Love and Other Games of Chance: A NoveltyThe flamboyant hero of this zany, wildly comic novel is Isaac Schlossberg-circus performer, entertainer, world traveler. The son of Jewish immigrants who arrived in America at the turn of the last century, Isaac spends his formative years in California, working sideshows, Wild West jamborees, and early films, before going on to India, England, Paris, Hollywood, and perhaps even to the top of Mt. Everest. Isaac organizes the tall tales of his past into one hundred chapters or squares-like those on the children's game of Snakes and Ladders. As he travels, he moves through erotic love affairs with, among others, a Jewish tightrope walker, the daughter of a Hindu snake charmer, and a mystical British aviatrix. Raucous and inventive, this three-ring circus of a novel is at once silly and grand, absurd yet full of meaning. |
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Abraham Adderson Adolf Hitler American Ananga Ranga Angel animal arms asked audience Bachnele Bannerjee beautiful beloved Bengal Billie body Buffalo Bill Calcutta Cleopatra Coffin-White Consuela Heimenhoff croquet dance dark daughter death Diwanasthan dressed earth Eddie Burke Everest eyes father film Fitzwilly fuck Geronimo girl Grossman hair hand happy Hayim head hear Hindu Hitler holy India Isaac Schlossberg Ishmael Jake Jewish Jews Karnaghee Khram Nag kiss knew ladder laughed Lingnath lips looked Maarnath Madame Diotime magician Maharaja Mayapur McCloud midget mother motion picture Nagini naked never night once Paris perform play Professor Wonderful Pythia remember rope Samoo Sanskrit Sarah Bernhardt serpent Shmuel Shula Siegel smile Snake Boy snake charmer snakes and ladders story Tara taxidermy tell theater tiger Tivya told took Torah turned Warren Hastings Wheedle whispered wife Wild West woman women Wyoming Willie Yeti