50 pages • 1 hour read
Angela CarterNights at the Circus
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1984A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter follows journalist Jack Walser as he investigates Sophie Fevvers, a woman with swan's wings who performs as an aerialist at Colonel Kearney’s circus, by joining the circus undercover. The story unfolds in 1899, revealing Fevvers’s extraordinary past and the circus’s journey across Russia, culminating in a series of supernatural and transformative events. The novel contains depictions of violence and exploitation.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Angela Carter's Nights at the Circus is celebrated for its imaginative narrative, rich character development, and feminist themes. Critics admire Carter's witty and evocative prose. However, some find the plot meandering and overly fantastical. Overall, it’s praised for its originality and depth, appealing to readers interested in subversive storytelling.
Who Should Read Nights at the Circus?
Fans of magical realism, Victorian settings, and feminist themes will relish Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter. Readers of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children will find Carter's imaginative narrative and richly layered characters equally captivating.