The Clown and the Magician

Title: The Clown and the Magician

Author: Rebecca Lynne Fullan

Cover artist: Anne Cain

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Buy link:Buy Link The Clown and the Magician

Length: Novella/16,100 words/66 PDF pages

Genre: Contemporary M/M romance/Interracial

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

A guest review by LadyM

Review summary: Unusual story that reveals all its layers on the second reading and reminds us that there is a man behind every clown face and that we all need a little bit of magic in our lives.

Blurb: Did you hear the one about the clown and the magician?

Bernard Stevens, a dedicated clown, accepts a job at Send in the Clowns entertainment agency and learns that their corporate policy is anything but funny. In spite of the stultifying conformity the agency imposes, Bernard and magician Jake Morrison start a relationship as vibrant and unique as the men themselves.

But Jake believes in more than nonconformity—he believes in change, and when he tries to change Bernard’s relationship with his father for the better, Bernard is not amused. Bernard thinks he’s too old to change, but if he doesn’t let Jake work his magic on Bernard’s family life, he’ll find that clowning around alone is no laughing matter.

Review:

I admit it – the clown made me read it. 😀 While I could imagine the magician as a romantic protagonist, it was hard for me to imagine a clown in that role. I was pleasantly surprised. Additionally, at first glance, this is a pretty straightforward story: the two men meet, they are attracted to each other, they start dating, there’s a hurdle on the road, they overcome it, HEA. The things aren’t quite that simple though. The story has fine layers, which may be lost to the reader who rushers towards the end. Make some time to truly savor it – you won’t be sorry.

At 42, Bernard Stevens is starting to feel his age and more physically demanding aspects of being a clown made him seek employment at Send in the Clowns, the entertainment agency which hires clowns and magicians. He is dumbfounded by the rigid rules that defy the very nature of clowns: they all have to dress the same, wear the same makeup, follow the strict routines, etc. Right from the start, it is clear that being a clown isn’t simply Bernard’s job – it’s his vocation. He is a kind man who easily connects with people whether they are his colleagues or audience and he treats them with respect and wants to make them happy. This is evident on many occasions (in the nursing home, in the zoo, etc.), but especially in his interactions with receptionist/assistant Silvia and magician Jake. In many ways, Jake is Bernard’s opposite: he is several years younger, black, more reserved, with colorful, unusual family history and, of course, magician. Both men are lonely though and it was truly wonderful to see how they acted on their attraction and started to get to know each other. The two men have extraordinary outlook on life and the progression of their relationship is, therefore, also unique: from the way Bernard comes out to Jake, their dates and Jake’s dating rules, to the way they see each other and their lovemaking (I bet you’ve never imagined this particular use of magician’s colorful scarves!). Bernard and Jake may be falling in love, but there are still many things they don’t know about each other. Bernard’s easygoing nature hides an old hurt that never completely healed and, when Jake tries to make things better, Bernard reacts uncharacteristically and explosively throwing Jake out of his house. It was painful to see Bernard react this way as he came very close to crossing the line where it would be impossible to make things better. It takes all his courage, his special kind of magic and Silvia’s help to reach to his father and Jake both and move on with his life.

The story touches many important themes lightly because of the limitations of its word count. It touches the themes of individualism vs. collectivism, creativity, friendship and family. The way Bernard’s father reaches to his son and the way he finds to relate to him was truly touching (I admit it, I had to Google the movie in question and I immediately put it on my watch list). Bernard’s pain is real even decades after it was inflicted and that is one of the major impressions the story made on me: things might get better, but there are wounds that never completely heal and they have long-lasting consequences. Bernard’s conversation with his father was real and heartbreaking and it brought tears to my eyes. There were only two other characters introduced in the story: Silvia and Arnold Wilson, their boss. Silvia was fully realized character, kind person caught up in dead-end job and I liked her interactions with Bernard, especially the humor. Arnold Wilson was type, rather than three-dimensional character: one of those corporate drones that make my (and Bernard’s) skin crawl. The dialogue and interaction between the characters is unique in the same way they are unique. I recognize that the story might not be to everyone’s taste, but I enjoyed it very much and I gave it additional quarter of the star for its originality.

Any niggles I had also stem from the fact that novella simply isn’t long enough to cover every aspect of men’s backgrounds and their relationship. I wanted to know more about Jake, especially how he became the magician. We learn a lot about his family, but very little about adult Jake. Some things you can conclude by yourself, but I still wanted to know why he is so reserved in his interactions with other people.

This is the first story I’ve read by this author and The Clown and the Magician made sure that it won’t be the last. It’s very original and colorful, with two unique, sympathetic protagonists that I liked very much. The story ends on a positive note for both men’s relationship and Bernard’s relationship with his father, but it’s too short to offer a definite HEA ending. I hope that the author will decide to write more about Bernard and Jake in the future. I highly recommend the story though, especially to the readers who want something different in their romance.