The
story of Tito Reyes also demonstrates one of the fundamental
weaknesses of 4,000 Years of
Juggling, Vol II, since the picture of Tito Reyes appears in a
different chapter than the story of his career.
Volume
II suffers unnecessarily from a lack of orchestration of text and
illustration. The many fine photographs are never integrated with the
text and are often out of place. This brings to light a series of
significant flaws in the book's production which begin with some
simple mathematics. Out of 319 pages, 181 have photographs, 68 are
either blank or merely title pages and the remaining 70 contain text
material. Many of the text pages contain less than 1/2 page of
writing. For example, the entire chapter, "Juggling Clowns,"
contains only I /8 page of text!
The
amount of unused space in Volume II is inexcusable when considering
the amount of material that could have been included.
Zeithen
spent 22 years accumulating the material for Volumes I & II.
Translation and production delayed publication another 16 months.
Volume II was "rushed out" in four months after Volume I
labored on the presses for nearly a year. By no means do these volumes
encompass Zeithen's entire collection, which includes a massive
library of exceptional pictures, films and posters. Nevertheless,
"4,000 Years of Juggling" unquestionably surpasses
any previous literature in its field.
As
in Volume I, the table of contents in Volume II is exiled to the last
page, and there is no index. This is most regrettable since an
abundance of obscure, yet important, artists become drowned between
the covers. Should either of these volumes sell well enough to merit a
reprint, the addition of an index would greatly enhance their value as
reference books. The frequently clumsy nature of the text
combined with somewhat chaotic paragraph structures often become
distracting. Many jugglers are merely mentioned in passing and never
come to life as the vibrant characters they surely. must have been.
These
rather harsh criticisms seem to leave Volume II writhing in the ashes.
Not necessarily so. Despite its obvious ,flaws, this book is a unique
production of substantial merit.
Compiling
and organizing the information included in Volumes I & II was a
monumental task undertaken by Zeithen with the zeal possessed only by a
true lover of juggling. It must also be noted that during the production
of both volumes of "4,000 Years of Juggling", Zeithen
suffered a series of personal tragedies that prevented his active
participation in the editing process, an opportunity he deeply regrets
having missed.
Although
these books fall short of their ultimate potential, they should stand as
a great source of pride and inspiration to all jugglers in documenting
the rich history of our art. Zeithen highlights his enthusiasm by
stating, "Juggling offers, as no other circus discipline does,
unlimited scope for the creative mind and for experiments." The
book's finest moments occur when Zeithen explains complex and unique
juggling routines. These discussions showcase his supreme knowledge and
dedication to his art.
Since
certain production 'comers' were cut during the assembly of Volume II,
readers able to afford only one book will probably find Volume I the
more satisfying purchase.
The
almost $100 price tag on each volume of 4,000 Years of Juggling looms
quite ominous in the juggling world, which is not noted for its
affluence. However, as a collector's item, these books seem to rate
inclusion on the 'must' list.
Publisher
Michel Poignant is a French public relations specialist, with a passion
for publishing unusual quality books. He cites high production costs as
the reason for the immense price, and has recently agreed to give IJA
members a 10% discount.
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