The Night Circus: A Novel

A friend recommended this book to me. I had not read anything by this author, but I decided to try it after reading a few reviews. “The Night Circus” is a New York Times best seller and has had many rave reviews. Of course, there are always some readers out there who have no taste for this type of fantasy. I was glad I took the plunge and bought this book. I loved it! . The Night Circus is magical, surreal and utterly captivating. Originally, I bought the book on Audible. I was hooked by the Audible version. The narrator, Jim Dale, is excellent. He made the characters come alive and pulled me deeply into the story. I enjoyed the Audible version so much that I bought the paperback, from Amazon, as well. Incidentally, the paperback cover is beautifully done and is in keeping with the magic within. What a gorgeous paperback! Erin Morgenstern takes the reader on a journey of the imagination, a disorienting but exhilarating ride that juxtapositions reality and fantasy. It is like a fairytale that is set in the late 19th century. It could almost be one of Hans Christian Anderson’s tales, but it is certainly more intense and intricate. The circus suddenly appears in a field. A small boy, Bailey, waits for it to open, but he reads a sign that says it is only open at night. He thinks that is odd, so he hangs around the gate and sneaks in. He keeps coming back to the circus and is befriended by the twins Poppet and Widget who perform tricks with kittens. He is obsessed with the circus and feels like this is his real home. His family does not approve of his obsession with the circus, so Bailey has to sneak out at night when his whole family is sleeping. He meets a group of “Reveurs” or dreamers who follow the magical circus wherever it goes. He ponders whether he can run can away from home and even join the circus. The magician, Hector Bowen, Prospero the Enchanter, is surprised when he finds he has a daughter, Celia, and must care for her. He sees Celia’s potential in the art of illusion and trains her as a magician. In another location, Mr. A. H., the Man in the Gray Suit, rescues a young boy, Marco, from an orphanage and spends years training him in the magical arts. Celia and Marco are being trained for a challenge, a game in which they do not know the rules and do not know whom they are competing against. Every move they make affects all the people in the circus. Marco knows who Celia is and understands the game they are playing before she does. He starts playing tricks on her, but when she realizes Marco is her opponent in the challenge, she uses her powers to block his magic. They both work hard to increase their individual powers and defeat the other challenger. Marco and Celia, fight for control over the circus, a fight that will lead to death for one of them. However, as the years pass, they fall in love. They both want to give up the game and be together. When they see that is not possible, they each want to die and let the other live. Towards the end of the book, they know they have to break the rules of the game. Marco jumps into the circus bonfire, a bonfire that continually burns in the middle of the circus. Celia jumps in with him, and they become the core of the circus. They are neither dead nor alive, but they are together eternally. The competition is a draw; neither side wins the game. The circus is like an intricate clock that has to work perfectly, just like the large magical circus clock that is at the center of the circus and is essential to the circus’ operation. However, Frederick Thessien, the clock maker, is murdered. Mr. A.H., The Man in the Gray Suit, blames Hector Bowen, Prospero the Enchanter, for the murder. Marco and Celia stop playing the game, and the circus contortionist, Tsukiko, officially ends the challenge. The circus starts to fall apart and the performers hurry to catch the train that will take them elsewhere. Bailey had packed a few possessions and planned on running away from home to join the circus that night, but he took too long to get ready to go. When he finally reached the field where the circus had been, he found only the empty field. The circus had left town without him. Does that circus still exist somewhere or was it all a dream? Magic, danger, romance, jealousy, hate, and love are all here in this remarkable book. The characters are magnificent and memorable. I got so deeply into the twists and turns of the plot that I did not want to put the book down.

This is an extremely unique novel. I'd had a desire to read it ever since I saw the cover at Target when it first came out. I got the ebook on sale a while back, and this week, I finally got around to reading it. While as a whole, I enjoyed the story and majority of the characters, there were some things confusing to me. The whole first 30% of the book was rather confusing to me. I think it may be partly because I mostly read romance novels, which are very straightforward. The way some of the chapters are written, didn't make any sense at first. Once I got past 30%, I got into the groove of the writing style and the world the author created. The things happening to various characters started to make a bit of sense and it was easier to follow. There are a few chapters written in second person, which I felt was a little strange and didn't add much to the story for me. There are also a few diary entries/letters written by the specific character that appear sporadically through the book, that also didn't add much to the story for me. I will say that all descriptions of magic and the other fantastical things that happen, are all super clear. I could picture every magical act in my head and was never confused when magical things were taking place. I really enjoyed all the chapters written about the hero, Marco, and heroine, Celia. I was always disappointed when the next chapter would jump to someone else. There's a third hero, Bailey. He's a boy of 10 when his chapters start and his chapters start about 10 years into the future. His timeline and Marco and Celia's timeline eventually meet up at the end, when Bailey, I think, is around 18. Bailey's chapters don't make sense at first, why he's being written about, but once it all comes together, it's actually pretty cool. There is one use of the f- word and one very vague sex scene. You know it's happening, that is obvious, but there are no descriptions of the act past clothes being removed and "when their bodies joined." I was really happy with the ending. I was afraid this would be a tragic love story, but it's not. It certainly doesn't end the way you think, or even hope it will, but it's still satisfying. I can 100% see this being turned into a film or limited TV series. All the descriptions are so clear and precise, it would so easily translate to the screen.

This is one, If not my favorite book of all time. This book surprised me by touching my soul in a way I wasn't anticipating. It does not mean this will be the same for every reader, but it did for me. With that being said, this book builds its world with beautiful prose and magical realism. This comes at a cost of a slower pace. A lot of emotions and relationships are built in subtext and the passage of time, things that can be easily missed by the reader and make them feel as if things just happen. It isn't a loud or in your face sort of book. It's a book made with the slow, subtle burn of life and the small things that can get lost between the cracks if one doesn't stop and contemplate. **Potential Spoiler Area That Goes Into Depth** This book states that there's a fierce competition between two magical illusionist, which is...sort of true? It's more like a slow-building competition of endurance, ingenuity, and skill. The rules and the endgame of the competition are not straightforward to the main characters nor to the reader. Magic is real in this world. Some is innate, some is learned, some are showy, and some are invisible. In this sense, it's a bit like the soft magic system of Harry Potter wherein how they do magic is never really explained, but here it is explained that anyone can do magic if they are taught, unlike Harry Potter. With that said, the magic performed is well done! What the character is doing and how their magic interacts with the world around it is very easy to imagine compared to many other books that I have read. The story is told in multiple POVs with chapters typically taking place in different locations and different times. We follow three different groups of people, the main two characters, three children, and you, the reader, all taking place at different times to an extent. This book is slower paced than books like Caraval. It focuses more on setting the scene and the world building that the circus exists in. I could smell and taste the foods (it made me so hungry), I could hear the people in the background moving about and talking, I could see the rooms and tents and practically walk with the characters. While people may state that the pacing is too slow, I feel as though it was to make room for building the world with beautiful prose and allowing yourself to get lost in it. After all, the circus itself is its own character and the characters who inhabit that circus come from very distinct places.

Ms. Morgenstern has created that sublimely rare gem of great narrative, compelling characters, and a superb setting using finely crafted writing; all of this accomplished in her debut novel. As I have noted elsewhere, there are a number of authors who are successful; they provide a good read and keep us connected to their novels that do one or two of these things well. They might provide good narrative and a compelling world of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. Her characters are fine but the writing is just adequate. She doesn't carefully craft her sentences. Many people look down their nose at Ms. Meyers, but there are many, possibly most writers who are good at some of these aspects of storytelling that are still worthwhile to read. I've read the entire Twilight series as well as The Host. I'm glad I did. She is successful for a reason, but she doesn't execute on every one of these elements of writing. Morgenstern is one of those very rare authors who do it all. Each sentence, description and phrase is a marvel. She almost takes the care of a poet, but over many pages. We become fully immersed in her characters, her world and her story. We do so in the "air" of her exquisite writing. She is a delight to read. I will pre-order anything she cares to write. As she's noted in her blog, she won't be cranking out a book ever year; I'm absolutely good with that. Her writing is worth the wait (said now in the early cycle of waiting for her next piece). The Night Circus contains a number of threaded stories that weave together into a beautiful, whole cloth. The book would have been great just getting to the circus or just with the character studies of the principles and the unfolding of their relationships. It would be a great novel simply living within the magical elements or immersed in the parties at la maison Lèfevre. Not only does it have all of these elements but weaves them together in a beautiful dance that provides a coherent overall show. Of course, don't take my stilted words for it but let's see a marvelous example: "The Cloud Maze An Excursion in Dimension A Climb Though the Firmament There Is No Beginning There Is No End Enter Where You Please Leave When You Wish Have No Fear of Falling Inside, the tent is dark-walled with an immense, iridescent white structure in the center. Bailey can think of nothing else to call it. It takes up the entirety of the tent save for a raised path along the perimeter, a winding loop that begins at the tent entrance and circles around. The floor beyond the path is covered with white spheres, thousands of them piled like soap bubbles. The tower itself is a series of platforms swooping in odd, diaphanous shapes, quite similar to clouds. They are layered, like a cake. From what Bailey can see, the space between layers varies from room enough to walk straight through to barely enough to crawl. Here and there parts of it almost float away from the central tower, drifting off into space."[i] I will not go into the storyline (see Amazon's synopsis here) in fear of given away the plot. I simply will conclude with unfettered praise for Ms. Morgenstern's writing; she is absolutely fabulous. A couple of side notes: I jumped between the Kindle edition of this and the audible (despite the fact that Whispersync for Voice isn't enable on the Windows Phone 8 app - I'm looking @ you Audible development team). Jim Dale (of Harry Potter fame) does a wonderful job reading The Night Circus. If you like listening to audiobooks, I highly recommend his work. The second note I wanted to make is that reading this work gives me hope for a more civil, connected public discourse in an increasingly divisive America. I suspect that Ms. Morgenstern and I have starkly different views of social, political and theological issues. I don't know this, but a New Englander that graduated from Smith would not share the same worldview with a conservative Christian living in the South. Despite this, Ms. Morgenstern draws me completely into her world; I absolutely connect with her in the portion of her thought life she makes available in her work. This encourage me. If we can connect, surely we Americans can connect with one another better, have a more civil discourse in those areas where we diverge and listen to one another more often. I don't anticipate that we would change each other's views; I do believe we can respect each other without doing so. There seems to be this thought the tolerance for one another depends or either not believing there is an objective truth ("what you believe is true for you but not me") or we should not be strong in our convictions (if you are, you're a fundamentalist). I would rather have us acknowledge our stark differences and firmly, but humbly, hold our beliefs and yet be civil to one another. The connection engendered by Ms. Morgenstern and her work gives me hope that this is possible. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [i] The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern, Kindle Edition, Location 3151

One word to describe this: Enchanting! What a beautifully written story, with such vivid imagery that you can practically see the scenes and smell the smells as it's being told to you. Having loved Caraval, by Stephanie Garber, the idea of a love story in a magical, mysterious circus that only appears at night was super intriguing to me, and combined with the thrilling blurb, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into this. Some of the best worldbuilding I've read about, that didn't bore you. There were many times where I found myself bringing this quite literally everywhere, wanting to know what happened next. Honestly, that is what kept me turning the pages. I also liked Marco and Celia as a couple, even if their relationship wasn't fleshed out much. Usually, insta-love turns me off a romance immediately, but in this sense, it kind of worked since three years passed before they were professing their love for each other. Bailey and Poppet were cute, too, but there wasn't enough written about their relationship. And, I did enjoy that the story was told throughout a long period of time, so you get to see the characters (albeit sometimes, briefly), when they're kids, and again as teenagers/adults. Unfortunately, that's where it ends. Again, the imagery and prose are wonderful, but at the expense of plot and characterization. Lots of characters introduced, but I never felt a connection to any of them, even though (of course), you learn a little more about our two (three?) lead characters. 3rd person Omni POV meant that you never really get into any particular character's head. They all sounded the same when they spoke, and at times, I found myself having to re-read a particular paragraph or page to find out who exactly was speaking or being talked about. Also, lots of time jumps. And reading on the Kindle meant it was harder to flip back and forth to get how old the characters were. That being said, our leads' relationship also felt very under-developed, because you never get to actually see how they fall in love, and are just told that they are after a 3-year time jump. Which brings me to my other issue, too much telling and not enough showing. The blurb promised an exciting storyline, but in that sense, didn't get what was promised. I never felt any sense of urgency, or any fear that one of the MCs might actually die as a result, and I found myself scratching my head at points wondering "Wait, where is this duel that this book is supposed to be about??" Lastly, no rules for the magic. It seemed like magic could be used anytime, at any point it was needed. Minor gripe in the grand scheme of things, though. The resolution comes quickly after a very slow start and middle, comprised of only several chapters, and quite frankly, it felt rushed, almost as if the author realized she had too many loose ends to tie up and not enough time to do it. On the bright side, our characters do get a HEA (or in some cases, a sort-of HEA). The book is written in 3rd person Omni (so you read about the thoughts of everyone in the scene, even if they're not major players or major supporting players), with a few chapters woven in written in second person. I liked this book a lot, but didn't love it, as I was left wanting at the end, with a feeling of "what happened? That's it?" Ms. Morgenstern is obviously an incredibly talented writer, so I was disappointed that there wasn't more of an actual story. I would definitely see the movie when it's released, to see all the scenes and quirky characters brought to life.

The Circus arrives without warning. I really liked this story with its imaginative flair, a flair for the wonderful and fantastical. It's a lovely fairy tale with a touch of well- placed romance but also about the fantastic in our lives. It's a well-structured meandering story, we visit the circus as events unfold in it and as it begins to unravel. It's storytelling where you are inside of things, a microcosm built of wonder and intrigue and the protagonists strive to find a way out to forge their own path, their happiness; in general to make their own choice at last. But to gain something, they must lose something else. Is the price too high? You decide. -the plot revolves around a bet, a game of wits between old adversaries who choose to imprison two young people in an impossible situation. it propels the story forward, we observe how the game affects not only the chosen ones, Marco and Ceila but others around them - I loved this -also loved how we travel with the circus in space and time , meeting ensemble cast, seeing how the lore of the circus spreads and grows, what it brings to people outside the circus -the descriptions of the circus are wonderful, you feel the sense of wonder - I love how Ceila and Marco fall in love, that was a very palpable connection between them, and I was happy they found their freedom from roles neither of them ever wanted and that freedom was in each other. -the ending brings more to the table and all in all I'd say it's a thoughtful fairy tale. Note that while Ceila, Marco and others were absolutely lovely, it's not a story you will remember for characters, but for the central idea and some considerations about storytelling and where events take the characters. The circus is central to everything, the circus is the main character as well as the field, where everything happens: the wonders, but also how those wonders affect others. The central idea was super and I loved meandering through the circus, loved observing the game and loved how the game turned into a desire to give and collaborate; that Marco and Ceila couldn't help but fall in love and that feeling helped them challenge the game and build a collaboration instead. It's a pleasant read, the game propels the plot and you are drawn into the night circus , enjoying all it has to offer, you cheer for Marco and Ceila and for the supporting characters. Ordered a physical copy and going to enjoy the love story in the night circus again. It's a good read for when you look for something magical and fairy tale like.

Erin Morgenstern's "The Night Circus" is a captivating fantasy read for all those who ever thought the circus was as mysterious and amazing as it was otherworldly. It evoked memories of going to the circus as a child and then enhanced and magnified those childhood feelings of awe and wonderment. Magicians are often a favorite entertainer of children and adults alike, and Morgenstern's portrayal of a magical traveling circus and the underlying reason it exists in the first place is perfection. The characters are well developed and easy to become attached to and spark a strong emotional response with the reader. The author's writing style is easy to read but descriptive and immersive and kept the pages turning. Morgenstern's creativity and imagery is as fascinating as it is fantastical, and I especially loved discovering each and every newly added tent in the circus. The Night Circus is a must read for fantasy lovers who enjoy a suspenseful and thrilling ride all the way to the end of the book.

“What kind of circus is only open at night?” (Morgenstern, 3) The Night Circus is enchanting and mysterious. Prepare yourself for a magical story of intrigue and whimsy. Erin Morgenstern will make you feel like you are a part of the circus. Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves. “Trespasser Will Be Exsanguinated.” (Morgenstern, 51). The Plot: The Night Circus begins in 1873 as Prospero the Enchanter learns that he has a daughter to be left in his care; a daughter with a special magical ability. It is this ability that brings about a mysterious meeting and the beginning of a game. As the years go by, Prospero meticulously trains his daughter Celia in the art of illusion, while the man in the grey suit, from the mysterious meeting, trains his student Marco. Both are bound together to play an unknown game with unknown rules until a winner is judged. The Night Circus becomes the arena for this game, and the moves made by Celia and Marco affect everyone involved in the circus. As the years go by, the two begin to fall in love, finding it more difficult to keep playing the game. A choice has to be made, to finish the game at all costs, or to give in to love and let the circus end. Let me just start out by saying that The Night Circus is definitely one that you have to pay attention to the chapter titles and timelines. With that being said, I LOVED this book. I really took my time reading it and soaking it all in and I was astounded by the immense imagery and story building found in this book! Every single piece of information, and person you meet, has some sort of effect on, or part to play in, the circus. There are so many parts to the whole, and even going backward and forward in time with the chapters helps you to understand what is going on within the circus and the game that Celia and Marco are bound to. Between some of the chapters you can also find pieces of a 2nd person point of view story line that makes you FEEL like you are walking through The Night Circus! The plot, the circus detail, and the characters are amazingly written in this one! The first character we are introduced to is Prospero, or Hector Bowen. He is ultimately the reason behind the circus and the plot because of his choice to start the game with his daughter Celia. Though he is an integral part of the story, I found him greedy and cruel and felt that he cared more about the game and it’s outcome then he did his own daughter. In the beginning of the story we are also introduced to Mr. A. H. in the grey suit. He is also an integral part of the story, as he is the mentor of Marco, Celia’s opponent. Mr. A. H. is mysterious, quiet, and quite possibly a murderer. Our main character, Celia is definitely a favorite character of mine. She is strong, beautiful, and talented in her abilities. She also captures my heart because she is a major bookworm, and holds very high morals. It is no wonder that Marco falls in love with her! Celia’s opponent Marco is a man of mystery. He was taken from an orphanage by Mr. A. H., so his background and origin are unknown. In his first encounter with Celia, he seems mildly intimidated and nervous. He becomes very restless in his training, and has slightly devious aspects in his game moves, but he plays the role of a co-main character well. Though we are introduced to many other characters, with them all being integral parts of the story and the circus, we have one other main character to consider. Bailey is introduced to us further in the story, and further in the future, and starts off as a circus spectator. He begins to build a relationship with the twins, Poppet and Widget (whom were born in the circus on opening night, thus being endowed with magical abilities), and in time, becomes a very important piece to the story. It is Bailey’s childish innocence and ability to dream that ties things together and ultimately offers a resolution to the game. “When you were five years old you turned a laundry tub into a pirate ship and launched an attack against my hydrangeas in my garden.” (Morgenstern, 87). I recommend reading this one slowly so you can take it all in. You will truly feel like part of the circus. Pay close attention to the dates in front of the chapters and let yourself be immersed into the imagery of The Night Circus. “You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus.: (Morgenstern, 387).