Reviews

Circus by Alistair MacLean

sheeprustler's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

lori_reads_everything's review against another edition

5.0

I heard some negative reviews about this book before I started it, but it hooked me a couple chapters in so I had to see it through.
What followed were many twists and turns, a fantastic story, and a big reveal. This book should be a film.

roshk99's review against another edition

3.0

Another MacLean with a last sentence twist

mirgraves's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.75

lian_tanner's review against another edition

2.0

I read a lot of Alistair Maclean's books in my teens, and loved them, so was curious to see if they held up so many years later. Hmm. This one didn't. It seemed quite dated, and although the actual break-in sequence was intriguing, the rest of the book was not particularly interesting. And it's very odd to read something that was written in the days when female characters were there merely to show how clever the men were. Maria, the love interest, is supposed to be a CIA agent, but is totally clueless. You could take her out of the book and not notice. Can't really blame Maclean, he was a man of his time, but it makes for rather irritating reading.

hpuphd's review against another edition

3.0

A writer I loved when I was in high school, a Scottish writer of thrillers. This one, about circus performers recruited for a save-the-world mission in eastern Europe, is hokey at times, but the writing style lifts the emotions, even if the love scenes fall flat.

storiesforhisglory's review against another edition

5.0

I really love Alistair MacLean's books. I lost track of how many times I've read this book and it's still brilliant. Bruno and Maria and the rest of the cast are spectacular.

rbkegley's review against another edition

3.0

"Circus" follows the MacLean formula familiar to fans of his best-known works like "The Guns of Navarone" or "Ice Station Zebra." This time, it's set among a circus touring Europe, including countries behind the Iron Curtain. You can expect the usual plot twists, the traitor, and the intelligent woman with very little to do in the book except be protected. Nevertheless, it's entertaining, which was the whole point when MacLean wrote it. If you like his other novels, you'll find this one enjoyable, though definitely not in the upper tier of his works.

brian's review

4.0

Cold War, espionage and counter-espionage.
The US recruits a trapeze artist to try and retrieve secret documents from behind the iron curtain.
A good page turner, not as much action as other Alistair MacLean novels.