Spangle (novel)

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Spangle
Spangle Cover.jpg
Hardback Cover
Author Gary Jennings
Language English
Genre Historical novel
Publisher Atheneum Books
Publication date
1987
Publication place United States
Media typePrint (Hardback)
Pages869 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.

Contents

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

NameNom de ThéâtreNationalityOccupationNotes
Florian Alsatian Circus Owner/Governor
Ignatz RooseboomCaptain Hotspur Cape-Dutch Lion tamer and rosinback rider.
Jacob Brady RussumTiny Tim Trimm American Dwarf, joey clown.
Lieutenant Colonel Zachary EdgeColonel Ramrod, Buckskin Billy, Colonel Plantagenet-Tudor Confederate Equestrian Director, trick rider, and trick shooter.
Sergeant Obie YountThe QuakemakerConfederate Strongman.
Magpie Maggie Hag Spaniard Fortune teller and seamstress.
Edith CoverleyClover LeeAmericanRosinback trick rider.
Sarah CoverleyMadame SolitaireAmericanRosinback trick rider.Mother of Clover Lee.
Jules Fontaine RouleauMonsieur RouletteCajun Acrobat and aeronaut.
Hannibal TyreeAbdullah the Hindu Freed SlaveJuggler and Bull Man (Elephant trainer.)
Nellie CubbidgeAutumn Auburn English Tightrope walker.
Corporal Foursquare John FitzfarrisSir John DoeAmericanTattooed man and sideshow director.
Abner Mullenax Barnacle Bill AmericanPig trainer, lion tamer, and "Crocodile Man."
Phoebe SimmsMadame AlpFreed SlaveFat lady.Mother of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Quincy Simms.
Sunday SimmsMademoiselle ButterflyFreed Slave"White African Pygmy," Trapeze artist.
Monday SimmsCinderellaFreed Slave"White African Pygmy," tightrope walker.
Tuesday SimmsFreed Slave"White African Pygmy."
Quincy SimmsAli BabaFreed Slave Contortionist.
Rosalie Brigid MayoPepper Irish Perch pole artist and hair hang artist.
Cecile MakkaiPaprika 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 SmodlakaSerbian
Velja SmodlakaSerbian Albino.
Sava SmodlakaSerbianAlbino.
Spyros VasilakisThe Gluttonous Greek Greek Sword swallower and fire eater.Husband of Meli Vasilakis.
Meli VasilakisAmazon maidenGreek Snake charmer.
Morris LevyMaurice LeVie French Trapeze artist.
Giorgio BonvecinoZanni Italian Toby clown.
Jörg PfeiferFünfünfWhiteface clown.
Samuel ReindorfLittle Major Minim, Wimper Polish Dwarf and joey clown.
Shadid SarkiogluThe Terrible Turk Turkish Strongman and velocipedist.
Agnete KnudsdatterMiss Eel Danish Contortionist.
Nella CornellaEmeraldina clown.
Bernhard NotkinHanswurst clown.
Ferdi SpenzKesperle clown.
Cecil WheelerThe Wheeling WheelersBritish Velocipedist and Plimpton skater.
Daphne WheelerThe Wheeling WheelersBritishVelocipedist and Plimpton skater.
Jean-François PemjeanLe Démon Débonnaire, Pemjean l'Intrépide French Lion tamer.
Szábo KatalinCricketHungarianDwarf and "Enchanted Globe."
Jászi ArpádHungarianTrick rider.
Jászi ZoltánHungarianTrick rider.
Jászi GustávHungarianTrick rider.
Timoféi SomovKostchei the Deathless Russian Scarred freak.
Princess Raisa Vasiliyevich Yusupova / "Olga Somova" (alias)BrunhildeRussian Giant.
Giuseppina Bozzacchi "The Music-Box Dancer"Italian Ballerina.

Notable Crew Members

NameAliasNationalityOccupationNotes
Dai GoesleStitches Goesle Welsh Canvasmaster.
Carl BeckBoom-Boom Beck Bavarian Bandmaster, rigger, and calliope player.
Aleksander Banat Slovak Roustabout crew chief.
Baron Wilhelm Lothar WittelsbachWillie LotharBavarianChefpublizist.
Gombocz ElemérHungarian Cimbalom player.
Ioan Petrescu Romanian Seamstress.
Pierre DelattreFrenchPlumber.

Menagerie

NameAliasBreedNotes
PeggyBrutus Elephant.
MitziCaesarElephant.
Maximus Lion.
Thunder Claybank quarter horse.Main performance horse, and former cavalry mount, for Zachary Edge.
LightningHorse.Former cavalry mount for Obie Yount.
Bubbles Dapple gray horse.Main performance horse for Clover Lee.
SnowballWhite horse.Main performance horse for Madame Solitaire.
Terry Terrier.One of three dogs used by the Smodlaka family.
TerrierTerrier.One of three dogs used by the Smodlaka family.
TerriestTerrier.One of three dogs used by the Smodlaka family.
Kewwy-Dee Syrian bear.Named due to Mullinax misunderstanding the phrase Q.E.D.
Kewwy-DahSyrian bear.
Raja Bengal tiger.
RaniBengal tigress.
SivaBengal tigress.
Anwalt Striped hyena.
BeraterStriped hyena.
Stars Zebra.
BarsZebra.
Mustafa Camel.
Rumpelstilzchen South American dwarf horse.
Auerhahn.
Fafnir Python.

Release details

Also released as a trilogy mass market paperback:

See also