Nights at the Circus
by Angela Carter
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Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction
From the master of the literary supernatural and author of The Bloody Chamber, her acclaimed novel about the exploits of a circus performer who is part-woman, part-swan
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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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9780140077032
- Binding
- Paperback
- Authors
- Angela Carter
- Publisher
- Penguin Books
- Published Date
- March 4, 1986
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 304
- Physical Info
- 7.7 in L x 5 in W (0.55 lb)
Sophie Fevvers is the undoubted star of Colonel Kearney's Circus. She isn't a delicate trapeze artist, no, this is a Viking of a woman who loves to eat and who is almost a giantess. But she has something no one else can claim. Fevvers has two wings growing from her back so she has a built-in safety device. She started life as an orphan and was raised and spoiled in a brothel. But now she is the toast of the Continent and courted by noblemen.Jack Walser is an American journalist who comes to do a story on Fevvers and see if she is a fraud. But he leaves that night as another male conquered by Fevvers beauty and unattainability. He convinces his editor to let him join the circus undercover to follow Fevvers on her tour. When he hurts himself, he is repurposed by the Colonel as a clown.The circus moves from France to Russia and is headed to Japan. Fevvers is cheered everywhere but there is also the master of the Clowns, the woman who tames the tigers and finds a mate among the circus regulars and the Strongman along with the usual bears and elephants and chimps. Together they go forth to perform but fate has more in store for them than they knew.Angela Carter was born in England but also lived for times in Japan and Australia. She was known for her short stories and novels which won much acclaim. Her work focused on feminism and used magic realism as a plot device. Her most famous work was The Bloody Chamber which was a feminist retelling of traditional fairy tales but readers may prefer this novel as an introduction as it is the closest to expected literature of her work. Carter creates characters in this novel that are intriguing and weaves together subplots to make a story that can't be put down. This work is recommended for literary fiction readers
Couldn’t get into it, much more pretentious than I thought
Incredibly imaginative & well written.... this is a fabulous story by an author everyone who cares about good literature should know, ANGELA CARTER!
This book is so very original, witty and written in such a good language -- I would recommend it to everybody who enjoys literature...
This is one of my favorite books. If you're looking for a fun read, an unpredictable plot and larger than life characters, this is the book for you. Carter's style might be out vogue with contemporary criticism, but that doesn't make this novel any less fun. You'll fall in love with the characters. You'll have a blast reading it.
