Nights at the Circus (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Angela Carter
- First Published: 1984
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Fantasy—Magical Realism
- Time of Work: 1899
- Setting: London, England; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Siberia
- Genres: Long fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
- Subjects: Nineteenth century, England or English people, London, Trains, Birds, Circuses or carnivals, Russia or Russian people, Siberia or Siberians
- Locales: London, England, Siberia, St. Petersburg, Russia
The Plot
Nights at the Circus begins in the London dressing room of Sophie Fevvers, an English circus star. Her maid, Lizzie, slaps cold cream on Sophie’s face while Sophie answers questions from an American reporter. Jack Walser, from California, is skeptical of Sophie’s story, to say the least. He doubts that the wings on Sophie’s back are real.
Sophie claims that she was not born; instead, she was hatched. She insists that she is partly bird. Walser takes down notes of the fabulous story told by Sophie and backed up by Lizzie. They tell of Sophie’s...
[The entire page is 1033 words long]
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