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ganzfeldstate's review
5.0
Literally the best book I have ever read. I cried actual tears of joy reading it because I loved it so much - I don't want to say anything that might spoil it but please, please read it.
lelia_t's review
4.0
Such unapologetic voluptuousness. Sophie Fevvers is tall, buxom, winged and larger than life. We meet her, along with reporter Jack Walser, in her dressing room after a show, where she burps, farts, eats, drinks and tells ribald stories and seemingly tall tales about her life as winged woman.
There’s an earthy sensuality to the aerialiste and Angela Carter is refreshing in her willingness to talk about the true turning points in a girl’s life. Whether you sprout wings and live in a brothel or not, developing breasts and the onset of menstruation (or as Fevvers describes it, “when my, pardon me, woman’s bleeding started up along with the beginnings of great goings on in, as you might put it, the bosom department...”) initiate most girls into a new world of sexual availability that can be both terrifying and empowering. Sophie Fevvers responds by betting big on herself, besting lechers, and unabashedly blossoming in the limelight. “Look at me! With a grand, proud, ironic grace, she exhibited herself before the eyes of the audience as if she were a marvelous present too good to be played with.”
With Fevvers’s winsome audacity, and compassionate heart, I was happy to follow along with Walser in her wake, sneaking into the circus and experiencing the carnival atmosphere among the tigers, strong man, clowns and monkeys. The book did drag for me a bit towards the end, as Walser is recovering from amnesia among Siberian tribes people, but I loved this story of a woman who’s unapologetically herself, wings and all.
There’s an earthy sensuality to the aerialiste and Angela Carter is refreshing in her willingness to talk about the true turning points in a girl’s life. Whether you sprout wings and live in a brothel or not, developing breasts and the onset of menstruation (or as Fevvers describes it, “when my, pardon me, woman’s bleeding started up along with the beginnings of great goings on in, as you might put it, the bosom department...”) initiate most girls into a new world of sexual availability that can be both terrifying and empowering. Sophie Fevvers responds by betting big on herself, besting lechers, and unabashedly blossoming in the limelight. “Look at me! With a grand, proud, ironic grace, she exhibited herself before the eyes of the audience as if she were a marvelous present too good to be played with.”
With Fevvers’s winsome audacity, and compassionate heart, I was happy to follow along with Walser in her wake, sneaking into the circus and experiencing the carnival atmosphere among the tigers, strong man, clowns and monkeys. The book did drag for me a bit towards the end, as Walser is recovering from amnesia among Siberian tribes people, but I loved this story of a woman who’s unapologetically herself, wings and all.
nicnicblue's review
I like the idea of Angela Carter books but just find it a struggle to actually read them
wholesomeaino's review against another edition
niin vanhalla kielellä ja super lyyrisesti kirjotettu, et en saanu kiinni minkäänlaisesta punasesta langasta. saatan koittaa joskus uudestaa.
_dilliam_william's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was FANTASTIC, I’ve not had this much fun reading in a long time. This is by far the best book I’ve read this year.
The book is funny, it’s complex, it’s mysterious, it just has it all. There are so many points to analyse it from and so many things to find in a second or third read.
The book does a fantastic job at dealing with the questions feminism posed in the 80s and for the ‘new millennia’ and it gave me a lot to think about.
The only weakness I found in the book was the apparent lack of depth in a lot of the characters. HOWEVER, not to spoil anything but Carter turns this into a sort of strength for the book.
Great read, great fun, will definitely revisit.
layton93's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
theadequategatsby's review against another edition
Library return. Not super in love with the prose.
soy_sputnik's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Angela Carter es una experta en las historias rocambolescas y humorísticas. Parecieran una pintura barroca con miles de personajes extraños que son presentados para detrás contarte sobre la humanidad. El amor, el deseo, lo escatológico, la aventura, la ensoñación, la familia. En Noches en el circo hay una sensación estilo Rabelais o de las historias picarescas con personajes que de cerca son extraños y con caras raras. Divido por partes que presentan un espacio geográfico, Carter nos presenta a Fevvers una trapecista de un circo que aparentemente tiene alas de verdad. Es un periodista escéptico quien decide entrevistarla y después seguirla por el mundo en su gira, quiere descubrir qué hay detrás de su historia ¿será verdad que tiene alas? El periodista no sólo tiene que convertirse en payaso, sino pasar aventuras en un San Petesburgo y una Siberia del siglo XIX. Todo esto es Noches en el circo pero es necesario adentrarte en la novela para entender la parafernalia creada a través de las palabras. Todo es excesivo, todo es aventura, hay un derroche de extrañezas y eso es lo que más me gusta. Carter coquetea con la fantasía y logra quitarle lo aburrido a la realidad, en el circo es donde todo se puede hacer realidad, entiendo por qué lo eligió, los personajes ahí nacen por sí solos, son feos y se echan pedos y cogen y vuelan... Muy chido libro.
eyeoweyooone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75