Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus

"Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus" is a children's novel by "James Otis", the pen name of James Otis Kaler, initially serialized in "Harper's Young People" in 1877, then published as a book in 1881. It became something of a classic among American boys and girls who dreamed of running away to join the circus and remained popular for generations. Disney honored it with a film version, "Toby Tyler", starring Kevin Corcoran in 1960. It was James Otis Kaler's first book and also his best known and most successful. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=yJMSAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP13&dq=toby+tyler&lr=&as_brr=3 "Cumulative book index"] , H.W. Wilson Company, 1913]

"Toby Tyler" tells the story of a ten year-old orphan who runs away from a foster home to join the traveling circus only to discover his new employer is a cruel taskmaster. The difference between the romance of the circus from the outside and the reality as seen from the inside is graphically depicted. Toby's friend, Mr. Stubbs the chimpanzee, reinforces the consequences of what happens when one follows one's natural instincts rather than one's intellect and conscience, a central theme of the novel.

"Toby Tyler" is a "bad boy" novel, meant to teach a lesson what happens to boys who do bad things; other examples include George W. Peck's "Peck's Bad Boy" (1883), Thomas Bailey Aldrich's "The Story of a Bad Boy" (1870), and Mark Twain's "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876)."The Continuum Encyclopedia of Literature", by Steven Serafin, Alfred Bendixen. Published 2003Continuum International Publishing Group. [http://books.google.com/books?id=OVRHUusi38kC&pg=PA183&dq=toby+tyler&lr=&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a&sig=0sT5R73XhyJLiYtzcU0F6Q_H03E Page 183] .] As with Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884), also about a conscious-stricken escaped and wandering orphan boy (written following the success of "Toby Tyler"), ["International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature". By Peter Hunt. Published 1996 Taylor & Francis. [http://books.google.com/books?id=XqaTzQBVDCAC&pg=PA877&dq=toby+tyler&lr=&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a&sig=yIUBkzWvi36aU106ETl2pgBxVxg Page 877] ] most readers don't remember "Toby Tyler" for its wholesome message, but as a romantic story of running away to the circus and adventures on the road.

The book was influential with some famous "bad boys". A young Carl Sandburg thought "Toby Tyler" one of his favorite books (even better than "Huckleberry Finn"). ["Carl Sandburg", by Gay Wilson Allen. U of Minn Press, 1972. [http://books.google.com/books?id=BImqU6Ymw7cC&pg=PA9&dq=toby+tyler&lr=&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a&sig=5KdI_C-eqdDYz4_T5uqZc3DeaTM Page 9] .] Harlan Ellison credits it as influencing his decision to run off with the circus. ["Harlan Ellison: The Edge of Forever", by Ellen Weil, Ohio State U Press, 2002. [http://books.google.com/books?id=XvaIuzLV41gC&pg=PA28&dq=toby+tyler&lr=&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a&sig=aWtr9HpYjKYN3yiO_8cdwsQuUvw Page 28] .] William S. Burroughs wrote of it in his journals. ["Last Words: the final journals of William S. Burroughs". William S. Burroughs, James Grauerholz. Published 2000 Grove Press. [http://books.google.com/books?id=D-ySICAr_RQC&pg=PA206&dq=toby+tyler&lr=&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a&sig=_3BTutjgQlNGnfchGOFOfUDQddc#PPA206,M1 Page 206] ]

The original book contains 30 pen and ink drawings by W. A. Rogers (1854-1931). A sequel, "Mr. Stubb’s Brother", was published in 1883.

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External links

* [http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=title%3Atoby%20tyler%20AND%20mediatype%3Atexts "Toby Tyler"] available at Internet Archive (scanned books original editions illustrated color)