Synopses & Reviews
Water for Elephants meets Geek Love in this riveting first novel, an enchanting love story set in P. T. Barnum's American Museum in 1865 New York CityBartholomew Fortuno, the World's Thinnest Man, believes that his unusual body is a gift. Hired by none other than P. T. Barnum to work at his spectacular American Museum—a modern marvel of macabre displays, breathtaking theatrical performances, and live shows by Barnum's cast of freaks and oddities—Fortuno has reached the pinnacle of his career. But after a decade of constant work, he finds his sense of self, and his contentment within the walls of the museum, flagging. When a carriage pulls up outside the museum in the dead of night, bearing Barnum and a mysterious veiled woman—rumored to be a new performer—Fortuno's curiosity is piqued. And when Barnum asks Fortuno to follow her and report back on her whereabouts, his world is turned upside down. Why is Barnum so obsessed with this woman? Who is she, really? And why has she taken such a hold on the hearts of those around her?
Set in the New York of 1865, a time when carriages rattled down cobblestone streets, raucous bordellos near the docks thrived, and the country was mourning the death of President Lincoln, The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is a moving novel about human appetites and longings. With pitch-perfect prose, Ellen Bryson explores what it means to be profoundly unique—and how the power of love can transcend even the greatest divisions.
Review
Ellen Bryson has found a doozy of a story to tell, and she tells the hell out of it. Earnest, accurate, entertainingthis book lets us peek into the life of a great circus, and the great circus of life itself.”Darin Strauss, author of
More Than It Hurts You and
Chang and Eng Ellen Brysons
The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is an atmospheric and enthralling story of one of the great, lost legends of New York.”Kevin Baker, author of
Strivers Row and
DreamlandThe Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno brings alive the curious world of P. T. Barnums American Museum in 19th century New York, transforming in the process the freaks and prodigies into heart-breaking people. Bryson is bedazzling, a real writer of extraordinary bravado.”Keith Donohue, author of Angels of Destruction and The Stolen ChildEllen Bryson is a truly gifted storyteller whose debut novel transports the reader through time and into history itself, into characters with strange bodies but all-too-human hearts. I was hooked by every act, all the way to the novels big reveal. Like Barnums museum, this book deserves a plethora of visitors looking for educational entertainment.”Cathy Day, author of The Circus in Winter I cannot remember another first novel as deftly written, as emotionally charged, as transporting as this one. Ellen Bryson's breathtaking debut makes us all believe anew in the power of love.”Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle
Review
“Ellen Brysons
The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is an atmospheric and enthralling story of one of the great, lost legends of New York.”Kevin Baker, author of
Strivers Row and
Dreamland“The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno brings alive the curious world of P. T. Barnums American Museum in 19th century New York, transforming in the process the freaks and prodigies into heart-breaking people. Bryson is bedazzling, a real writer of extraordinary bravado.”Keith Donohue, author of Angels of Destruction and The Stolen Child
“I cannot remember another first novel as deftly written, as emotionally charged, as transporting as this one. Ellen Bryson's breathtaking debut makes us all believe anew in the power of love.”Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle
“Ellen Bryson has found a doozy of a story to tell, and she tells the hell out of it. Earnest, accurate, entertainingthis book lets us peek into the life of a great circus, and the great circus of life itself.”Darin Strauss, author of More Than It Hurts You and Chang and Eng
Review
"It must have been something, America at the end of the Civil War, and debut novelist Bryson imagines it beautifully in her inspired drama about freaks, showmen and the forces that twist our insides. Opening just after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the curtains part to reveal a sideshow within a spectacle, namely the singular attraction that was Barnum's American Museum in New York City, owned by narcissistic showman P.T. Barnum. . . . Bartholomew is a wonderful character who doesnt struggle against his self-image but revels in it, challenging audiences with his bravado. . . . A rich tapestry of romance, illusory science, criminal trickery and human intrigue. Let the show begin."—Kirkus Reviews
"This work sympathetically conjures up the backstage world of Barnums museum and the pecking order of his Curiosities, and magically transports the reader back in time to Gilded Age New York. Fans of Water for Elephants are sure to want to enter this wondrous midway attraction of a novel."—Publishers Weekly
"Debut novelist Bryson has concocted fascinating historical fiction about one of showman P.T. Barnum's 'curiosities' who worked in the confines of Barnum's famous American Museum in lower Manhattan in the mid-19th century.... Bryson is a natural storyteller, and the fascinating interpersonal dynamics of her enticing characters keep readers' interest.... A strong first novel—recommended."—Library Journal
"Bryson, a proverbial ringmaster, delves deep into context, roping the assassination of Lincoln, scents of Chinatown, and heart-wrenching human misconceptions into poetic prose that captures the attention of ladies and gentleman, boys and girls of all ages."—Daily Candy
"Rich with magic.... Uncovering Iell's secrets leads Fortuno to expose his own, and this subtle but profound transformation casts a spell over the narrative until the last pages. Novel and character are awakened by the magnetic Iell, who makes Fortuno feel 'empty and full at the same time. Hungry and satiated.' By the end of the novel, readers should feel that way, too."—Christine Thomas, Miami Herald
"Riotous and touching.... Its one delicious story."—Ann La Farge, The Hudson Valley News
"Ellen Bryson has found a doozy of a story to tell, and she tells the hell out of it. Earnest, accurate, entertaining—this book lets us peek into the life of a great circus, and the great circus of life itself."—Darin Strauss, author of More Than It Hurts You and Chang and Eng
"Ellen Bryson's The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is an atmospheric and enthralling story of one of the great, lost legends of New York."—Kevin Baker, author of Strivers Row and Dreamland
"The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno brings alive the curious world of P. T. Barnum's American Museum in 19th century New York, transforming in the process the freaks and prodigies into heart-breaking people. Bryson is bedazzling, a real writer of extraordinary bravado."—Keith Donohue, author of Angels of Destruction and The Stolen Child
"Ellen Bryson is a truly gifted storyteller whose debut novel transports the reader through time and into history itself, into characters with strange bodies but all-too-human hearts. I was hooked by every act, all the way to the novels big reveal. Like Barnums museum, this book deserves a plethora of visitors looking for educational entertainment."—Cathy Day, author of The Circus in Winter
"I cannot remember another first novel as deftly written, as emotionally charged, as transporting as this one. Ellen Bryson's breathtaking debut makes us all believe anew in the power of love."—Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle
Review
“Ellen Brysons
The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is an atmospheric and enthralling story of one of the great, lost legends of New York.”Kevin Baker, author of
Strivers Row and
Dreamland“The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno brings alive the curious world of P. T. Barnums American Museum in 19th century New York, transforming in the process the freaks and prodigies into heart-breaking people. Bryson is bedazzling, a real writer of extraordinary bravado.”Keith Donohue, author of Angels of Destruction and The Stolen Child
“I cannot remember another first novel as deftly written, as emotionally charged, as transporting as this one. Ellen Bryson's breathtaking debut makes us all believe anew in the power of love.”Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle
“Ellen Bryson has found a doozy of a story to tell, and she tells the hell out of it. Earnest, accurate, entertainingthis book lets us peek into the life of a great circus, and the great circus of life itself.”Darin Strauss, author of More Than It Hurts You and Chang and Eng Oline H. Cogdill - Kristine Huntley - Daniel Mallory - David Pitt - Charles Bracelen Flood - Ramsey Campbell - Maggie Shayne - L.A. Banks - Kelley Armstrong - Katherine Ramsland - Joe R. Lansdale - Heather Graham - Cory Doctorow - C.J. Henderson - Kirkus - Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Gene Lyons - Jon Winokur - Neil Walsh - Andrew Leonard - Stephen R. Donaldson - Michael A. Stackpole - Glen Cook - Neil Walsh - Andrew Leonard - Stephen R. Donaldson - Michael A. Stackpole - Glen Cook - Neil Walsh - Stephen R. Donaldson - Jacqueline Carey - Glen Cook - Elizabeth Haydon - David Drake - Dr. Lewis G. 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Review
"It must have been something, America at the end of the Civil War, and debut novelist Bryson imagines it beautifully in her inspired drama about freaks, showmen and the forces that twist our insides. Opening just after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the curtains part to reveal a sideshow within a spectacle, namely the singular attraction that was Barnum's American Museum in New York City, owned by narcissistic showman P.T. Barnum. . . . Bartholomew is a wonderful character who doesnt struggle against his self-image but revels in it, challenging audiences with his bravado. . . . A rich tapestry of romance, illusory science, criminal trickery and human intrigue. Let the show begin."
Kirkus Reviews"This work sympathetically conjures up the backstage world of Barnums museum and the pecking order of his Curiosities, and magically transports the reader back in time to Gilded Age New York. Fans of Water for Elephants are sure to want to enter this wondrous midway attraction of a novel."Publishers Weekly
"Debut novelist Bryson has concocted fascinating historical fiction about one of showman P.T. Barnum's 'curiosities' who worked in the confines of Barnum's famous American Museum in lower Manhattan in the mid-19th century.... Bryson is a natural storyteller, and the fascinating interpersonal dynamics of her enticing characters keep readers' interest.... A strong first novelrecommended."Library Journal
"Bryson, a proverbial ringmaster, delves deep into context, roping the assassination of Lincoln, scents of Chinatown, and heart-wrenching human misconceptions into poetic prose that captures the attention of ladies and gentleman, boys and girls of all ages."Daily Candy
"Rich with magic.... Uncovering Iell's secrets leads Fortuno to expose his own, and this subtle but profound transformation casts a spell over the narrative until the last pages. Novel and character are awakened by the magnetic Iell, who makes Fortuno feel 'empty and full at the same time. Hungry and satiated.' By the end of the novel, readers should feel that way, too."Christine Thomas, Miami Herald
"Riotous and touching.... Its one delicious story."Ann La Farge, The Hudson Valley News
"Ellen Bryson has found a doozy of a story to tell, and she tells the hell out of it. Earnest, accurate, entertainingthis book lets us peek into the life of a great circus, and the great circus of life itself."Darin Strauss, author of More Than It Hurts You and Chang and Eng
"Ellen Bryson's The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is an atmospheric and enthralling story of one of the great, lost legends of New York."Kevin Baker, author of Strivers Row and Dreamland
"The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno brings alive the curious world of P. T. Barnum's American Museum in 19th century New York, transforming in the process the freaks and prodigies into heart-breaking people. Bryson is bedazzling, a real writer of extraordinary bravado."Keith Donohue, author of Angels of Destruction and The Stolen Child
"Ellen Bryson is a truly gifted storyteller whose debut novel transports the reader through time and into history itself, into characters with strange bodies but all-too-human hearts. I was hooked by every act, all the way to the novels big reveal. Like Barnums museum, this book deserves a plethora of visitors looking for educational entertainment."Cathy Day, author of The Circus in Winter
"I cannot remember another first novel as deftly written, as emotionally charged, as transporting as this one. Ellen Bryson's breathtaking debut makes us all believe anew in the power of love."Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle
Synopsis
Bartholomew Fortuno, the Worlds Thinnest Man, believes that his unusual body is a gift. Hired by none other than P.T. Barnum to work at his spectacular American Museum—a modern marvel of macabre displays and live performances by Barnums cast of freaks and oddities—Fortuno has reached the pinnacle of his career. But after a decade of solid performance, he finds his contentment flagging. When a carriage pulls up outside the Museum in the dead of night, bearing Barnum and a mysterious veiled woman—rumored to be a new performer—Fortunos curiosity is piqued. And when Barnum asks Fortuno to follow her and report back on her whereabouts, his world is turned upsidedown. Why is Barnum so obsessed with this woman? Who is she,
really? And why has she taken such a hold of the hearts of those around her?
The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is a moving novelabout human appetites and longings. With pitch-perfect prose, Ellen Bryson explores what it means to be profoundly unique— and the power of love to transcend even the greatest divisions.
Synopsis
Set in the New York of 1865, "The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno" is a moving novel about human appetites and longings. Bryson explores what it means to be profoundly unique--and how the power of love can transcend even the greatest divisions.
About the Author
ELLEN BRYSON holds a BA in English from Columbia University and an MA in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. Formerly a modern dancer, she lives in Southern California. This is her first novel.
Reading Group Guide
1. Bartholomew believes he has a gift in his natural thinness and self-control. What other gifts does he possess? How would you characterize him? How does his character change from the beginning of the novel to the end?
2. What kinds of hunger are stirred in this book? Which characters are driven to extremes by their desire and which choose to moderate themselves?
3. Bartholomew Fortuno asserts, “[Our] destiny insists we use our gifts to show others who they really are or show them what, in an ideal world, they could become. It may shock them at first, but, deep down, we open their eyes to greater possibilities.” Iell argues, “I do not believe we educate our audiences. I believe we enlighten them and, in doing so, make them feel better about the dullness of their own lives. We dont open their eyes, Mr. Fortuno, we give them permission to keep them shut.” Do you believe spectacles like Barnums American Museum serve to open our eyes to new experiences, or to make us feel better about ourselves by comparison?
4. Before the answer is revealed, what did you suspect was Iells secret?
5. When does Bartholomews love for Iell twist from romantic to obsessive? At what moment did you realize he was an unreliable narrator?
6. Bridgett is a well-known Gaff, but her performance is so impressive that the other characters begin to forget her former life as a barmaid. Are there other characters who seem to be faking it? Do you believe Bartholomew is a Gaff?
7. What is the importance of the setting in this novel? Is there anything about historical New York City that surprised you—the smell, the streets, the layout?
8. When Iell sends Bartholomew off to the Chinaman, she says, “Youre the only one I trust.” Do you think this is sincere, or do you think she is taking advantage of his affections? Do you believe his feelings are ever reciprocated?
9. While Bartholomew longs to be home in the museum, other characters say they feel trapped inside. Does this serve as a place of protection or imprisonment? Are the characters creating a world of magic or a space to hide? What is the significance of the birds in this novel?
10. If you could travel back to the American Museum, which character would you most like to see Why?
11. You never get the chance to see a photograph of Barnums “freaks” as you read Transformation, though the prose provides a vivid description of each. Do you think you would respond differently to this story as a film? Do you believe you listen to stories differently when you cannot see the subjects face? Were you tempted to look up Mathew Bradys photographs as you read the book, or did you wish to rely on your own imagination?