle is a historical novel written by Gary Jennings (1928–1999). Published in 1987, it follows a circus troupe known as "Florian's Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders" from the Confederate surrender at Appomattox to Europe, ending in France during the Franco-Prussian War. The book chronicles the rise of the troupe from a small "mud show" with few acts to the glittering toast of Paris, while delving into the evolving personal lives of its performers. The book is also an examination of the social structures of both post-Civil War America and Europe during a period in which the ancient system of monarchy was toppling. The main protagonist, other than the circus itself, is Zachary Edge, a former Confederate colonel embittered by war who accepts a position as the Florilegium's equestrian director. Edge's trials, both professional and personal, form the core of the plot, which details Edge's rise in the ranks of the circus in parallel to the rise of the Florilegium.
Important Characters
Artistes
| Name | Nom de Théâtre | Nationality | Occupation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florian | Alsatian | Circus Owner/Governor | ||
| Ignatz Rooseboom | Captain Hotspur | Cape-Dutch | Lion tamer and rosinback rider. | |
| Jacob Brady Russum | Tiny Tim Trimm | American | Dwarf, joey clown. | |
| Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Edge | Colonel Ramrod, Buckskin Billy, Colonel Plantagenet-Tudor | Confederate | Equestrian Director, trick rider, and trick shooter. | |
| Sergeant Obie Yount | The Quakemaker | Confederate | Strongman. | |
| Magpie Maggie Hag | Spaniard | Fortune teller and seamstress. | ||
| Edith Coverley | Clover Lee | American | Rosinback trick rider. | |
| Sarah Coverley | Madame Solitaire | American | Rosinback trick rider. | Mother of Clover Lee. |
| Jules Fontaine Rouleau | Monsieur Roulette | Cajun | Acrobat and aeronaut. | |
| Hannibal Tyree | Abdullah the Hindu | Freed Slave | Juggler and Bull Man (Elephant trainer.) | |
| Nellie Cubbidge | Autumn Auburn | English | Tightrope walker. | |
| Corporal Foursquare John Fitzfarris | Sir John Doe | American | Tattooed man and sideshow director. | |
| Abner Mullenax | Barnacle Bill | American | Pig trainer, lion tamer, and "Crocodile Man." | |
| Phoebe Simms | Madame Alp | Freed Slave | Fat lady. | Mother of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Quincy Simms. |
| Sunday Simms | Mademoiselle Butterfly | Freed Slave | "White African Pygmy," tightrope walker. | |
| Monday Simms | Cinderella | Freed Slave | "White African Pygmy," tightrope walker. | |
| Tuesday Simms | Freed Slave | "White African Pygmy." | ||
| Quincy Simms | Ali Baba | Freed Slave | Contortionist. | |
| Rosalie Brigid Mayo | Pepper | Irish | Perch pole artist and hair hang artist. | |
| Cecile Makkai | Paprika | Hungarian | Perch pole artist and trapeze artist. | |
| Kim Pok-tong | Korean | Antipodist. | ||
| Kim Tak-sung | Korean | Antipodist. | ||
| Kim Hak-su | Korean | Antipodist. | ||
| Pavlo Smodlaka | Serbian | Dog trainer. | Husband of Gavrila and father of Velja and Sava Smodlaka. | |
| Gavrila Smodlaka | Serbian | |||
| Velja Smodlaka | Serbian | Albino. | ||
| Sava Smodlaka | Serbian | Albino. | ||
| Spyros Vasilakis | The Gluttonous Greek | Greek | Sword swallower and fire eater. | Husband of Meli Vasilakis. |
| Meli Vasilakis | Amazon maiden | Greek | Snake charmer. | |
| Morris Levy | Maurice LeVie | French | Trapeze artist. | |
| Giorgio Bonvecino | Zanni | Italian | Toby clown. | |
| Jörg Pfeifer | Fünfünf | Whiteface clown. | ||
| Samuel Reindorf | Little Major Minim, Wimper | Polish | Dwarf and joey clown. | |
| Shadid Sarkioglu | The Terrible Turk | Turkish | Strongman and velocipedist. | |
| Agnete Knudsdatter | Miss Eel | Danish | Contortionist. | |
| Nella Cornella | Emeraldina clown. | |||
| Bernhard Notkin | Hanswurst clown. | |||
| Ferdi Spenz | Kesperle clown. | |||
| Cecil Wheeler | The Wheeling Wheelers | British | Velocipedist and Plimpton skater. | |
| Daphne Wheeler | The Wheeling Wheelers | British | Velocipedist and Plimpton skater. | |
| Jean-François Pemjean | Le Démon Débonnaire, Pemjean l'Intrépide | French | Lion tamer. | |
| Szábo Katalin | Cricket | Hungarian | Dwarf and "Enchanted Globe." | |
| Jászi Arpád | Hungarian | Trick rider. | ||
| Jászi Zoltán | Hungarian | Trick rider. | ||
| Jászi Gustáv | Hungarian | Trick rider. | ||
| Timoféi Somov | Kostchei the Deathless | Russian | Scarred freak. | |
| Princess Raisa Vasiliyevich Yusupova / "Olga Somova" (alias) | Brunhilde | Russian | Giant. | |
| Giuseppina Bozzacchi | "The Music-Box Dancer" | Italian | Ballerina. |
Notable Crew Members
| Name | Alias | Nationality | Occupation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dai Goesle | Stitches Goesle | Welsh | Canvasmaster. | |
| Carl Beck | Boom-Boom Beck | Bavarian | Bandmaster, rigger, and calliope player. | |
| Aleksander Banat | Slovak | Roustabout crew chief. | ||
| Baron Wilhelm Lothar Wittelsbach | Willie Lothar | Bavarian | Chefpublizist. | |
| Gombocz Elemér | Hungarian | Cimbalom player. | ||
| Ioan Petrescu | Romanian | Seamstress. | ||
| Pierre Delattre | French | Plumber. |
Menagerie
| Name | Alias | Breed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peggy | Brutus | Elephant. | |
| Mitzi | Caesar | Elephant. | |
| Maximus | Lion. | ||
| Thunder | Claybank quarter horse. | Main performance horse, and former cavalry mount, for Zachary Edge. | |
| Lightning | Horse. | Former cavalry mount for Obie Yount. | |
| Bubbles | Dapple gray horse. | Main performance horse for Clover Lee. | |
| Snowball | White horse. | Main performance horse for Madame Solitaire. | |
| Terry | Terrier. | One of three dogs used by the Smodlaka family. | |
| Terrier | Terrier. | One of three dogs used by the Smodlaka family. | |
| Terriest | Terrier. | One of three dogs used by the Smodlaka family. | |
| Kewwy-Dee | Syrian bear. | Named due to Mullinax misunderstanding the phrase Q.E.D. | |
| Kewwy-Dah | Syrian bear. | ||
| Raja | Bengal tiger. | ||
| Rani | Bengal tigress. | ||
| Siva | Bengal tigress. | ||
| Anwalt | Striped hyena. | ||
| Berater | Striped hyena. | ||
| Stars | Zebra. | ||
| Bars | Zebra. | ||
| Mustafa | Camel. | ||
| Rumpelstilzchen | South American dwarf horse. | ||
| Auerhahn. | |||
| Fafnir | Python. |
Release details
- 1987, USA, Atheneum Books ( ISBN 0-689-11723-X)
Also released as a trilogy mass market paperback:
- 1999, USA, Forge Books The Road Show: Spangle #1 ( ISBN 0812564715)
- 1999, USA, Forge Books The Center Ring: Spangle #2 ( ISBN 0812564723)
- 1999, USA, Forge Books The Grand Promenade: Spangle #3 ( ISBN 0812564731)