Overall rating and opinion of " The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid" by Gary Robinson

Use this forum to discuss the May 2018 Book of the Month, "The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid" by Gary Robinson
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Lvillegas
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Re: Overall rating and opinion of " The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid" by Gary Robinson

Post by Lvillegas »

When I first started to read it, I was shocked and felt suspense in that it wasn't what I expected. I thought it might be a young adult book based upon the cover. Then, upon reading it I became shocked about the openness of the topic.
This is not for the meek.
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Post by SMwathi »

I will be reading the book soon. I have read some reviews and I feel the book is good. I hope the book will be interesting.
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Post by SMwathi »

I will be reading the book soon. I have read some reviews and I feel the book is good. I hope the book will be interesting.
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Post by Swinkels »

It was hard for me to get into this book, but once I got about half way through I ended up enjoying it. I feel they under played the woment characters, but if you think about the time frame of where this story is, women always played small parts. But I still feel I understood what roles the women were in since this book was supposed to be about Duke anyways. I don't agree with how the people were treated by outsideres but sad to say, that is just how life was back then. Overall, this was a good book, different from what I noramlly ready, but still a pretty good read.
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Post by DandMMothers »

I have only read the sample and the official review. I thought about doing my own of this novel but I just don't think this is my type of book.
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MagensWife1995
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Post by MagensWife1995 »

Honestly, I have no interest in reading this story. It does not seem like anything I would personally like. I have always disliked sword swallowers its gross to me.
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Rosalita467
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Latest Review: The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid by Gary Robinson

Post by Rosalita467 »

I liked the book. It was interesting and eventful. I like the inner demon battles that the lead characters have. I am not your typical fiction, romance, sci fi or horror reader. I look for the "out of the ordinary" books.
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Post by Alice Thokchom »

This book is not my genre but it seems amazing. I'll give it a try.
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Post by Bavithra M »

The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid by Gary Robinson is a intresting book. I would like to rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. The best part of the book is the relationship of Duke and Gary. One negative thing about the book is that disabled people are potrayed insensitvely in this book.
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SpencerVo
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Post by SpencerVo »

This book is one of the most beautifully written novels I've ever read. It depicted troubled people in such a realistic but hopeful light. It also contained many pieces of wisdom that I would happily apply in my own life. I give this a perfect 4 out of 4 stars.
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Post by Kishor Rao »

I gave The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid 4 out of 4 stars in my review. I really liked the fascinating aspects of circus life it had to offer to the readers. I really liked the friendship which beautifully bloomed between Duke and Gary. There was nothing that I didn't like about this book.I recommend this book because its a very good book and book-lovers should not be missing this one
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Post by Analeigh »

azerikaj wrote: 02 May 2018, 16:13 I agree. I think they were all stereotypes, of one kind or another. Like every woman in the book--very underwritten characters.
I was not pleased with the quality of the characters. From the very beginning it was clear they were stereotypes and not very original
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Post by Theresa Moffitt »

CatInTheHat wrote: 01 May 2018, 19:41 I really enjoyed The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid. I love learning about different groups and cultures. This one allowed me to see a part of America that is so different from what I typically think of as culture within my country. My favorite part was probably watching both Gary and Duke "save" themselves. I also enjoyed learning about different facets of the circus than I already knew. My least favorite part of the book was the graphic depictions of the drug overdoses. I also had a difficult time "watching" Duke take those dollar bills off of Gary.
Thank you for your comment I was thinking of downloading this book but wasn’t sure if it would be something I would enjoy reading. I liked the detail in your comment. I will add it to my list
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Post by Mandy Males Cole »

I just finished my review of this book and although I enjoyed the story overall, I think it could be better. The characters needed to be more fully developed to avoid the stereotypes many of you have mentioned and although Duke changes many things to improve the last years of his life, he never kicks his drug habit. Actually, he never even admits he has a problem! I also found his religious views unsettling, especially because they were never truly explained.
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Post by Radiant3 »

I found it to be an interesting book, one man who lived life on his own terms and another who was trying to find his way in life.
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