The Ringmaster's Daughter

This book by Jostein Gaarder is not about the daughter of a ringmaster.

Rather, it is the life story of a man who came up with the tale of a ringmaster who meets his long-lost daughter in his circus.

Even though the whole story does not match the book's title, the title is apt because this made-up tale somehow pieces the whole story together. It is told thrice by the protagonist, Petter. Once when he was a small boy, the second time when he was telling his three-year old daughter who was going to be taken away from him by her mother and the last time when he told his daughter again.

Each time, the story is told a little differently, but the events that occur are all the same. Ringmaster loses daughter when she is very young, someone else brings her up, she chances upon the ringmaster's circus and somehow recognises him there.

Don't get lost. The story starts with two entries from Petter's diary and they were written not long after the first woman he loved in his life left him. Then, he goes on to say that he is running away from people who apparently are after his life. And why, in the form of his life-story.

Petter was a precocious child who learned how to make use of his intelligent mind from a very young age by doing homework for his friends and making them repay him in the form of favours. Even when doing their homework, he was smart enough to do each piece of homework according to the standard of their owners.

This became a form of business for him when he grew up too. Being exceptionally gifted with a creative mind, he could come up with wonderful stories. (Yes amongst them is “The Ringmaster’s Daughter) However, because he didn’t exactly relish being famous, he sold ideas to authors instead of penning his own books.

Then, he met Maria, who is ten years his senior. He could tell immediately that she was the one for him and she didn’t dislike him either, so they got together. During the time they were together, Petter would entertain her with stories from his unlimited “database”. Over time, she got rather scared of his imagination even though she was fascinated. Thus she decided to leave him. However, not long after that, she came back to him and asked him to give her a child under the conditions that he would not ever be able to acknowledge his child and not see them ever again. He obliged rather reluctantly because the conditions were rather…cruel even though he was glad at the thought of being able to be with her again.

When Maria finally conceived, it was a bittersweet time for him to be able to know about his fruit of love and at the same time think of how his life would be like after Maria leaves. She returns to see him for a last time before she leaves though. That was three years after she gave birth to her daughter, whom she gave the pet name Poppet. Perhaps that was to prevent Petter from finding out her real name and hence locate them easily. Petter tells Poppet the story about the ringmaster’s daughter as a sort of parting gift…

Years later, Petter’s “Writer’s Aid” business collapses because many authors whom he has helped start to become afraid that he might expose them. A well-meaning friend advises Petter to leave his home-town to safeguard his life. And that is where the story starts on Page 1.

What happens later is no longer a recalled account. Petter meets Beate, an attractive girl who is twenty-nine years younger than him. They click immediately (even though Petter knew he would never fall for any other woman after Maria) and get together.

As before, Petter entertains Beate with his stories. And one of them turns out to be the one of the ringmaster’s daughter.

I don’t think I need to go on any further for you to guess who Beate is. Sigh…

Actually, my favourite part of the book is when Petter recounts a certain incident from his childhood. When he was much younger, he worked hard on a fairy tale that he meant as a surprise for his mother. Later, he wrote it on the wall of his mother’s bedroom using a red crayon, all the while thinking of how happy his mother would be when she returns. He was totally basking in the thought of how bright his idea was and how special he would make her feel.

But guess what? His mother was livid when she found out. She punished him and called up his father, whom she had divorced long ago, to blame him for what she deemed as their son’s misbehaviour. She didn’t even read Petter’s hard work even though it was done just for her. All his effort went down the drain from the moment his mother got angry. She made his father hang new wallpaper over his hard work and that was the end of the affair. To her, I suppose. I’m sure it wasn’t over for Petter. He said it was humiliating, and that he never allowed her to see his work ever again.

I like this part because I identify with it. Not that I did something like that before, but because something similar to this happened to me when I was young. It still happens even now. I am like Petter. I felt like I was reading about myself when I saw this part.

I don’t know why I am like that. Perhaps, like him, I have a strong sense of pride. Criticise my work, my things or me once, and I will make sure you never get the chance to do that again.