Nights at the Circus (Paperback)

The story itself is altogether fun with a cast of charmingly eccentric characters ranging from the outlandish, entrepreneurial circus owner Colonel Kearney, whose companion is an oracular pig named 'Sybil,' to the character of Boffo the Clown, whose outwardly comical appearance belies the disturbing and tragic pagliaccio figure within. The most prominent aspect of the portrayals in the text, however, is found in the female characters who are presented as strong and triumphant, outshining their often emotionally infantile male cohorts. From the naïf turned musical ingenue Mignon to the main character Fevvers, whose wit and charm is balanced by her down to earth portrayal (a woman who eats!), the representation of females challenges the depiction of women by the male authorial voice that had dominated throughout the centuries. Smartly set at the tail end of the Victorian Era, the images of femininity in the text are made to break free from the restrictive representation of women in literature as either the goddess on the pedestal or the imbecilic whore.

Carter has an amazing ability to subtly incorporate philosophical and historical elements in her humor, ranging from existential musings on the nature of the self to a satiric portrayal of the impact of sensationalist journalism on proto-revolutionary peasants in turn of the century Russia. With the overarching structure of the circus setting, the tale is amusing and funny with its lively romp through the lives of its characters, while maintaining an awareness of the more darkly disturbing aspects of life and human behavior. Nights at the Circus is an enjoyable read that also delivers a more profound and intelligent assessment of society and culture.

That quote describes Angela Carter's work. Nights at the Circus couldn't have possibly been better. You enter the realm of various characters whose descriptions are eclectic and vague at the same time. Angela truly captures the essence of magical realism in this book.

How to describe the narrators of this book? There is no easy way to go about it. The characters are surreal and at times cartoonish. Even so, the strangeness and vagueness draw you in anyway. I can't help but compare Amanda Filipacchi -- of Vapor and Nude Men fame -- and Banana Yoshimoto -- Kitchen and NP fame -- to Angela Carter. The best quality of these authors is that they use their imagination to the fullest!

Have you noticed my vagueness when describing this book? That is because you have to read it in order to grasp the meaning of this fabulous literary experience. Let your imagination go wild and enjoy!