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thelibraryofklee's review against another edition
"All her life, she has held herself like a bud, so small and tight and voiceless. She has not realised the potential that lies within her, the possibility that she might unfurl, arms thrown wide, and take up space in the world."
It is 1866, and Nell, a girl with vitiligo, is torn from her village when her father sells her to a circus owned by Jasper. Jasper dreams big, while his brother Toby, exists in his shadows. Nell is provided the opportunity to embrace her differences, but at what cost?
Oh 19th century, you are so cruel. This is a dark, emotive read about the intricacies of human nature set in the world of the circus. Humans could be bought and sold, made to perform for awestruck audiences. The world building is divine - we start in a small village of Nell's birth, and then transported to the heart of London, with flashbacks to the Crimean War. Macneal has done an amazing job of giving just the right amount of detail to capture the environment and atmosphere. Nell is a beautifully tragic character - a girl confined to the corners of the room in her village life, taunted and unaccepted. Despite the nature of her journey into the circus, it provides her with an opportunity to be someone new. The brothers, Jasper and Toby, share a complex fraternal bond. The characterisation is fraught with complex connections and heartbreaking bonds throughout - there is no black and white, only the ethical grey soup we are required to ponder. This is really a wonderful piece of historical fiction.
What I like about historical fiction is the additional paths I am led on. Particularly heartbreaking is the nod to Charles Byrne, the Irish giant, who at his death asked to be interred in the ocean, but remains to this day on display in a museum. This book brings to the forefront the complex ethics of humanity, and how those ethics are still being argued in modern day society.
"She feels a power then, a whisking deep within her, as if she might be capable of anything. As if this girl in the photograph could soar across that tent with its shivering lamps and feel the burn of a hundred eyes on her, and she would not care at all."
It is 1866, and Nell, a girl with vitiligo, is torn from her village when her father sells her to a circus owned by Jasper. Jasper dreams big, while his brother Toby, exists in his shadows. Nell is provided the opportunity to embrace her differences, but at what cost?
Oh 19th century, you are so cruel. This is a dark, emotive read about the intricacies of human nature set in the world of the circus. Humans could be bought and sold, made to perform for awestruck audiences. The world building is divine - we start in a small village of Nell's birth, and then transported to the heart of London, with flashbacks to the Crimean War. Macneal has done an amazing job of giving just the right amount of detail to capture the environment and atmosphere. Nell is a beautifully tragic character - a girl confined to the corners of the room in her village life, taunted and unaccepted. Despite the nature of her journey into the circus, it provides her with an opportunity to be someone new. The brothers, Jasper and Toby, share a complex fraternal bond. The characterisation is fraught with complex connections and heartbreaking bonds throughout - there is no black and white, only the ethical grey soup we are required to ponder. This is really a wonderful piece of historical fiction.
What I like about historical fiction is the additional paths I am led on. Particularly heartbreaking is the nod to Charles Byrne, the Irish giant, who at his death asked to be interred in the ocean, but remains to this day on display in a museum. This book brings to the forefront the complex ethics of humanity, and how those ethics are still being argued in modern day society.
"She feels a power then, a whisking deep within her, as if she might be capable of anything. As if this girl in the photograph could soar across that tent with its shivering lamps and feel the burn of a hundred eyes on her, and she would not care at all."
windex's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up for a change of pace and it was okay. The writing was wonderful and I will try a different book by this author. My problem was I just could not relate to the characters as they frustrated me so much - but this was a personal thing and not because of the writing. I enjoyed the way the author was able to tell the story and keep the flow going and even though this was quite a sad story all around - it was beautifully told.
rpych2's review against another edition
3.0
I was really excited to read this book, it seemed like it was right up my alley. But for some reason it lacked that magic for me, and while I enjoyed it enough it wound up being just okay. I loved the plot, but large parts of it dragged. The characters were fine, but I didn’t really connect with any of them. I could understand why people loved it, I really wanted to. It just didn’t work out for me.
naomi2012's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zoesinclair's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ellyrarg's review against another edition
3.0
That was more tense than I was expecting, while there is a somewhat twist of a happy ending (a wildly unlikely ending, considering the historical times and undertones), getting there was grim, the nuances balanced between what it means to be considered a person with all the dignity therein, or instead to be different, a curiosity/monster (though Jasper in my mind, was the biggest monster of all). It was tense, and it was not delightful. It was a very grim tale, which I suspect is the point, despite the joy and lighthearted whimsy of the title.
carleighfryyy's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lauren_rosenbaum's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
I found this hard to get into, I didn’t care much for the war storyline and any flashbacks about Jasper and Toby’s childhood were hard to get through.
The ending didn’t resolve much for me - did the Jackal just give up on finding Jasper? It made me sad that Toby and Nell never found each other again. I don’t really like when books leave me feeling a bit deflated and unfortunately that’s how this story left me.
I found this hard to get into, I didn’t care much for the war storyline and any flashbacks about Jasper and Toby’s childhood were hard to get through.
The ending didn’t resolve much for me - did the Jackal just give up on finding Jasper? It made me sad that Toby and Nell never found each other again. I don’t really like when books leave me feeling a bit deflated and unfortunately that’s how this story left me.
beesteele's review against another edition
4.0
I read the author's first book, The Doll Factory, a couple of years ago. It, too, was a four-star read for me. I remember being struck by how real the Victorian world that Macneal wrote about then felt, and I felt that the world of Circus of Wonders also jumped off the page.
I enjoyed the use of the braided narrative here. Macneal switched between three points of view: Nell, Jasper, and Toby. They are the three main characters, all very complicated and flawed as individuals, and the supporting cast of characters is also very strong. As you can imagine, a Victorian circus is filled with very interesting characters, and I think Macneal did a great job bringing them to life.
I liked the fact that none of the three main characters really fit into the typical mold. Nell isn't a run-of-the-mill heroine, Jasper isn't fully a villain, and Toby isn't your usual Prince Charming character. They're all a lot grayer than that, a lot more complex and rounded out, and I appreciated that subtlety on the author's behalf.
I really enjoyed this book and read most of it on a long flight. I felt entertained the whole way, much as I did in reading her first book. Admittedly, this one felt a lot less creepy to me than the first book, which I didn't mind at all. If you enjoyed The Night Circus, give this one a go. It's more gritty and less magical, but it still brings that circus atmosphere to life, albeit in a different way and a different light.
I enjoyed the use of the braided narrative here. Macneal switched between three points of view: Nell, Jasper, and Toby. They are the three main characters, all very complicated and flawed as individuals, and the supporting cast of characters is also very strong. As you can imagine, a Victorian circus is filled with very interesting characters, and I think Macneal did a great job bringing them to life.
I liked the fact that none of the three main characters really fit into the typical mold. Nell isn't a run-of-the-mill heroine, Jasper isn't fully a villain, and Toby isn't your usual Prince Charming character. They're all a lot grayer than that, a lot more complex and rounded out, and I appreciated that subtlety on the author's behalf.
I really enjoyed this book and read most of it on a long flight. I felt entertained the whole way, much as I did in reading her first book. Admittedly, this one felt a lot less creepy to me than the first book, which I didn't mind at all. If you enjoyed The Night Circus, give this one a go. It's more gritty and less magical, but it still brings that circus atmosphere to life, albeit in a different way and a different light.
emmakchapman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal cruelty