The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith

From a writer whom Thomas Keneally calls "one of the great figures on the cusp of the millennium" comes a novel that conjures an entire world that suggests our own, but tilted on its axis--a world whose most powerful country, Voorstand, dominates its neighbors with ruthless espionage and its mesmerizing but soul-destroying Sirkus.

Into that world comes Tristan Smith, a malformed, heroically willful, and unforgivingly observant child. Tristan's life includes adventure and loss, political intrigue, and a bizarre stardom in the Voorstand Sirkus, where animals talk and human performers die real deaths. The result is a visionary picaresque, staggering in its inventions, spellbinding in its suspense, and unabashedly moving.

Author: Peter Carey
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 01/30/1996
Pages: 432
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.77lbs
Size: 8.08h x 5.30w x 0.94d
ISBN: 9780679760368

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/01/1996 pg. 69
New York Times 02/04/1996 pg. 24

About the Author
PETER CAREY is the author of thirteen previous novels. In addition to the Booker Prize, his honors include the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Born in Australia, he has lived in New York City for more than twenty-five years.