Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter
1984
'She felt her outlines waver; she felt herself trapped forever in the reflection in Walser's eyes. For one moment, just one moment, Fevvers suffered the worst crisis of her life: 'Am I fact? Or am I fiction? Am I what I know I am? Or am I what he thinks I am?'
In Three Words: magical, feminist, vivid
As much as sometimes I was a bit lost in the world Carter creates (the boundary between fantasy and reality is pretty flimsy), I did enjoy this novel. Perhaps not as much as I hoped after completely adoring The Bloody Chamber, but I'm even more intrigued to discover what other characters and world Carter creates in other novels/short stories. Plus the questions this novel raises had me re-living my gender modules from uni which is always a good thing. It's deep, but it's a whirlwind of magic, excitement and the circus. One to re-read to truly take it all in, I think.
As much as sometimes I was a bit lost in the world Carter creates (the boundary between fantasy and reality is pretty flimsy), I did enjoy this novel. Perhaps not as much as I hoped after completely adoring The Bloody Chamber, but I'm even more intrigued to discover what other characters and world Carter creates in other novels/short stories. Plus the questions this novel raises had me re-living my gender modules from uni which is always a good thing. It's deep, but it's a whirlwind of magic, excitement and the circus. One to re-read to truly take it all in, I think.
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I'm very glad you enjoyed it. I think Delia wasn't all that impresssed but Bellezza loved it. I'll add your link to our posts. I'm still ij the mood to read more of her work as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is still the only Angela Carter I've finished, and I was kind of freaked out by it but still enjoyed it quite a lot. ALSO that quote you just quoted was the quote of all quotes from this book for me! Just so, like, YES, Angela, you know what's what.
ReplyDeleteI intended to read Wise Children recently but I've had such a hard time getting into the voice of the book. I hope I'm not only suited to her short stories.
ReplyDeleteI love the quote you shared - makes me want to read it.
ReplyDeleteI was so obsessed during AC week, that it has taken me all this week to get over it! I've made myself read more down-to-earth genres to help me move on :-)