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Circus of Wonders
1866. In a coastal village in southern England, Nell picks violets for a living. Set apart by her community because of the birthmarks that speckle her skin, Nell’s world is her beloved brother and devotion to the sea.
But when Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped. Her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl. It is the greatest betrayal of Nell's life, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers and Jasper’s gentle brother Toby, she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her.
In London, newspapers describe Nell as the eighth wonder of the world. Figurines are cast in her image, and crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. But who gets to tell Nell’s story? What happens when her fame threatens to eclipse that of the showman who bought her? And as she falls in love with Toby, can he detach himself from his past and the terrible secret that binds him to his brother?
Moving from the pleasure gardens of Victorian London to the battle-scarred plains of the Crimea, Circus of Wonders is an astonishing story about power and ownership, fame and the threat of invisibility.
But when Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped. Her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl. It is the greatest betrayal of Nell's life, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers and Jasper’s gentle brother Toby, she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her.
In London, newspapers describe Nell as the eighth wonder of the world. Figurines are cast in her image, and crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. But who gets to tell Nell’s story? What happens when her fame threatens to eclipse that of the showman who bought her? And as she falls in love with Toby, can he detach himself from his past and the terrible secret that binds him to his brother?
Moving from the pleasure gardens of Victorian London to the battle-scarred plains of the Crimea, Circus of Wonders is an astonishing story about power and ownership, fame and the threat of invisibility.
377 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2021
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24202 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Macneal
9 books1,020 followersElizabeth Macneal was born in Edinburgh and now lives in East London. She is a writer and potter and works from a small studio at the bottom of her garden. She read English Literature at Oxford University, before working in the City for several years. In 2017, she completed the Creative Writing MA at UEA in 2017 where she was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury scholarship.
The Doll Factory, Elizabeth's debut novel, won the Caledonia Noel Award 2018. It will be published in twenty-eight languages and TV rights have sold to Buccaneer Media.
The Doll Factory, Elizabeth's debut novel, won the Caledonia Noel Award 2018. It will be published in twenty-eight languages and TV rights have sold to Buccaneer Media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,650 reviews
February 1, 2022
Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
My rating of this story is based on how utterly depressed it made me feel. The story is well written but it is a really bad fit for me. Too much death, human and animal, the feeling of being mired in the muck, blood, gore, offal of this world was almost too much to endure.
Nineteen year old Nell was born with birthmarks, large and small, covering her body. The people of her poor village shun and or ridicule her. She gets no love from her drunken cheat of a father and her mother is long dead. The only person who cares for Nell is her beloved brother Charlie. But Charlie is getting married and Nell hates that she has no future, just life as the help in Charlies shack.
Then Nell's wretched father sells her to the circus. Nell is torn away from everything she's ever known and from her brother, Charlie. But Jasper, the circus owner, transforms her into Queen of the Moon and Stars, the star of his show, and Nell finds that she finally belongs. She loves her fellow performers even as she despises Jasper and his cruel ways. She also falls for Toby, Jasper's quiet, gentle, brow beaten brother.
We see that, for most of the performers, the circus becomes a real home for them and the other performers become the family most of them never had. But we also get horrible wartime scenes via Jasper and Toby's memories. As life was worth nothing during wartime, it also seems to be worth nothing in the world that Nell inhabits. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for a few of the characters but I can't see how they got from their wretched lives to their happy destination.
Publication: February 1st 2022
Thank you to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
My rating of this story is based on how utterly depressed it made me feel. The story is well written but it is a really bad fit for me. Too much death, human and animal, the feeling of being mired in the muck, blood, gore, offal of this world was almost too much to endure.
Nineteen year old Nell was born with birthmarks, large and small, covering her body. The people of her poor village shun and or ridicule her. She gets no love from her drunken cheat of a father and her mother is long dead. The only person who cares for Nell is her beloved brother Charlie. But Charlie is getting married and Nell hates that she has no future, just life as the help in Charlies shack.
Then Nell's wretched father sells her to the circus. Nell is torn away from everything she's ever known and from her brother, Charlie. But Jasper, the circus owner, transforms her into Queen of the Moon and Stars, the star of his show, and Nell finds that she finally belongs. She loves her fellow performers even as she despises Jasper and his cruel ways. She also falls for Toby, Jasper's quiet, gentle, brow beaten brother.
We see that, for most of the performers, the circus becomes a real home for them and the other performers become the family most of them never had. But we also get horrible wartime scenes via Jasper and Toby's memories. As life was worth nothing during wartime, it also seems to be worth nothing in the world that Nell inhabits. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for a few of the characters but I can't see how they got from their wretched lives to their happy destination.
Publication: February 1st 2022
Thank you to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
March 2, 2021
After her brilliantly memorable debut, The Doll Factory, Elizabeth Macneal's showcases that her writing just goes from strength to strength, as she once again returns to the Victorian historical era, this time putting the spotlight on Victorian obsessions with 'freaks', curiosities, and the exotic. This book shimmers with magic, illusions, interwoven with horror, where in a southern coastal town, Nell is markedly different from others with her body covered with birthmarks, she is shunned by others, believed to be a curse, thought of as a bad omen by her father. She holds on to her beloved relationship with her brother, picking violets for a living. Nell, the 'Leopard Girl', is to be betrayed by her father, torn from her life when he sells her to Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders. Jasper is blindly ambitious, selfish, seeking fame and fortune at any price, he and his gentler brother, Toby, are haunted by the brutal battlefields of the Crimean War, where Jasper served as a soldier, and Toby as a war photographer, the two bound tightly together by secrets, as they realised their dream of running a circus.
Nell is initially so unhappy, but she is soon to wonder if this is not the best thing that could have happened her, as she soars high above the entranced audiences as she becomes Jasper's star attraction, becoming widely celebrated, shifting large amounts of merchandise, the media labelling her the eighth wonder of the world. She becomes close to fellow acts, including a group of women, like the wise bearded women, Stella, along with Peggy and Brunette, forming strong friendships and family, developing resilience and a more defined sense of identity. She develops feelings for Toby, but she is owned by Jasper, and his insecurities, jealousy and drive to profiteer is to be source of his unravelling. In a atmospheric, multilayered, and emotionally charged narrative, we learn of the backgrounds and past of Nell, the despicably controlling Jasper, and Toby, touching on issues of power, ownership, celebrity, exploitation, differences, sibling relationships, secrets, love, loss and circus life, amidst the rich descriptions of life, the position of women, the social norms and attitudes of the day, the society and inequalities of Victorian England.
In this well researched novel, Macneal weaves her powerful spellbinding storytelling, immersing the reader in the Victorian period, and her magnetic, mesmerising, memorable and flawed authentic characters, none more so than Nell. The development of her character is a joy to behold, despite the challenges and obstacles that come her way, facing being all too obviously seen by others, yet to all intents and purposes, fighting being invisible, wanting to be seen for who she is. The author takes the reader beyond the macabre horror of the circus of 'freaks' into the thrillingly imagined world of the weird and the wonderful, the people and their lives behind the acts. This is a uncomfortable and unsettling book at times, but it just lured me in with ease with its beautifully written prose and emotional sensitivity, a historical novel of survival, hope, empowerment and acceptance in a world that can be so desperately cruel. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
Nell is initially so unhappy, but she is soon to wonder if this is not the best thing that could have happened her, as she soars high above the entranced audiences as she becomes Jasper's star attraction, becoming widely celebrated, shifting large amounts of merchandise, the media labelling her the eighth wonder of the world. She becomes close to fellow acts, including a group of women, like the wise bearded women, Stella, along with Peggy and Brunette, forming strong friendships and family, developing resilience and a more defined sense of identity. She develops feelings for Toby, but she is owned by Jasper, and his insecurities, jealousy and drive to profiteer is to be source of his unravelling. In a atmospheric, multilayered, and emotionally charged narrative, we learn of the backgrounds and past of Nell, the despicably controlling Jasper, and Toby, touching on issues of power, ownership, celebrity, exploitation, differences, sibling relationships, secrets, love, loss and circus life, amidst the rich descriptions of life, the position of women, the social norms and attitudes of the day, the society and inequalities of Victorian England.
In this well researched novel, Macneal weaves her powerful spellbinding storytelling, immersing the reader in the Victorian period, and her magnetic, mesmerising, memorable and flawed authentic characters, none more so than Nell. The development of her character is a joy to behold, despite the challenges and obstacles that come her way, facing being all too obviously seen by others, yet to all intents and purposes, fighting being invisible, wanting to be seen for who she is. The author takes the reader beyond the macabre horror of the circus of 'freaks' into the thrillingly imagined world of the weird and the wonderful, the people and their lives behind the acts. This is a uncomfortable and unsettling book at times, but it just lured me in with ease with its beautifully written prose and emotional sensitivity, a historical novel of survival, hope, empowerment and acceptance in a world that can be so desperately cruel. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
December 6, 2021
"All of history is fiction."
4.5 stars
Circus of Wonders is a neo-Victorian novel about a woman, deemed a freak of nature by society, sold into the circus by her father.
19-year old Nell, born covered in birthmarks, is viewed as a freak in the small, coastal town. She lives a quiet life with her father, a drunkard, and her brother, her protector. She does all that she can to remain invisible. That is until one night, Jasper Jupiter, the circus owner and ringmaster, sees the value in Nell’s difference. Having conspired with Nell’s father, the young woman is sold to become a spectacle and the next star of Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders.
“A life of being both intensely visible and unseen.”
The novel has three narrators: Nell, Jasper, and Toby, Jasper’s brother. I loved Nell’s character; she is the driving force of this story. Jasper is a complicated and complex character; he loves his circus and performers, but he also sees them as creatures he owns to control. And then there is Toby, whom I both wanted to hug and shake at the same time.
I could have lived without Toby and Jasper’s flashback to their time-fighting in Crimea. In fact, I could have lived without their narratives at all, as I preferred Nell’s voice. On the other hand, a large part of the story revolves around the brothers, bound together by a terrible secret: “We’re brothers, linked together.”
In addition to Jasper, Nell, and Toby, there is an eccentric cast of characters who star in the circus: Stella, a charismatic woman with a beard; Pearl, a young albino girl; and Brunette, a 7-foot tall woman, and Peggy, a dwarf. Macneal humanizes these characters; I would have loved to know more about their backgrounds and life before the circus.
Circus of Wonders is a powerful and, at times, disturbing read that gives a glimpse into the lives of those viewed as freaks of society. The circus offers them respite and a family, but it also highlights their differences and makes some long for normalcy, whereas others long for the spotlight and don’t want to go back to a life where they must live on the margins because of their difference. Some scenes are hard to read, and others are heartbreaking.
There are many things to love about this novel, but most of all, I loved Nell’s exploration into accepting her difference, embracing her power, finding her voice, and writing her history.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
Circus of Wonders is a neo-Victorian novel about a woman, deemed a freak of nature by society, sold into the circus by her father.
19-year old Nell, born covered in birthmarks, is viewed as a freak in the small, coastal town. She lives a quiet life with her father, a drunkard, and her brother, her protector. She does all that she can to remain invisible. That is until one night, Jasper Jupiter, the circus owner and ringmaster, sees the value in Nell’s difference. Having conspired with Nell’s father, the young woman is sold to become a spectacle and the next star of Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders.
“A life of being both intensely visible and unseen.”
The novel has three narrators: Nell, Jasper, and Toby, Jasper’s brother. I loved Nell’s character; she is the driving force of this story. Jasper is a complicated and complex character; he loves his circus and performers, but he also sees them as creatures he owns to control. And then there is Toby, whom I both wanted to hug and shake at the same time.
I could have lived without Toby and Jasper’s flashback to their time-fighting in Crimea. In fact, I could have lived without their narratives at all, as I preferred Nell’s voice. On the other hand, a large part of the story revolves around the brothers, bound together by a terrible secret: “We’re brothers, linked together.”
In addition to Jasper, Nell, and Toby, there is an eccentric cast of characters who star in the circus: Stella, a charismatic woman with a beard; Pearl, a young albino girl; and Brunette, a 7-foot tall woman, and Peggy, a dwarf. Macneal humanizes these characters; I would have loved to know more about their backgrounds and life before the circus.
Circus of Wonders is a powerful and, at times, disturbing read that gives a glimpse into the lives of those viewed as freaks of society. The circus offers them respite and a family, but it also highlights their differences and makes some long for normalcy, whereas others long for the spotlight and don’t want to go back to a life where they must live on the margins because of their difference. Some scenes are hard to read, and others are heartbreaking.
There are many things to love about this novel, but most of all, I loved Nell’s exploration into accepting her difference, embracing her power, finding her voice, and writing her history.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2022
Diversity
Elizabeth Macneal has written a superb historical fiction novel full of drama and adventure. Set against the Victorian obsession with oddities, freaks, and wonders, many captivating story threads bring us mystery, intrigue, and the enthralling draw of circus life and performance. Nell is a young woman living in a southern English coastal town with her brother and father. She was born with birthmarks across her body, which received the nickname ‘Leopard Girl’ and ensured her life was one of loneliness, ridicule, and ostracization. Her only comfort comes from her brother, while her father considers her a curse.
Initially distraught with her sale to the circus, Nell finds herself amongst people considered freaks and develops a belonging and a place where she can learn to celebrate her uniqueness. Along with the bearded lady, the tall, the strong and the small, she joins her surrogate family. Jasper eventually makes her a star, and the undertone of jealousy finds another outlet. The three-way relationship between Nell, Jasper and Toby becomes more complicated where desire and attraction are not equally or noticeable applied.
The entire cast of characters is wonderfully developed with a mix of flawed and admirable traits. The relationships they form and the motives, duties, and concerns are fascinating as events unfold that regularly challenge their lives. Circus of Wonders is a beautifully written novel with incredible depth and an engaging storyline. It provides an authentic atmosphere with many Victorian social views on power, ownership, and exploitation.
I would highly recommend this book, and I reckon Circus of Wonders is set to be a best-seller for 2021. I would also like to thank Picador, Pan Macmillan, and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy in return for an honest review.
Elizabeth Macneal has written a superb historical fiction novel full of drama and adventure. Set against the Victorian obsession with oddities, freaks, and wonders, many captivating story threads bring us mystery, intrigue, and the enthralling draw of circus life and performance. Nell is a young woman living in a southern English coastal town with her brother and father. She was born with birthmarks across her body, which received the nickname ‘Leopard Girl’ and ensured her life was one of loneliness, ridicule, and ostracization. Her only comfort comes from her brother, while her father considers her a curse.
“It begins with an advertisement, nailed to an oak tree. ‘Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders!’ someone shouts. ‘What is it?’ ‘The greatest show on earth!’ “When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders comes calling on their village, Nell’s father takes the opportunity of selling her to the circus for twenty pounds. Jasper owns and runs the travelling circus, and his brother plays a supporting role without feeling ownership or authority. The relationship between Jasper and his brother Toby is quite complex. While there is a bond of family duty, there are destructive tones of jealousy, manipulation, dominance, threats of abandonment, ridicule and retribution. The acute feelings of jealousy exposed from childhood through the Crimean War, where Jasper was a soldier and Toby a war photographer, to their involvement in the circus, are never too far away and always bubbling under the surface. They met a charismatic friend, Dash, who enthralled Jasper with his plans for a circus during the war, but he disliked Toby and described him as a ‘dullard’ - probably very accurate. The relationship ended in tragedy with a secret kept between Jasper and Toby, although a price is exacted for the silence regarding Dash’s death.
Initially distraught with her sale to the circus, Nell finds herself amongst people considered freaks and develops a belonging and a place where she can learn to celebrate her uniqueness. Along with the bearded lady, the tall, the strong and the small, she joins her surrogate family. Jasper eventually makes her a star, and the undertone of jealousy finds another outlet. The three-way relationship between Nell, Jasper and Toby becomes more complicated where desire and attraction are not equally or noticeable applied.
The entire cast of characters is wonderfully developed with a mix of flawed and admirable traits. The relationships they form and the motives, duties, and concerns are fascinating as events unfold that regularly challenge their lives. Circus of Wonders is a beautifully written novel with incredible depth and an engaging storyline. It provides an authentic atmosphere with many Victorian social views on power, ownership, and exploitation.
I would highly recommend this book, and I reckon Circus of Wonders is set to be a best-seller for 2021. I would also like to thank Picador, Pan Macmillan, and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy in return for an honest review.
November 30, 2021
Once again, Elizabeth Macneal has recreated a Victorian England worthy of Dickens. This time, it’s 1866 and Jasper Jupiter runs his Circus of Wonders. Like a small scale P. T. Barnum, Jasper has a collection of freaks and oddities. Nellie has a skin disorder that has left her speckled. Some call her the Leopard Girl. Her father sells her to Jupiter for £20. At first despondent, she learns she can map out her own path. It’s a joy to watch Nell come around, to get a sense of herself and develop her self confidence. Toby is Jasper’s brother, always in the shadows, who falls in love with Nell but can’t see that she might love him, too.
I always want to learn something from historical fiction. But I also need to be entertained. This book does both. By interweaving the brothers’ time in the Crimean War, Macneal is able to show us how “all of history is fiction” and anything can be distorted to tell a story. The story touches on ownership, self worth, jealousy, family loyalties. It totally captures the times - the same age of discovery that led to science advancements also fueled a fascination in curiosities among rich and poor alike.
I was engrossed by all the characters, both good and bad, wondering how their individual stories would play out. Jasper’s hubris threatened them all. And the ending... This is no fairy tale, but the ending just really worked for me.
This book proves that The Doll Factory wasn’t a one off. I will continue to read anything Macneal writes.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.
I always want to learn something from historical fiction. But I also need to be entertained. This book does both. By interweaving the brothers’ time in the Crimean War, Macneal is able to show us how “all of history is fiction” and anything can be distorted to tell a story. The story touches on ownership, self worth, jealousy, family loyalties. It totally captures the times - the same age of discovery that led to science advancements also fueled a fascination in curiosities among rich and poor alike.
I was engrossed by all the characters, both good and bad, wondering how their individual stories would play out. Jasper’s hubris threatened them all. And the ending... This is no fairy tale, but the ending just really worked for me.
This book proves that The Doll Factory wasn’t a one off. I will continue to read anything Macneal writes.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.
February 28, 2021
It’s May 1866 and Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders, full of living curiosities, comes to the coastal resort where Nell lives. Nell grows miniature flowers to sell in London and is regarded by locals as a ‘freak’ because of her prominent birthmarks. Nell’s father sells her to Jasper for £20 betraying her, giving her no choice and exerting his power and control over her. What follows is a captivating tale, full of atmospheric magic and mystery. The story is told by Nell. Jasper and Toby, Jasper’s brother.
This is a mesmerising read that immerses you in the circus world of the late nineteenth century and interweaves the narrative effortlessly with the Crimean War where Jasper serves as a soldier and Toby photographs. The sections in the war, especially at Sevastopol show the horrors of this war and are very dark with Toby in particular deeply affected by it and riddled with guilt. The colourful circus storytelling provides a stark contrast to the war although there are some similarities of the emotions felt. The quality of the writing is exceptional, you feel the characters emotions, see the sights, sounds and smells of both circus and war which comes to life before your eyes. It feels like a fantasy in places which is reinforced via references to fairytales. The characterisation is excellent, Jasper is powerful, in control, his temper can be terrible, he has a voracious appetite for success and as a consequence overreaches. Toby lives in his shadow but shows on occasions demonstrates that he has far more potential than he has self belief. Nell transforms through the circus, she’s fulfilled, she realises she has potential, the life is exhilarating and exciting and she finds strong friendship from Stella, the bearded lady, as well as Toby. There are occasions where it becomes very tense as you wonder where Jaspers ambition will go next and the story builds and builds to a crescendo where it will go one of two ways. There is so much you could comment on in this book as it contains so much from love to jealousy and hate, guilt and sadness and strong fraternal bonds. The end feels right, it touches your heart and fits the narrative.
Overall, this is a wonderful book. I love the colour of the circus, the complexity of the characters and the beauty of the writing which at times feels lyrical. It’s a fantastical tale which captivates and dazzles like the circus itself.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan, Picador for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
This is a mesmerising read that immerses you in the circus world of the late nineteenth century and interweaves the narrative effortlessly with the Crimean War where Jasper serves as a soldier and Toby photographs. The sections in the war, especially at Sevastopol show the horrors of this war and are very dark with Toby in particular deeply affected by it and riddled with guilt. The colourful circus storytelling provides a stark contrast to the war although there are some similarities of the emotions felt. The quality of the writing is exceptional, you feel the characters emotions, see the sights, sounds and smells of both circus and war which comes to life before your eyes. It feels like a fantasy in places which is reinforced via references to fairytales. The characterisation is excellent, Jasper is powerful, in control, his temper can be terrible, he has a voracious appetite for success and as a consequence overreaches. Toby lives in his shadow but shows on occasions demonstrates that he has far more potential than he has self belief. Nell transforms through the circus, she’s fulfilled, she realises she has potential, the life is exhilarating and exciting and she finds strong friendship from Stella, the bearded lady, as well as Toby. There are occasions where it becomes very tense as you wonder where Jaspers ambition will go next and the story builds and builds to a crescendo where it will go one of two ways. There is so much you could comment on in this book as it contains so much from love to jealousy and hate, guilt and sadness and strong fraternal bonds. The end feels right, it touches your heart and fits the narrative.
Overall, this is a wonderful book. I love the colour of the circus, the complexity of the characters and the beauty of the writing which at times feels lyrical. It’s a fantastical tale which captivates and dazzles like the circus itself.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan, Picador for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
December 5, 2021
Nell was sold to Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders.
She is the "leopard girl".
A circus of the unusual - many acts were referred to as "freak shows". They attracted crowds who wanted to gawk at people because of birthmarks or other abnormalities. During the 1860's in Victorian England, the audience was obsessed with this type of entertainment that peddled physical differences for amusement. It brought in big money. The villages were struck with "circus fever"and the "giants and dwarfs, pig-headed boys and bear-girls".
A captivating story that follows Nell and her "journey".
There is jealousy, horror, power-struggles, identity crisis, family issues, brothers that have past ties and broken dreams.
Recommend to those who enjoy the circus setting, Historical/Literary Fiction, complex plots and a touch of fantasy or fairytale-ish stories. I felt some sadness, although there was also a ray of hope.
Thanks to NG and Atria for my early copy. OUT February 1, 2022
July 28, 2021
“All of history is fiction.”
Nellie has grown up an outsider, covered in birth marks people often view her with disdain and ridicule.
When she is sold by her own father into Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders, she thinks her life is over.
However, she grows to love performing and forming a kinship with the other acts as a family. She even finds love with the lumbering and shy Toby.
But Jasper is greedy and ambitious, and when Nellie becomes more popular than Jasper himself, he gets nasty.
Meanwhile we also have flashbacks from Jasper and his brother Toby’s time during the war and a secret they have carried with them.
I loved all the different characters, the flaws, light and dark - this was an immersive novel that kept me gripped. It is a testament to what it means to be human and how we are all more than just the sum of our parts.
Nellie has grown up an outsider, covered in birth marks people often view her with disdain and ridicule.
When she is sold by her own father into Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders, she thinks her life is over.
However, she grows to love performing and forming a kinship with the other acts as a family. She even finds love with the lumbering and shy Toby.
But Jasper is greedy and ambitious, and when Nellie becomes more popular than Jasper himself, he gets nasty.
Meanwhile we also have flashbacks from Jasper and his brother Toby’s time during the war and a secret they have carried with them.
I loved all the different characters, the flaws, light and dark - this was an immersive novel that kept me gripped. It is a testament to what it means to be human and how we are all more than just the sum of our parts.
February 8, 2022
FANTASTIC STRANGELING BOOK CLUB PICK OF THE MONTH.
A story of how difference can be seen as a curse or as a blessing. Examines power, agency, celebrity, war, and so much more.
A story of how difference can be seen as a curse or as a blessing. Examines power, agency, celebrity, war, and so much more.
February 1, 2022
1866
Nell was born and raised in a coastal village in southern England. Her family grows flowers for a living. It's an ordinary job. Nell; however, is not ordinary. She has birthmarks that speckle her skin. While others in her village are pairing up and making lives, Nell stands apart - on her own, different.
One day, The Circus of Wonders arrives in their coastal village. Jasper Jupiter and his brother, Toby are the proprietors, and their circus is full of oddities, the exotic, and those who stand out from society. People gather around to see what the circus has to offer. Nell's father goes to the circus as well, but it is to sell Nell to Jasper while his brother, Toby, tells him not to do it. But Jasper views Nell as his very own Leopard Girl and has dollar signs in his eyes. He is going to make Nell a star!
Poor Nell is taken and after the devastation and horror of being sold by her father wears off, Nell begins to feel that the circus might be the right place for her. She gains notoriety and friends, she feels a sense of belonging, she has an identity.
This was a highly original, unique, and engrossing novel. What does it mean to fit it? What does it mean to be accepted? What would you do for family? Where does your allegiance lay?
Wonder no more, Circus of Wonders was a wonderful book. I enjoyed the themes and Nell's story. Jasper and Toby had stories to tell as well. Of course, Nell's takes center stage.
Well written, well researched and well told.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Nell was born and raised in a coastal village in southern England. Her family grows flowers for a living. It's an ordinary job. Nell; however, is not ordinary. She has birthmarks that speckle her skin. While others in her village are pairing up and making lives, Nell stands apart - on her own, different.
One day, The Circus of Wonders arrives in their coastal village. Jasper Jupiter and his brother, Toby are the proprietors, and their circus is full of oddities, the exotic, and those who stand out from society. People gather around to see what the circus has to offer. Nell's father goes to the circus as well, but it is to sell Nell to Jasper while his brother, Toby, tells him not to do it. But Jasper views Nell as his very own Leopard Girl and has dollar signs in his eyes. He is going to make Nell a star!
Poor Nell is taken and after the devastation and horror of being sold by her father wears off, Nell begins to feel that the circus might be the right place for her. She gains notoriety and friends, she feels a sense of belonging, she has an identity.
This was a highly original, unique, and engrossing novel. What does it mean to fit it? What does it mean to be accepted? What would you do for family? Where does your allegiance lay?
Wonder no more, Circus of Wonders was a wonderful book. I enjoyed the themes and Nell's story. Jasper and Toby had stories to tell as well. Of course, Nell's takes center stage.
Well written, well researched and well told.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
May 3, 2021
Well, that was certainly a departure for me! Set in Victorian England it is a haunting tale of yearning, empowerment, loss and redemption. These days some people go out of their way to appear different, to stand out from the crowd. In this story Nell, who’s skin is stippled with birthmarks, tries to be as invisible as she can, to deflect the stares of everyone she meets. Nell lives with her father and brother scrabbling to make a living selling miniature flowers and candied flowers. It’s a struggle. And one day Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders comes to her village. Jasper sees Nell and becomes obsessed with her, with the idea of her. He buys her from her father for £20 and promises her a ‘bigger’ life than she could imagine. This is, after all, Victorian England where freaks of all types are all the rage.
After coming to terms with her fate, Nell is entranced with the idea of having agency over her own future, over people wanting to see her, to admire her, of no longer needing to feel ashamed of how she looks. The circus is filled with similar ‘freaks’ - the bearded lady, the giantess and so on. Jasper has a brother, Toby. Toby is quieter but taller and wider - a gentle giant, a lumbering oaf, and he too, has seen Nell and is entranced by her. Yet for all his larger size, Toby seems to live in Jasper’s shadow. It has always been thus, even when the both brothers went to the Crimean war. Jasper went to fight the ‘Ruskies’ with his new friend Dash and Toby trailed behind as a photographer, a job he still undertakes for the circus.
Jasper designs a set for her where she appears to fly over the crowd and he calls her Nellie the Queen of the Moon and the Stars in reference to the markings in her skin. But Jasper has bigger dreams, he wants to own the greatest show on earth and entice the mourning queen to visit his circus. He borrows money and invests heavily in new acts, new equipment and a bigger ring. The queen eventually does come and then she invites Nellie to visit her. Not Jasper, only Nellie. And now that his creation has eclipsed him Jasper starts to unravel. The last straw is when he realises he cannot ‘own’ Nellie, her heart already belongs to his brother.
Jasper, his mind in torment, risks it all one night with a new show, with new tricks and on that night all their lives will be changed forever. How does this awkward triangle, this man on the edge, the awkward brother and the woman who does not want to sink back into obscurity go forward. It’s both a happy story and yet heartbreaking as well. It is full of pathos and small victories. It actually quite hard to describe but it is a very character driven story. And the characters are so well drawn, they all have their strengths and weaknesses, their triumphs and failures. The Crimean war is also described in all its bloody glory and it certainly changed some of our main characters. The story itself is beautifully written and it certainly qualified as ‘something different’ in my reading. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
After coming to terms with her fate, Nell is entranced with the idea of having agency over her own future, over people wanting to see her, to admire her, of no longer needing to feel ashamed of how she looks. The circus is filled with similar ‘freaks’ - the bearded lady, the giantess and so on. Jasper has a brother, Toby. Toby is quieter but taller and wider - a gentle giant, a lumbering oaf, and he too, has seen Nell and is entranced by her. Yet for all his larger size, Toby seems to live in Jasper’s shadow. It has always been thus, even when the both brothers went to the Crimean war. Jasper went to fight the ‘Ruskies’ with his new friend Dash and Toby trailed behind as a photographer, a job he still undertakes for the circus.
Jasper designs a set for her where she appears to fly over the crowd and he calls her Nellie the Queen of the Moon and the Stars in reference to the markings in her skin. But Jasper has bigger dreams, he wants to own the greatest show on earth and entice the mourning queen to visit his circus. He borrows money and invests heavily in new acts, new equipment and a bigger ring. The queen eventually does come and then she invites Nellie to visit her. Not Jasper, only Nellie. And now that his creation has eclipsed him Jasper starts to unravel. The last straw is when he realises he cannot ‘own’ Nellie, her heart already belongs to his brother.
Jasper, his mind in torment, risks it all one night with a new show, with new tricks and on that night all their lives will be changed forever. How does this awkward triangle, this man on the edge, the awkward brother and the woman who does not want to sink back into obscurity go forward. It’s both a happy story and yet heartbreaking as well. It is full of pathos and small victories. It actually quite hard to describe but it is a very character driven story. And the characters are so well drawn, they all have their strengths and weaknesses, their triumphs and failures. The Crimean war is also described in all its bloody glory and it certainly changed some of our main characters. The story itself is beautifully written and it certainly qualified as ‘something different’ in my reading. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 25, 2021
Circus of Wonders is set during 1860s when circus mania swept England. The story explores what it truly means to have control over your own life.
Growing up, Nell doesn’t understand why people are whispering around her. Her brother points to the birthmarks on her hand and says, “It’s these.” When she starts noticing more of it, the whispers, the mockery, she begins to isolate herself, choosing solitude.
Jasper Jupiter and his brother Toby dreamed of having their own show since a young age. Jasper always cared more for animals than people. And though things didn’t quite work out as originally planned between the brothers, Jasper owns a circus now and makes rounds to scabby villages. He dreams of striking it big in such city as London. When a man comes with an offer of selling his daughter, who, with her birthmarks could be used as “curiosity,” Jasper sees an opportunity despite his brother’s warning that “You’re better man than this.”
What Nell has been hiding her whole life, now is supposed to be the making of her. Wings made of metal lift her up in the air, sending her flying like butterfly. For the first time in her life, she feels alive. For the first time in her life, she sees that her past doesn’t have to be her future. She can actually make a future for herself. She could transform into anything.
The story is narrated through three voices: Nell, Toby, and Jasper. Those three captivating point of view continuously reveal something about themselves, making it easy for the reader to get attached. With their stories, these narrators weave mystery and intrigue, continuously building tension.
The characters are marvelous with their dimensions and thought process. I enjoyed Nell’s transformation, showing how empowering it is to be independent. And when her relationship with Toby develops, how she needs to make decision as to which path she wants to follow. I also enjoyed the transformation of quiet Toby who always lived in the shadow of his brother and his success which was supposed to be theirs, not just Jasper’s.
Set against the Victorian obsession with oddities and wonders, this richly imagined story of circus life explores what it offered to some who were looked upon as different. It’s a beautifully woven story of human transformation and how magnificent it is to have a choice, touchingly written with depth.
P.S. This author has one previous book – The Doll Factory, which I also highly recommend.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
Growing up, Nell doesn’t understand why people are whispering around her. Her brother points to the birthmarks on her hand and says, “It’s these.” When she starts noticing more of it, the whispers, the mockery, she begins to isolate herself, choosing solitude.
Jasper Jupiter and his brother Toby dreamed of having their own show since a young age. Jasper always cared more for animals than people. And though things didn’t quite work out as originally planned between the brothers, Jasper owns a circus now and makes rounds to scabby villages. He dreams of striking it big in such city as London. When a man comes with an offer of selling his daughter, who, with her birthmarks could be used as “curiosity,” Jasper sees an opportunity despite his brother’s warning that “You’re better man than this.”
What Nell has been hiding her whole life, now is supposed to be the making of her. Wings made of metal lift her up in the air, sending her flying like butterfly. For the first time in her life, she feels alive. For the first time in her life, she sees that her past doesn’t have to be her future. She can actually make a future for herself. She could transform into anything.
The story is narrated through three voices: Nell, Toby, and Jasper. Those three captivating point of view continuously reveal something about themselves, making it easy for the reader to get attached. With their stories, these narrators weave mystery and intrigue, continuously building tension.
The characters are marvelous with their dimensions and thought process. I enjoyed Nell’s transformation, showing how empowering it is to be independent. And when her relationship with Toby develops, how she needs to make decision as to which path she wants to follow. I also enjoyed the transformation of quiet Toby who always lived in the shadow of his brother and his success which was supposed to be theirs, not just Jasper’s.
Set against the Victorian obsession with oddities and wonders, this richly imagined story of circus life explores what it offered to some who were looked upon as different. It’s a beautifully woven story of human transformation and how magnificent it is to have a choice, touchingly written with depth.
P.S. This author has one previous book – The Doll Factory, which I also highly recommend.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
November 25, 2021
The Circus of wonders is a wonderful story that plays to the Victorians creation and love of the “freak show” and by choosing the Victorian period, setting and era, the author can conjure up a suitably rich atmosphere and mood of a circus playing to a society who peddled physical abnormalities as a form of entertainment. Although a dominant theme, this book offers much more to the reader, betrayal, love, greed, ambition, resentment, and determination.
The setting is Victorian England and centres on 3 characters: Jasper the ambitious owner of Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders, his brother Toby, a photographer, sensitive, real and a steady hand who lives in his brothers shadow. Then we are introduced to Nell, a mesmerising central female character. A young woman from a small village a misfit by all accounts who is not accepted because she looks different with mottled skin. Shunned and ostracised by her local community she is then sold off as a prize spectacle by her own father.
Moving from town to town, the Circus of Wonders builds fame and begins to attract large crowds to see the “swinging leopard”. Becoming part of the circus family, Nell finally strips off the shackles of self-doubt and shame that cloaked her all her life and learns to celebrate all that makes her different. This indeed becomes her new cloak and the other circus acts become her new family.
However, uncomfortable with Nell’s ever-increasing popularity and realising she has stolen the heart of his younger brother, Jasper threatens the livelihood of Nell’s newfound family – the other circus acts prompting Nell to leave and once again find herself with an uncertain future.
This is not only Nell’s story, but it is also the story of Jasper and his brother Toby, and whilst all the characters are flawed in some way, combined with an injection of deceit, love, jealousy, obsessions, and dark secrets, make for a fascinating story.
In the end we get a beautiful story of triumph through pain, that is richly atmospheric, dazzling, charming and hopeful. I would highly recommend.
(Read July, Reviewed properly November)
The setting is Victorian England and centres on 3 characters: Jasper the ambitious owner of Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders, his brother Toby, a photographer, sensitive, real and a steady hand who lives in his brothers shadow. Then we are introduced to Nell, a mesmerising central female character. A young woman from a small village a misfit by all accounts who is not accepted because she looks different with mottled skin. Shunned and ostracised by her local community she is then sold off as a prize spectacle by her own father.
Moving from town to town, the Circus of Wonders builds fame and begins to attract large crowds to see the “swinging leopard”. Becoming part of the circus family, Nell finally strips off the shackles of self-doubt and shame that cloaked her all her life and learns to celebrate all that makes her different. This indeed becomes her new cloak and the other circus acts become her new family.
However, uncomfortable with Nell’s ever-increasing popularity and realising she has stolen the heart of his younger brother, Jasper threatens the livelihood of Nell’s newfound family – the other circus acts prompting Nell to leave and once again find herself with an uncertain future.
This is not only Nell’s story, but it is also the story of Jasper and his brother Toby, and whilst all the characters are flawed in some way, combined with an injection of deceit, love, jealousy, obsessions, and dark secrets, make for a fascinating story.
In the end we get a beautiful story of triumph through pain, that is richly atmospheric, dazzling, charming and hopeful. I would highly recommend.
(Read July, Reviewed properly November)
January 14, 2022
3 Stars
I was invited to read this via a publisher marketing email. I had read this author's previous book The Doll Factory of which I had high hopes- but wound up giving it a middling review. Both of these books have central elements that I love like the setting of Victorian London, a certain wierdness and melancholy.
This story focuses on two brothers named Jasper and Toby that are extremely bonded, but Toby has always idolized Jasper and has a bit of an inferiority complex. Jasper always dreamed of creating a circus of wonders travelling show. After a stint in the war where Jasper and his best friend Dash reveled in stealing valuables from dead bodies while Toby tagged behind (enlisted as a photographer), Jasper finally realized his dream. Jasper is the driving force and mastermind of the whole circus operation, while Toby is a mere handmaiden used to set up and take down the show. Not only do they boast the standard circus fare, but also "wonders" such as a bearded lady, a giantress, albino girl, along with exotic animals. They discover a young woman named Nell with birthmarks that resemble the sun and the moon. Feeling freakish most of her life, her forced recruitment into the Circus of Wonders transforms her life into one of fame and celebrity. In fact, upon seeing her, Queen Victoria invited her to Buckingham Palace for a private visit.
There is a dark vibe simmering and while Jasper is enjoying success, it is still not enough. His vision of wild acclaim causes him to take risks that may not be wise. This is the part of the book I enjoyed the least, as his foolhardiness was unsettling. The part I enjoyed the most was watching Nell survive the sting of being sold by her father into the circus and blossom into a skilled performer. Her joy at being accepted and valued for being different, enjoying a new kind of family, as well as discovering romantic love- were the best parts of the book. However, while I respect this author's flair for a sort of dense, poetic, atmospheric style of writing, I enjoy more of a straightforward and free-flowing style. I also tired of reading about the disparate relationship between the brothers and the financial issues. I did enjoy this book, but had I not been reviewing it perhaps might have put it aside.
Thank you to the publisher Atria Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I was invited to read this via a publisher marketing email. I had read this author's previous book The Doll Factory of which I had high hopes- but wound up giving it a middling review. Both of these books have central elements that I love like the setting of Victorian London, a certain wierdness and melancholy.
This story focuses on two brothers named Jasper and Toby that are extremely bonded, but Toby has always idolized Jasper and has a bit of an inferiority complex. Jasper always dreamed of creating a circus of wonders travelling show. After a stint in the war where Jasper and his best friend Dash reveled in stealing valuables from dead bodies while Toby tagged behind (enlisted as a photographer), Jasper finally realized his dream. Jasper is the driving force and mastermind of the whole circus operation, while Toby is a mere handmaiden used to set up and take down the show. Not only do they boast the standard circus fare, but also "wonders" such as a bearded lady, a giantress, albino girl, along with exotic animals. They discover a young woman named Nell with birthmarks that resemble the sun and the moon. Feeling freakish most of her life, her forced recruitment into the Circus of Wonders transforms her life into one of fame and celebrity. In fact, upon seeing her, Queen Victoria invited her to Buckingham Palace for a private visit.
There is a dark vibe simmering and while Jasper is enjoying success, it is still not enough. His vision of wild acclaim causes him to take risks that may not be wise. This is the part of the book I enjoyed the least, as his foolhardiness was unsettling. The part I enjoyed the most was watching Nell survive the sting of being sold by her father into the circus and blossom into a skilled performer. Her joy at being accepted and valued for being different, enjoying a new kind of family, as well as discovering romantic love- were the best parts of the book. However, while I respect this author's flair for a sort of dense, poetic, atmospheric style of writing, I enjoy more of a straightforward and free-flowing style. I also tired of reading about the disparate relationship between the brothers and the financial issues. I did enjoy this book, but had I not been reviewing it perhaps might have put it aside.
Thank you to the publisher Atria Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
May 19, 2021
Actual rating 2.5 stars.
This was my most anticipated book of the year. I loved the author’s debut novel, The Doll Factory, so my expectations for this were incredibly high. Unfortunately, this proved to be something of a disappointment. I felt this book lacked magic, lacked charm, lacked darkness. I also felt a huge disconnect with the characters, with the main character Nell being the worst. I never felt like I understood her or her motivations. Jasper and Toby didn’t fare much better. They both had a lot of potential, but it went largely unexplored. To me, the most interesting characters were the side characters, the “wonders” of the circus, and they didn’t get anywhere near enough page time. The pacing also felt off to me. There were huge swathes of the book where very little happened. It wasn’t until the last few chapters that things actually started to get interesting. It was a real shame, as this book had all the ingredients to be really great but for me, it fizzled out like a sparkler in a rainstorm. I know a lot of people will love it, but it wasn’t a great read for me, I’m afraid.
This was my most anticipated book of the year. I loved the author’s debut novel, The Doll Factory, so my expectations for this were incredibly high. Unfortunately, this proved to be something of a disappointment. I felt this book lacked magic, lacked charm, lacked darkness. I also felt a huge disconnect with the characters, with the main character Nell being the worst. I never felt like I understood her or her motivations. Jasper and Toby didn’t fare much better. They both had a lot of potential, but it went largely unexplored. To me, the most interesting characters were the side characters, the “wonders” of the circus, and they didn’t get anywhere near enough page time. The pacing also felt off to me. There were huge swathes of the book where very little happened. It wasn’t until the last few chapters that things actually started to get interesting. It was a real shame, as this book had all the ingredients to be really great but for me, it fizzled out like a sparkler in a rainstorm. I know a lot of people will love it, but it wasn’t a great read for me, I’m afraid.
February 4, 2022
There are times when I find myself wishing for something other than the standard 1-5 star book rating system. Do I save the five-star ratings for a read that's truly transformative? Or can I give five-star ratings to works that aren't utterly remarkable, but that are really solid and satisfying exemplars of their genre?
Case in point: Circus of Wonders, which was a thoroughly engaging read, one that left me up past midnight because I simply *had* to finish it before I could go to bed. Even though I can think of five-star books that seemed five-starrier to me than Circus of Wonders, I can't see lumping it in with the four-stars. So, five stars it is.
Circus of Wonders is a title that's predictable on some levels: Victorian circus; overbearing, temperamental ringmaster; girl sold by her father as a "freak"; conflicted loyalties between brothers; a love that is both intense and incomplete. In Circus of Wonders these elements really work, even if they don't always feel utterly new.
Circus of Wonders is well worth reading for the characters it introduces, the complex relationships it explores, the moments when the writing become truly radiant. And, if you're me, the whole Victorian circus thing doesn't hurt, even if it's familiar ground. Circus of Wonders is a book any reader of historical fiction can pick up feeling certain that hours of enjoyment are in store.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
Case in point: Circus of Wonders, which was a thoroughly engaging read, one that left me up past midnight because I simply *had* to finish it before I could go to bed. Even though I can think of five-star books that seemed five-starrier to me than Circus of Wonders, I can't see lumping it in with the four-stars. So, five stars it is.
Circus of Wonders is a title that's predictable on some levels: Victorian circus; overbearing, temperamental ringmaster; girl sold by her father as a "freak"; conflicted loyalties between brothers; a love that is both intense and incomplete. In Circus of Wonders these elements really work, even if they don't always feel utterly new.
Circus of Wonders is well worth reading for the characters it introduces, the complex relationships it explores, the moments when the writing become truly radiant. And, if you're me, the whole Victorian circus thing doesn't hurt, even if it's familiar ground. Circus of Wonders is a book any reader of historical fiction can pick up feeling certain that hours of enjoyment are in store.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
February 11, 2022
In 19th-century England, being different is a curse. Nell was born with severe birthmarks which ostracize her from her community. Her father, not knowing what to do with such a child, sells her to a traveling circus for 20 pounds. What seems to have been exceptionally cruel treatment by her drunken father, turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to Nell. She finally feels she is in a place where she fits in, at least for a while. She may even finally have a chance at love.
This was a truly beautiful story. Nell is a wonderfully sympathetic heroine and the descriptions of the circus are so vivid and breathtaking. I can see it all so clearly - in technicolor even. This has to be made into a movie. I would definitely watch it. It's hard to imagine a book being so visual, but that's the only way I can describe it.
It was hard to read about the treatment Nell received at the hands of her father, and later by the circus master. Nell wasn't the only character who was actually enslaved either. Another child was in the same position and this was pretty difficult to read those parts mixed in with other elements of such beauty. The contrast with these heavy subjects was a little too much.
Potentially offensive content includes violence, sex, some harsh language, and adult content.
I was so captivated by the vivid imagery that this book was hard to put down. I missed some hours of sleep until I finished this one.
Thank you, Edelweiss, for this advance reader copy. This is my unbiased, honest review.
This was a truly beautiful story. Nell is a wonderfully sympathetic heroine and the descriptions of the circus are so vivid and breathtaking. I can see it all so clearly - in technicolor even. This has to be made into a movie. I would definitely watch it. It's hard to imagine a book being so visual, but that's the only way I can describe it.
It was hard to read about the treatment Nell received at the hands of her father, and later by the circus master. Nell wasn't the only character who was actually enslaved either. Another child was in the same position and this was pretty difficult to read those parts mixed in with other elements of such beauty. The contrast with these heavy subjects was a little too much.
Potentially offensive content includes violence, sex, some harsh language, and adult content.
I was so captivated by the vivid imagery that this book was hard to put down. I missed some hours of sleep until I finished this one.
Thank you, Edelweiss, for this advance reader copy. This is my unbiased, honest review.
June 12, 2021
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A “freak” in a circus.
Whose not heard of this in the past historical events?
We still have “little” people being clowns and there were the big bearded ladies who were odd because of their total facial hair. Anything odd drew in the money.
Little Nell was sold to the circus because she had a birthmark that made her look like a Leopard which rose across half of her body.
It’s a good story. I enjoyed it. It’s obvious the author had done lots of research but the ending let it down.
I had purchased the book, but found it wasn’t taking my interest so I requested the audio off of Netgalley. It was much better and the narrator was very good and adept at keeping me fixed on what was going on.
I just don’t think this book was for me, I was totally hoping this book would go in the direction I hoped but it didn’t.
Just something was missing for me, a bit of punch or impact.
Little Nell was a treat though and the elements in the book are magical.
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A “freak” in a circus.
Whose not heard of this in the past historical events?
We still have “little” people being clowns and there were the big bearded ladies who were odd because of their total facial hair. Anything odd drew in the money.
Little Nell was sold to the circus because she had a birthmark that made her look like a Leopard which rose across half of her body.
It’s a good story. I enjoyed it. It’s obvious the author had done lots of research but the ending let it down.
I had purchased the book, but found it wasn’t taking my interest so I requested the audio off of Netgalley. It was much better and the narrator was very good and adept at keeping me fixed on what was going on.
I just don’t think this book was for me, I was totally hoping this book would go in the direction I hoped but it didn’t.
Just something was missing for me, a bit of punch or impact.
Little Nell was a treat though and the elements in the book are magical.
September 7, 2024
”All of history is just fiction.”
A well researched novel about the circus during the time of P. T. Barnum, although he doesn’t feature in the novel. Elizabeth MacNeal brings us into the realm of those who do do not look ‘normative’, and it’s truly a display of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The characters are all well flawed and feel quite human. The practicalities of the personalities, choices made, and hopes and desires of each person reflect upon the circus quite well. From the lowly mouse to the large elephant; and from a birthmark speckled girl in a small village to the startling charism of the Ringmaster; we see the classism that exists inside the small community of a circus. Our lead characters are quite different from one another; and yet all of them wish to be so much more than they are. Dreamers who will strive for more and often, inevitably, fall short.
My favourite part of Circus of Wonder is the ending. It’s so rare to come across an ending that is both happy, yet sad; both realistic, and idlidic; and ultimately feels appropriate, even if no one really wins or looses.
If you enjoyed The Night Circus this might be for you. But be forewarned, there is no magic here. Just dangerous stunts, and conditioning, along with some genetic deformities. This is a story about life, making choices, and then living with those choices. No matter how it turns out there is one thing for sure; we can write our own history and make it as fictional as we want whilst rooting it in reality.
”Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.”
A well researched novel about the circus during the time of P. T. Barnum, although he doesn’t feature in the novel. Elizabeth MacNeal brings us into the realm of those who do do not look ‘normative’, and it’s truly a display of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The characters are all well flawed and feel quite human. The practicalities of the personalities, choices made, and hopes and desires of each person reflect upon the circus quite well. From the lowly mouse to the large elephant; and from a birthmark speckled girl in a small village to the startling charism of the Ringmaster; we see the classism that exists inside the small community of a circus. Our lead characters are quite different from one another; and yet all of them wish to be so much more than they are. Dreamers who will strive for more and often, inevitably, fall short.
My favourite part of Circus of Wonder is the ending. It’s so rare to come across an ending that is both happy, yet sad; both realistic, and idlidic; and ultimately feels appropriate, even if no one really wins or looses.
If you enjoyed The Night Circus this might be for you. But be forewarned, there is no magic here. Just dangerous stunts, and conditioning, along with some genetic deformities. This is a story about life, making choices, and then living with those choices. No matter how it turns out there is one thing for sure; we can write our own history and make it as fictional as we want whilst rooting it in reality.
”Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.”
February 1, 2022
3.75 big top stars
Set in Victorian England, this one is all about the behind-the-scenes of a circus. I sometimes forget that in those days, the circus also had lots of odd people as part of the act, not just animals doing tricks.
Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders features an elephant, trapeze artists, and a whole host of other animals and acts. We meet Nell, working away at a flower farm as the circus comes to town. Nell is covered with birthmarks and teased about them. Her greedy father sees an opportunity and sells her to Jasper.
A strange thing happens though as Nell is offered real meals and pay for her work, she becomes part of the circus family. She becomes the closing act -- the leopard girl is transformed into the Queen of the Moon and Stars. Jasper maximizes on her popularity and soon the circus is moving to London with the hopes of attracting attendance by the Queen herself.
This one was difficult to read in some places with animal cruelty and human cruelty. There’s a sense of impending doom and the idea that things will go horribly wrong for all of them. Can the circus survive Jasper’s greed and mistakes? Will Jasper’s brother Toby help save the circus and Nell?
This one made for a great buddy read and discussion with Mary Beth and Marilyn.
Thank you to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the copy to read and review. This one is now available.
Set in Victorian England, this one is all about the behind-the-scenes of a circus. I sometimes forget that in those days, the circus also had lots of odd people as part of the act, not just animals doing tricks.
Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders features an elephant, trapeze artists, and a whole host of other animals and acts. We meet Nell, working away at a flower farm as the circus comes to town. Nell is covered with birthmarks and teased about them. Her greedy father sees an opportunity and sells her to Jasper.
A strange thing happens though as Nell is offered real meals and pay for her work, she becomes part of the circus family. She becomes the closing act -- the leopard girl is transformed into the Queen of the Moon and Stars. Jasper maximizes on her popularity and soon the circus is moving to London with the hopes of attracting attendance by the Queen herself.
This one was difficult to read in some places with animal cruelty and human cruelty. There’s a sense of impending doom and the idea that things will go horribly wrong for all of them. Can the circus survive Jasper’s greed and mistakes? Will Jasper’s brother Toby help save the circus and Nell?
This one made for a great buddy read and discussion with Mary Beth and Marilyn.
Thank you to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the copy to read and review. This one is now available.
May 16, 2021
The 2017 cult hit film 'The Greatest Showman' inspired marginalized people about the solace that can be found by establishing your own community with others who don't fit in with larger society. But it also perpetuated a dangerous mythology about P.T. Barnum as a showman who wholeheartedly believed in this ethos and deeply cared about the welfare of the performers in his freak shows and circuses. Elizabeth Macneal's new novel “Circus of Wonders” presents a more complicated fictional story of such an impresario with Jasper Jupiter who in 1866 aspires to create a show that will eclipse Barnum in its success and draw Queen Victoria to attend. He does this through mercenary exchanges purchasing individuals with physical aberration from their families, tyrannically working his crew and making dangerous deals to enhance the spectacles. Though this egotist's circus is at the centre of this novel, Macneal primarily focuses instead on the points of view of two far more sympathetic characters.
A young woman named Nell feels isolated in her community because of birthmarks which speckle her skin and, though she's kidnapped by Jupiter, she comes to embrace the circus' opportunities and the sense of importance which comes from being refashioned into a wonder known as the “Queen of the Moon and Stars”. But she soon realises that this isn't necessarily an empowering form of celebrity, her newfound freedom has limitations and the public's adulation has a sinister side. Jasper's brother Toby has always been the more awkward and less favoured of the pair. From an early age they hatched a dream of forming a circus together, but Jasper's ambition supersedes his brotherly love and there hangs between them a secret from their days being involved in the Crimean War. The complicated relationship between Nell and Toby plays out amidst the rise to fame of Jupiter's Circus of Wonders.
Read my full review of Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal on LonesomeReader
A young woman named Nell feels isolated in her community because of birthmarks which speckle her skin and, though she's kidnapped by Jupiter, she comes to embrace the circus' opportunities and the sense of importance which comes from being refashioned into a wonder known as the “Queen of the Moon and Stars”. But she soon realises that this isn't necessarily an empowering form of celebrity, her newfound freedom has limitations and the public's adulation has a sinister side. Jasper's brother Toby has always been the more awkward and less favoured of the pair. From an early age they hatched a dream of forming a circus together, but Jasper's ambition supersedes his brotherly love and there hangs between them a secret from their days being involved in the Crimean War. The complicated relationship between Nell and Toby plays out amidst the rise to fame of Jupiter's Circus of Wonders.
Read my full review of Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal on LonesomeReader
December 30, 2022
Circus of Wonders is a enjoyable tale of a young girl who is different from others.
Set in 1866, Elizabeth Macneal tells the story of Nell and her journey when she is taken to join Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders, displaying animals and "curiosities". The story and its characters range from small English villages to the Crimean war and London at the height of the curiosity craze, where Queen Victoria was a keen spectator.
What I enjoyed with this story of love, freedom and indeed misery, was the obvious research and attention Ms Macneal has done and gives to the period in her novel. This gives her characters a good setting amongst the real events in Victorian England and how the people in the circus business from money lenders, impresarios, the acts (curiosities), advertising and audiences behaved, interacted and lived.
This for me was a very good follow up to her first book
The Doll Factory. My review, if people are interested is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set in 1866, Elizabeth Macneal tells the story of Nell and her journey when she is taken to join Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders, displaying animals and "curiosities". The story and its characters range from small English villages to the Crimean war and London at the height of the curiosity craze, where Queen Victoria was a keen spectator.
What I enjoyed with this story of love, freedom and indeed misery, was the obvious research and attention Ms Macneal has done and gives to the period in her novel. This gives her characters a good setting amongst the real events in Victorian England and how the people in the circus business from money lenders, impresarios, the acts (curiosities), advertising and audiences behaved, interacted and lived.
This for me was a very good follow up to her first book
The Doll Factory. My review, if people are interested is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
February 21, 2022
I didn’t like the writing style. Even the most banal act was described in a breathless, present tense, melodramatic manner. This wasn’t for me. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
May 12, 2022
“ Circus of Wonders” transports the reader to Victorian England in 1866. It is a world adapting to the changes wrought by the second Industrial Revolution. The Crimean War has been concluded for ten years and Britain is consolidating its hegemony. Technological advances are opening up new possibilities. Queen Victoria is fascinated by the macabre and unusual.In this climate, circuses and freak shows are attracting wide audiences. Elizabeth Macneal’s novel draws on these historical trends and contextualizes them on a personal level,populating her story with characters struggling for self definition and empowerment in a time of sweeping change.
The stories of three main characters portray the Victorian era that is awash in hopes, spectacle and avarice. Nell lives in a small coastal village. Her existence is defined by the birthmarks that cover her body, marking her as an outsider and an object of both fascination and derision in her community. Her life takes an unexpected turn when Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives. Jasper is an ambitious, egotistical man who is motivated by greed and a desire for fame. He was a soldier in the Crimean war, accompanied by his gentle brother Toby, a photographer sending back pictures of the war to England, crafting a highly stylized perception of the conflict.The brothers’ Crimean experiences have altered their world and personal views,fueling their childhood dreams of establishing a spectacular circus. The lives of these three protagonists intersect when Jasper sees Nell in the village and imagines her deformity as an unusual world attraction. Nell’s craven father has always viewed her as a burden and embarrassment. When Jasper makes an overture, Nell’s father gladly sells Nell to the circus.
The convergence of Nell, Jasper and Toby plunges the reader into a swirl of spectacle and obsession. The narrative is infused with the images and sounds of the circus and is punctuated with the emotions and dreams of performers seeking to rise above the category of freakish curiosities. Nell is dressed in a glittering costume and, aided by mechanical devices, soars in the air above enchanted audiences, even attracting notice from Queen Victoria. Initially morose because of her father’s betrayal, Nell gradually embraces her new circumstances as a path toward empowerment and self definition.
Nell’s burgeoning success is the fulcrum defining the triangular relationship she has established with Jasper and Toby.Jasper has dreams of riches, power and renown.Toby has feelings for Nell and hopes for a lasting relationship with her. The brothers’ desires conflict with each other and do not always align with Nell’s drive towards self actualization.The resolution of their stories is awash in the timeless theme of how individuals exert power over another person. The interplay of the protagonists, as well as the lives of richly drawn secondary characters, causes one to ruminate on the way our dreams can turn into gilded prisons from which we struggle to escape.
Elizabeth Macneal has crafted a novel that works well on several levels. Her well written characters are damaged yet resilient. Their stories highlight the struggle for self empowerment as a means of overcoming exploitation.This personal struggle unfolds during an important historical period. The Crimean war has a major influence on the storyline. This conflict wedded technology( photography) to reporting in order to craft imagery and propaganda for the British public. The war was a spectacle, attended at a safe distance by the well to do providing titillation and a craving for the unusual. Jasper and Toby’s participation in this conflict drove their vision of a circus that joined machines and technology to create new levels of wonder.Their melding of technology and illusion to craft public and personal stories is very prescient and reverberates in our current world of social media. The novel’s title “ Circus of Wonders” is both apt and relevant to the world in which we now live.
The stories of three main characters portray the Victorian era that is awash in hopes, spectacle and avarice. Nell lives in a small coastal village. Her existence is defined by the birthmarks that cover her body, marking her as an outsider and an object of both fascination and derision in her community. Her life takes an unexpected turn when Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives. Jasper is an ambitious, egotistical man who is motivated by greed and a desire for fame. He was a soldier in the Crimean war, accompanied by his gentle brother Toby, a photographer sending back pictures of the war to England, crafting a highly stylized perception of the conflict.The brothers’ Crimean experiences have altered their world and personal views,fueling their childhood dreams of establishing a spectacular circus. The lives of these three protagonists intersect when Jasper sees Nell in the village and imagines her deformity as an unusual world attraction. Nell’s craven father has always viewed her as a burden and embarrassment. When Jasper makes an overture, Nell’s father gladly sells Nell to the circus.
The convergence of Nell, Jasper and Toby plunges the reader into a swirl of spectacle and obsession. The narrative is infused with the images and sounds of the circus and is punctuated with the emotions and dreams of performers seeking to rise above the category of freakish curiosities. Nell is dressed in a glittering costume and, aided by mechanical devices, soars in the air above enchanted audiences, even attracting notice from Queen Victoria. Initially morose because of her father’s betrayal, Nell gradually embraces her new circumstances as a path toward empowerment and self definition.
Nell’s burgeoning success is the fulcrum defining the triangular relationship she has established with Jasper and Toby.Jasper has dreams of riches, power and renown.Toby has feelings for Nell and hopes for a lasting relationship with her. The brothers’ desires conflict with each other and do not always align with Nell’s drive towards self actualization.The resolution of their stories is awash in the timeless theme of how individuals exert power over another person. The interplay of the protagonists, as well as the lives of richly drawn secondary characters, causes one to ruminate on the way our dreams can turn into gilded prisons from which we struggle to escape.
Elizabeth Macneal has crafted a novel that works well on several levels. Her well written characters are damaged yet resilient. Their stories highlight the struggle for self empowerment as a means of overcoming exploitation.This personal struggle unfolds during an important historical period. The Crimean war has a major influence on the storyline. This conflict wedded technology( photography) to reporting in order to craft imagery and propaganda for the British public. The war was a spectacle, attended at a safe distance by the well to do providing titillation and a craving for the unusual. Jasper and Toby’s participation in this conflict drove their vision of a circus that joined machines and technology to create new levels of wonder.Their melding of technology and illusion to craft public and personal stories is very prescient and reverberates in our current world of social media. The novel’s title “ Circus of Wonders” is both apt and relevant to the world in which we now live.
September 2, 2023
A fantastic, powerful novel, with such complicated characterisation. I loved it.
May 23, 2021
This was an excellent read!
A wonderful setting with captivating characters, and I loved the way the author showed the prejudices of the time throughout.
I would say the plot slowed a little after the first half, but I constantly looked forward to the audiobook and the excellent narration.
The writing was beautiful, and the whole combination made for an enjoyable novel.
A wonderful setting with captivating characters, and I loved the way the author showed the prejudices of the time throughout.
I would say the plot slowed a little after the first half, but I constantly looked forward to the audiobook and the excellent narration.
The writing was beautiful, and the whole combination made for an enjoyable novel.
April 29, 2022
(I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and gratefully received an Advance Reader’s Edition.)
This is a story of expectations.
It’s 1866 and the people expect a great show. The circus was about wonder and astonishment--anticipation built up to a shocking reveal.
But while they want shock and awe, people also expect normality, and if you don’t fit within their expected norms, you are shunned and even abused.
Nell has spent her life drudging on a flower farm. Due to birthmarks all over her body, she is the subject of ridicule, finding comfort only in the love of her brother Charlie. But even Charlie’s love doesn’t save her when the circus comes to town and her father sees an opportunity.
Jasper is a ringleader. His Circus of Wonders is his creation and vehicle for glory.
Toby is Jasper’s brother, devoted to him but troubled by their past and a longing to get out from under Jasper’s shadow.
The story builds through alternating narratives from these three points of view, these three separate but comingled battles. It’s a vortex that sucks you in and lands you somewhere surprising.
A highlight for me was the relationship between the women of the circus--all purchased, promoted, and exploited--who developed a special bond.
A unique and enthralling tale.
This is a story of expectations.
It’s 1866 and the people expect a great show. The circus was about wonder and astonishment--anticipation built up to a shocking reveal.
But while they want shock and awe, people also expect normality, and if you don’t fit within their expected norms, you are shunned and even abused.
Nell has spent her life drudging on a flower farm. Due to birthmarks all over her body, she is the subject of ridicule, finding comfort only in the love of her brother Charlie. But even Charlie’s love doesn’t save her when the circus comes to town and her father sees an opportunity.
Jasper is a ringleader. His Circus of Wonders is his creation and vehicle for glory.
Toby is Jasper’s brother, devoted to him but troubled by their past and a longing to get out from under Jasper’s shadow.
The story builds through alternating narratives from these three points of view, these three separate but comingled battles. It’s a vortex that sucks you in and lands you somewhere surprising.
A highlight for me was the relationship between the women of the circus--all purchased, promoted, and exploited--who developed a special bond.
A unique and enthralling tale.
February 8, 2022
Some authors have a reliable sameness within their books, which isn’t (necessarily) a bad thing, but Elizabeth Macneal definitely does not fit into that category. I loved how vastly different Circus of Wonders was from The Doll Factory. What they do have in common is this: They are both phenomenal pieces of literature that illustrate some of the most complicated aspects of human nature.
Circus of Wonders introduces us to a complex cast of characters: We meet Nell, a young woman who was born covered with spotted birthmarks, making her a social outcast. Her father decides to sell her to Jasper, a man who is blinded by ambition and greed. He is striving to go above and beyond other showmen with his Circus of Wonders. We also meet his brother, Toby, who has often lived in Jasper’s shadow, but always desires equality with him, despite how different they are. While Jasper sets his sight on Nell as the star of his show and his ticket to fame, Toby sees her for the uniquely beautiful person she is.
Although this historical story is reality based, there was a hint of magic all the way through, as if Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders was a fantastical dream that I, as the reader, was able to participate in. The descriptions were magnificently beautiful and, at times, utterly devastating. Macneal created a quiet tension throughout the narrative with foreshadowing that made my heart quake!
I enjoyed the way the story examined the dynamics of fame but, even more so, I loved the way Macneal exemplified envy. She aptly demonstrated the way it rears its ugly head in unexpected and disistatorous ways. The entire atmosphere of Circus of Wonders was both glorious and frightening. I was completely enraptured by every word.
Elizabeth Macneal has proven herself as a profound thinker and storyteller once again. Having adored both her debut and this sophomore release, I can fairly declare that she is now a favorite author of mine. It hurts that I’ll have to wait for more from her brilliant mind, but I wouldn’t want to rush perfection!
I received my ARC from a friend. Circus of Wonders will be published in the US in February 2022!
Circus of Wonders introduces us to a complex cast of characters: We meet Nell, a young woman who was born covered with spotted birthmarks, making her a social outcast. Her father decides to sell her to Jasper, a man who is blinded by ambition and greed. He is striving to go above and beyond other showmen with his Circus of Wonders. We also meet his brother, Toby, who has often lived in Jasper’s shadow, but always desires equality with him, despite how different they are. While Jasper sets his sight on Nell as the star of his show and his ticket to fame, Toby sees her for the uniquely beautiful person she is.
Although this historical story is reality based, there was a hint of magic all the way through, as if Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders was a fantastical dream that I, as the reader, was able to participate in. The descriptions were magnificently beautiful and, at times, utterly devastating. Macneal created a quiet tension throughout the narrative with foreshadowing that made my heart quake!
I enjoyed the way the story examined the dynamics of fame but, even more so, I loved the way Macneal exemplified envy. She aptly demonstrated the way it rears its ugly head in unexpected and disistatorous ways. The entire atmosphere of Circus of Wonders was both glorious and frightening. I was completely enraptured by every word.
Elizabeth Macneal has proven herself as a profound thinker and storyteller once again. Having adored both her debut and this sophomore release, I can fairly declare that she is now a favorite author of mine. It hurts that I’ll have to wait for more from her brilliant mind, but I wouldn’t want to rush perfection!
I received my ARC from a friend. Circus of Wonders will be published in the US in February 2022!
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