num_pages: 119
description: Filmed as the 7 Faces of Dr. LaoThe novel is set in the fictional town of Abalone, AZ, the inhabitants of which epitomize ordinary Americans as they are simultaneously backhandedly celebrated &amp; lovingly pilloried for their emergent reactions to the wonders of magic &amp; of everyday life. A circus owned by a Chinaman named Dr Lao pulls into town one day, carrying legendary creatures from all areas of mythology &amp; legend, among them a sea serpent, Appolonius of Tyana, a medusa, a satyr etc. Thru interactions with the circus, locals attain various enigmatic peak experiences appropriate to each one's particular personality. The tale ends with the town becoming the site of a ritual to a pagan god whimsically given the name "Yottle", possibly an allusion to the Mesoamerican god Yaotl, whose name means "the enemy". The ritual ends when the god himself slays a virgin, her unrequited lover &amp; the priest. The circus over, the townsfolk scatter to the winds. Few of them profit from the surreal experiences. A Catalogue appendix notes all the people, places, items &amp; mythological beings mentioned in the novel, summing up the characters pithily &amp; sardonically, revealing the various fates of the townsfolk &amp; listing a number of plot holes &amp; questions unaddressed by the book.
language: English
title: The Circus of Dr. Lao
titlecomplete: The Circus of Dr. Lao
genres: Classics, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Novella, Novels, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction, Horror
ratings_count: 1344
places: Arizona, Abalone, Arizona
awards: awardedAt: -1104508800000
name: National Book Award
category: Most Original Book
publisher: Avon Books