Reviews

Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter

grazeland's review

adventurous funny medium-paced

pineconek's review

challenging dark funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

This book has everything. And by everything I mean: the vibes of a traveling circus in a mythologized turn-of-the-century st Petersburg that later gets stranded in Siberia, a mysterious woman who may or may not have wings, and several side stories one of which features a panopticon of murderesses. 

I am both enchanted and frightened of Angela Carter now. This was my first foray into her work, and I'm not sure if I enjoyed it. Each sentence goes on its own narrative adventure to the point where I struggled to keep in mind the overall plot (was there one?). But I'm intrigued and I think I want more. The mixed feelings have earned this book a 2.75 on SG, up to 3 on GR. 

louise_jayne's review

5.0

A beautiful book full of twists and turns and the truly unexpected.

isapropos_42's review

5.0

one of the wildest post modern narratives

jochristian's review

3.0

Not sure really

erboe501's review

3.0

It took me forever to get through this audiobook. Listening to it in small chunks over a couple months didn't help me stay engaged. The plot of this novel is very quirky, with a magical realist or fantasy element. I've wanted to read more Angela Carter and heard this one referenced a good deal. It was entertaining and preposterous. And there's a lot of good material for analysis and scholarship. But I just wasn't that into it. I liked the theme of the New Woman and Fevvers's independence. But the narrator's voice on the audio annoyed me.

coragane2005's review

5.0

Honestly, awe-inspiring! Fevvers is brilliant, every page was fantastic, Angela Carter did that mesmeric thing where you’re in a trance (like in The Bloody Chamber).

heavenwallgate's review

4.75

Angela Carter you can do no wrong!!!

darkcoffeelover81's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jaynecm's review

3.0

A winged woman hatched from an egg telling her life story to a journalist for joins the circus to follow her around the world - this story should have captivated me from the beginning. But to me, it seemed to be a delirious, disjointed spiral into madness. Which again, would totally be for me. I am not discounting the possibility that I was just not 'feeling' this book now and a reread may have me singing its praises.