The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno, By Ellen Bryson

Brandon Robshaw
Sunday 18 September 2011 00:01 BST
Comments

Bartholomew Fortuno is a "Human Skeleton" in P T Barnum's famous museum in 1860s New York City. His enemy is Ricardo the Rubber Man; he socialises with Alley the Strongman; his world changes when a new star enters the museum: the Bearded Lady with whom he rapidly falls in love. Barthy has a kind of deluded dignity, believing that his "gift" educates the masses who gawp and laugh at him – his dedication to an illusory ideal recalls Stevens the butler in Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day. Ellen Bryson's debut novel is rich in both pathos and humour. It's a somewhat slow-moving story, perhaps, but engaging, colourful, and a convincing evocation of the ferment of American society after the Civil War.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in