Angela Carter’s Nights at the Circus is a dazzling, genre-defying novel that blends magic, sensuality, and satire into a rich tapestry of storytelling. At its center is Sophie Fevvers, a larger-than-life aerialiste with wings who may be either a genuine miracle or a consummate fraud. Told through the eyes of American journalist Jack Walser, who joins the circus to uncover her truth, the narrative sweeps readers from the gaslit music halls of London to the wild landscapes of Siberia. Carter weaves elements of fairy tale, feminism, and postmodern playfulness, challenging traditional notions of gender, power, and reality itself. Brimming with grotesque humor, vivid imagery, and mythic resonance, Nights at the Circus is both a carnival of the bizarre and a profound meditation on freedom, performance, and the reinvention of the self.
