Spangle (novel)
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
Spangle is a historical novel authored by Gary Jennings, initially released in 1987.
Plot introduction
Following the Confederate capitulation at Appomattox Court House in Virginia marking the conclusion of the American Civil War, two soldiers from the Confederate side become members of Florian’s Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders, a traveling circus that remained active throughout the conflict. To avoid the impending Reconstruction period in the South, this circus embarks on a journey to Europe, encountering a series of adventures spanning from 1865 to 1871.
Plot summary
The storyline of Spangle traces the path of "Florian's Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders" from the surrender at Appomattox through its European tour, culminating amidst the Franco-Prussian War in France. The book depicts the troupe’s evolution from a humble "mud show" to a renowned spectacle in Paris, while simultaneously following the personal and professional developments of its performers. It also delves into societal hierarchies in post-Civil War America and Europe during a time when monarchies were waning. At the heart of the narrative is Zachary Edge, an ex-Confederate colonel who assumes the role of equestrian director for the Florilegium. His experiences reflect both his own struggles and those faced by the circus as it ascends.
Artistes
| Name | Stage Name | Nationality | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florian | Alsatian | Owner and Governor of Circus | ||
| Ignatz Rooseboom | Captain Hotspur | Cape-Dutch | Lion tamer and rosinback performer | |
| Jacob Brady Russum | Tiny Tim Trimm | American | Dwarf and joey clown | |
| Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Edge | Colonel Ramrod, Buckskin Billy, Colonel Plantagenet-Tudor | Confederate | Director of Equestrian Acts, trick rider, marksman | |
| Sergeant Obie Yount | The Quakemaker | Confederate | Strongman performer | |
| Magpie Maggie Hag | Spaniard | Fortune teller and seamstress | ||
| Edith Coverley | Clover Lee | American | Rosinback trick rider | |
| Sarah Coverley | Madame Solitaire | American | Rosinback trick rider; Clover Lee’s mother | |
| Jules Fontaine Rouleau | Monsieur Roulette | Cajun | Acrobat and aeronautic artist | |
| Hannibal Tyree | Abdullah the Hindu | Freed Slave | Juggler and elephant trainer (bull man) | |
| Nellie Cubbidge | Autumn Auburn | English | Tightrope walker performer | |
| Corporal Foursquare John Fitzfarris | Sir John Doe | American | Tattooed man and sideshow director | |
| Abner Mullenax | Barnacle Bill | American | Trainer of pigs, lions, and crocodiles | |
| Phoebe Simms | Madame Alp | Freed Slave | Fat lady; mother to Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Quincy Simms | |
| Sunday Simms | Mademoiselle Butterfly | Freed Slave | Trapeze artist known as "White African Pygmy" | |
| Monday Simms | Cinderella | Freed Slave | Tightrope walker known as "White African Pygmy" | |
| Tuesday Simms | Freed Slave | Known as "White African Pygmy" | ||
| Quincy Simms | Ali Baba | Freed Slave | Contortionist performer | |
| Rosalie Brigid Mayo | Pepper | Irish | Perch pole and hair hanging artist | |
| Cecile Makkai | Paprika | Hungarian | Performer on perch pole and trapeze | |
| Kim Pok-tong | Korean | Antipodist performer | ||
| Kim Tak-sung | Korean | Antipodist performer | ||
| Kim Hak-su | Korean | Antipodist performer | ||
| Pavlo Smodlaka | Serbian | Dog trainer; spouse to Gavrila, father to Velja and Sava | ||
| Gavrila Smodlaka | Serbian | |||
| Velja Smodlaka | Serbian | Albino individual | ||
| Sava Smodlaka | Serbian | Albino individual | ||
| Spyros Vasilakis | The Gluttonous Greek | Greek | Sword swallower and fire eater; husband to Meli Vasilakis | |
| Meli Vasilakis | Amazon maiden | Greek | Snake charmer performer | |
| Morris Levy | Maurice LeVie | French | Trapeze artist performer | |
| Giorgio Bonvecino | Zanni | Italian | Toby clown role | |
| Jörg Pfeifer | Fünfünf | Whiteface clown performer | ||
| Samuel Reindorf | Little Major Minim, Wimper | Polish | Dwarf and joey clown performer | |
| Shadid Sarkioglu | The Terrible Turk | Turkish | Strongman and velocipedist performer | |
| Agnete Knudsdatter | Miss Eel | Danish | Contortionist performer | |
| Nella Cornella | Emeraldina clown role | |||
| Bernhard Notkin | Hanswurst clown role | |||
| Ferdi Spenz | Kesperle clown role | |||
| Cecil Wheeler | The Wheeling Wheelers | British | Velocipedist and Plimpton skater performer | |
| Daphne Wheeler | The Wheeling Wheelers | British | Velocipedist and Plimpton skater performer | |
| Jean-François Pemjean | Le Démon Débonnaire, Pemjean l'Intrépide | French | Lion tamer performer | |
| Szábo Katalin | Cricket | Hungarian | Dwarf and "Enchanted Globe" act performer | |
| Jászi Arpád | Hungarian | Trick rider performer | ||
| Jászi Zoltán | Hungarian | Trick rider performer | ||
| Jászi Gustáv | Hungarian | Trick rider performer | ||
| Timoféi Somov | Kostchei the Deathless | Russian | Scarred freak show act | |
| Princess Raisa Vasiliyevich Yusupova / "Olga Somova" (alias) | Brunhilde | Russian | Giantess performer | |
| Giuseppina Bozzacchi|"The Music-Box Dancer" | Italian | Ballerina performer |
Distinguished Crew Members
| Name | Nickname | Nationality | Role | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dai Goesle | Stitches Goesle | Welsh | Canvasmaster | |
| Carl Beck | Boom-Boom Beck | Bavarian | Bandmaster, rigger, and calliope musician | |
| Aleksander Banat | Slovak | Chief roustabout | ||
| Baron Wilhelm Lothar Wittelsbach | Willie Lothar | Bavarian | Head publicist | |
| Gombocz Elemér | Hungarian | Cimbalom musician | ||
| Ioan Petrescu | Romanian | Seamstress | ||
| Pierre Delattre | French | Plumber |
Animal Troupe
| Name | Nickname | Species | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peggy | Brutus | Elephant | |
| Mitzi | Caesar | Elephant | |
| Maximus | Lion | ||
| Thunder | Claybank quarter horse | Principal performance horse, previously a cavalry mount for Zachary Edge | |
| Lightning | Horse | Former cavalry mount for Obie Yount | |
| Bubbles | Dapple gray horse | Lead performance horse for Clover Lee | |
| Snowball | White horse | Lead performance horse for Madame Solitaire | |
| Terry | Terrier | One of three dogs owned by the Smodlaka family | |
| Terrier | Terrier | One of three dogs owned by the Smodlaka family | |
| Terriest | Terrier | One of three dogs owned by the Smodlaka family | |
| Kewwy-Dee | Syrian bear | Named due to Mullinax’s misinterpretation of the phrase Q.E.D. | |
| Kewwy-Dah | Syrian bear | ||
| Raja | Bengal tiger | ||
| Rani | Bengal tigress | ||
| Siva | Bengal tigress | ||
| Anwalt | Striped hyena | ||
| Berater | Striped hyena | ||
| Stars | Zebra | ||
| Bars | Zebra | ||
| Mustafa | Camel | ||
| Rumpelstilzchen | South American dwarf horse | ||
| Auerhahn | |||
| Fafnir | Python |
Publication Information
- 1987, USA, Atheneum Books ()
Also released as a trilogy in mass market paperback format:
- 1999, USA, Forge Books The Road Show: Spangle #1 ()
- 1999, USA, Forge Books The Center Ring: Spangle #2 ()
- 1999, USA, Forge Books The Grand Promenade: Spangle #3 ()