Sophi Fevvers—the toast of Europe's capitals, courted by the Prince of Wales, painted by Toulouse-Lautrec—is an aerialiste extraordinaire, star of Colonel Kearney's circus. She is also part woman, part swan. Jack Walser, an American journalist, is on a quest to discover Fevvers's true identity: Is she part swan or all fake? Dazzled by his love for Fevvers, and desperate for the scoop of a lifetime, Walser joins the circus on its tour. The journey takes him—and the reader—on an intoxicating trip through turn-of-the-century London, St. Petersburg, and Siberia—a tour so magical that only Angela Carter could have created it.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"An ebullient tall tale… spellbinding… entrancing."
—Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Loud, bawdy, and unabashedly sentimental … a wonderfully vital creation."
—The New York Times
"Night at the Circus is good, clean fun—well, good fun anyway. Its raunchy moments are steaming, bizarre, at times unsettling, but there is definitely an appreciation here for love, sentiment, and entertainment."
—Raymond Mungo, San Francisco Chronicle
"A three-ring extravaganza … Carter's brand of fanciful and sometimes kinky feminism has never been more thoroughly or entertainingly on display."
—Time
—Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Loud, bawdy, and unabashedly sentimental … a wonderfully vital creation."
—The New York Times
"Night at the Circus is good, clean fun—well, good fun anyway. Its raunchy moments are steaming, bizarre, at times unsettling, but there is definitely an appreciation here for love, sentiment, and entertainment."
—Raymond Mungo, San Francisco Chronicle
"A three-ring extravaganza … Carter's brand of fanciful and sometimes kinky feminism has never been more thoroughly or entertainingly on display."
—Time
From the Back Cover
“A glorious piece of work… The narrative has a splendid ripe momentum, and each descriptive touch contributes a pang of vividness.” -- TLS
“Intensely amusing and also provocatively serious. This is a big, superlatively imagined novel.” -- Observer --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
“Intensely amusing and also provocatively serious. This is a big, superlatively imagined novel.” -- Observer --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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More About the Author
Angela Carter (1940-1992) was the author of many novels, collections of short stories, plays, and books for children.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Zany, imaginative romp across London and Russia that made me run away with the circus!
November 22, 2005
Format:Paperback
I saw "Nights at the Circus" on sale at our college bookstore and was intrigued enough to check it out. As someone who grew up on Todd Browning's 1932 circus horror classic "Freaks," the idea of a novel centered around the foreign-yet-familiar animal trainers, sideshow attractions, and gritty wonders of London at the turn of the 20th century drew me in.
Sophie, or "Fevvers," is billed as "Is she fact or is she fiction?" Tall, commanding, and winged, this half-bird Amazonian captures the interest of Jack, an American newspaper reporter who initially tries to pick apart her story of being half-bird as a sham, but soon is mesmerized by Fevver's eloquent autobiography, macabre adventures working in brothels, and outgoing personality, enough that he joins her circus as a clown and follows them to Russia.
The novel is told from various characters' perspectives, which made it confusing for me the first few pages each time the narrator changed, until I knew who was talking. The novel feels almost schizophrenic at times, rapidly switching points of view and narration at the drop of a hat. The story itself is prone to flights of fancy, including homicidal clowns, bizarre sexual escapades involving a group of Sapphic convicts in the Russian wilderness, a high-ranking politician obsessed with the occult, a freak show brothel, a lesbian relationship between an animal trainer and an abused orphan, and the sex lives of the circus crew. The plot becomes more and more improbable and more fantastic towards the end of the novel, where reality was left behind for once and all.
Overall, an imaginative, enjoyable romp filled with unexpectedly elegant turns of phrase, plenty of (erotic) action, glittering descriptions of upper class life in Russia and the gritty reality of the working poor in London and St. Petersburg, and the timeless thrill of the circus: its exotic animals, collection of ragtag performers, and the illusion of the extraordinary.
Sophie, or "Fevvers," is billed as "Is she fact or is she fiction?" Tall, commanding, and winged, this half-bird Amazonian captures the interest of Jack, an American newspaper reporter who initially tries to pick apart her story of being half-bird as a sham, but soon is mesmerized by Fevver's eloquent autobiography, macabre adventures working in brothels, and outgoing personality, enough that he joins her circus as a clown and follows them to Russia.
The novel is told from various characters' perspectives, which made it confusing for me the first few pages each time the narrator changed, until I knew who was talking. The novel feels almost schizophrenic at times, rapidly switching points of view and narration at the drop of a hat. The story itself is prone to flights of fancy, including homicidal clowns, bizarre sexual escapades involving a group of Sapphic convicts in the Russian wilderness, a high-ranking politician obsessed with the occult, a freak show brothel, a lesbian relationship between an animal trainer and an abused orphan, and the sex lives of the circus crew. The plot becomes more and more improbable and more fantastic towards the end of the novel, where reality was left behind for once and all.
Overall, an imaginative, enjoyable romp filled with unexpectedly elegant turns of phrase, plenty of (erotic) action, glittering descriptions of upper class life in Russia and the gritty reality of the working poor in London and St. Petersburg, and the timeless thrill of the circus: its exotic animals, collection of ragtag performers, and the illusion of the extraordinary.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Is she fact or is she fiction?" This is the central question that drives journalist Jack Walser to join the circus in an investigative attempt to follow the source of his inquiry-the aerialiste Sophie Fevvers, renown for her uncanny ability to fly thanks to her seemingly magical endowment-a pair of wings. A fancifully imaginative tale, Nights at the Circus takes the reader on a journey from fin de ciecle London to St. Petersburg and finally to the wilderness of Siberia, as the tale grapples with such themes as love and female identity.
The story itself is altogether fun with a cast of charmingly eccentric characters ranging from the outlandish, entrepreneurial circus owner Colonel Kearney, whose companion is an oracular pig named 'Sybil,' to the character of Boffo the Clown, whose outwardly comical appearance belies the disturbing and tragic pagliaccio figure within. The most prominent aspect of the portrayals in the text, however, is found in the female characters who are presented as strong and triumphant, outshining their often emotionally infantile male cohorts. From the naďf turned musical ingenue Mignon to the main character Fevvers, whose wit and charm is balanced by her down to earth portrayal (a woman who eats!), the representation of females challenges the depiction of women by the male authorial voice that had dominated throughout the centuries. Smartly set at the tail end of the Victorian Era, the images of femininity in the text are made to break free from the restrictive representation of women in literature as either the goddess on the pedestal or the imbecilic whore.
Carter has an amazing ability to subtly incorporate philosophical and historical elements in her humor, ranging from existential musings on the nature of the self to a satiric portrayal of the impact of sensationalist journalism on proto-revolutionary peasants in turn of the century Russia. With the overarching structure of the circus setting, the tale is amusing and funny with its lively romp through the lives of its characters, while maintaining an awareness of the more darkly disturbing aspects of life and human behavior. Nights at the Circus is an enjoyable read that also delivers a more profound and intelligent assessment of society and culture.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The main story here is about Fevvers, a boisterous, flamboyant, captivating swan-woman with a big heart, who is the star of an (in)famous circus...as seen through the eyes of the besotted young reporter Jack Walser.
The book is a treasure chest brimming with thoughtful, dark, emotionally tinged vignettes with multidimensional (to say the least) characters...the sad stories of several "freaks," Buffo the Great, the manic clown philosopher, kind murderesses, lechers, posers for the dead...I cannot do Carter's creativity justice, and I don't want to ruin the story.
It is a bit graphic and kinky; I wouldn't recommend it to all of my friends. But if you're at all interested in Carter, feminism, magical realism, fantasy, circuses, unconventional fiction, the late 19th century, a rollicking good read...pick the book up now!!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Moving and Very Funny
Fevvers is the world's greatest aerialist. She stands 6'2" and has fully functional wings. Yes wings. She's loud, crass, and overtly sexual. Read more
Published 8 days ago by M. C. Buell
2.0 out of 5 stars
Nights at the Circus
I am 50% of the way through and i am stuck,I have not picked up my kindle for days.It is a weird read. i like the descriptive work,but the story is just unbelievable. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sam
5.0 out of 5 stars
"...is not this whole world an illusion?"
Young journalist Jack Walser interviews the circus aerialist Sophie Fevvers, purported to be half woman-half swan, and is enchanted (almost literally) by her larger-than-life... Read more
Published 3 months ago by gammyraye
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reality vs. Fiction
Want a novel about the writing of novels. Start here.
Carter has the reader questioning, almost immediately, the authenticity of this world and the nature of illusion. Read more
Carter has the reader questioning, almost immediately, the authenticity of this world and the nature of illusion. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Donegal
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just what I expected
Since there wasn't much description of the product from the seller, I was little worried about getting the right edition. But it came as what I expected. So that is Great! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Condition
The book is still good although the story was not worth the trouble. I still have it even if I won't read it again.
Published 19 months ago by Reem A
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great concept for the story, but the narrative is annoying
I've heard good things about this book and was anxious to read another circus-themed novel after "Water for Elephants," which I really enjoyed. Read more
Published on January 31, 2011 by Melissa Niksic
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spectacular, spectacular, a three ring three act circus!
Half swan, half woman! Is she fact or is she fiction? Carter's novel in and of itself is a rollicking three ring circus in which she juggles the Enlightenment, Romantacism,... Read more
Published on June 7, 2010 by K. Floyd
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nights at the Circus: A+
When I read Angela Carter, I imagine her as the literary grandmother to someone like Kelly Link. There's an eccentric tone of fantasy, an unabashed outlandishness and roguish... Read more
Published on September 1, 2009 by R. Friesel Jr.
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good tale but difficult to navigate
I found the narrative style in this work to be a bit like wading through thick mud -- wishing the character would just "get to the point! Read more
Published on June 14, 2006 by WildViolet
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