Review of The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid

[Charlize Venter]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid" by Gary Robinson.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid by Gary Robinson, follows the life of Duke Reynolds, the sword swallower, and Gary, the Chico kid, to where their paths cross. The story is set between the 1960s up to the later 1980s. Duke is one of the few sword swallowers left in his contemporary life, a population that keeps dwindling. He never really knew the value of family, until he ran away to join the circus at the age of fifteen. Gary is an intelligent youth with a destructive past, a lost soul consumed by alcoholism and drug abuse. Both these men have commonalities in their history, both have trouble with substance abuse, both have experienced financial instability, and both have had an unsettling past. The book is beautifully divided into three parts, respectively: the life of the sword swallower, the life of the Chico kid, and their lives as their paths cross. This divide makes the value and sustenance of their joint journeys all the more delightful to read. A captivating and authentic book, filled with toils and tales of adventure, valuable life lessons, and, amongst others, the consequences of living.

The book is filled with various positive aspects. It reads easily and has an effortless flow to it. The combined use of both first-person and third-person narration brings the reader into new dimensions of the story, through its alternating perspectives. From third-person narrative, one views the sword swallower, then transcending into a first-person narrative that brings the focus back toward a more immersive rapport with the narrator, Gary. The use of spatiotemporal anomaly within the book binds the reader to the backgrounds of these two characters, allowing the reader a deeper empathy with both characters. It is wonderfully effective, providing an encompassing reading experience. The vocabulary in the text is well used and placed. The author's voice and tone are congruently carried throughout the book, supporting a strong storyline. Although there are rarely new stories to be told, the author offers the reader a reimagined take on his own experience, with characters most of us rarely venture toward. Well done!

Unfortunately, the book has not been edited with a fine-tooth comb, I venture to call it negligible. There are many structural errors, which can distract the reader from the story, there are also a few typos present, and some discrepancies in the congruence of the tenses used, which tend to disrupt the rhythm.

I hereby rate, The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid, an unfortunate three out of four stars, due to poor editing. If it were not for the editing errors, I would have given this book a full rating. As mentioned before, the storyline is strong, the reader easily builds rapport with the characters, the flow is easy and immersive (save for the editing errors), and the adventures within these pages are both immersive and captivating.

Target audiences include adults seeking a meaningful, immersive, captivating, and heartfelt read. The book reads with an authentic dialogue that includes varying instances of profanity, less intense erotic content, and numerous instances of substance abuse: parental guidance is advised should one consider the book for a younger audience. Given, the consequences of a lifestyle drenched with substance abuse are made clear.

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The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid
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[Astral Magi]

I find the story about a sword swallower quite intriguing. Thank you for a great review.

[elenekurdgelashvi]

The storyline seems quite interesting, but I don't think this book is a fit for me. I am glad you mentioned that it contains sexual content and profanity. Lovely review.

[Raymonda onwuka]

Sword swallowers?? I have never heard of that. This story must be interesting. Thanks for the review.

[marta baglioni]

I would get completely hypnotized in front of sword swallowers when I was a child! I could check this book out. Thank you!

[Ghuddie]

A sword swallower? Amazing. I love the title already, and I'm most likely going to check this one out. Great review.

[Badmusjamiu44]

Sword swallowers. I would like to read this book and know how interesting the story would be. Ordinarily I'm having a horrific fealing about the book. Thanks for the review.

[Rayah Raouf]

Oh dear, sword swallowers do sound quite scary. I've never liked watching them. I don't think I would be the typical audience for this but I liked the way you wrote your review.

[Charlize Venter]

I find the story about a sword swallower quite intriguing. Thank you for a great review.

I'm sure if you find the idea of a sword swallower intriguing, you will most certainly enjoy the book!

[Charlize Venter]

Sword swallowers?? I have never heard of that. This story must be interesting. Thanks for the review.

Sword swallower, indeed! Have a look on YouTube to see some of their performances.
The story was a captivating one. Glad you enjoyed the review!

[Charlize Venter]

A sword swallower? Amazing. I love the title already, and I'm most likely going to check this one out. Great review.

The title immediately captured me, a beautiful addition to a captivating read. Hope you enjoy the book!

[Charlize Venter]

Oh dear, sword swallowers do sound quite scary. I've never liked watching them. I don't think I would be the typical audience for this but I liked the way you wrote your review.

The stereotype has been revved toward a scary one, yet the book is quite lovely. It has focus around the human interactions and emotions, leading the reader on an interesting and informative journey.
So glad you liked the review style!

[Shireen Ubaid]

Sword swallower? I have only seen such people on television. It would be really interesting to read a book about the life of a sword swallower. It would be a lovely read only if it did not contain too many typos. Thank you for the honest review.