FICTION IN TRANSLATION
Review
Vladivostok Circus by Elisa Shua Dusapin review – friends, high flyers and fallout
A trio of circus performers navigate differences of class, culture and age as they prepare a dangerous routine
Arin Keeble
Wed 14 Feb 2024
E
lisa Shua Dusapin’s third novel, first published in French in 2020, is a quiet, meditative story of shared endeavour. Though gentle, its emotional complexity means it is Dusapin’s most accomplished work yet. Ironically, its gentleness also makes it a forceful riposte to the individualism and competitiveness that can dominate social and working life. And with its international cast and narrative of cooperation, it is particularly resonant in this moment of proliferating geopolitical conflict.
