Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Series/Novel: Novel

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction and Romance

Pages: 490

Publisher: Vintage Books

Year Published: 2011

First Line: “The circus arrives without warning.”

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.

Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way--a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a "game" to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.

As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved--the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them--are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.

But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.

Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern's spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages.”

My Rating: 5/5

Happy Holidays! I hope that everyone is warm and safe. This book was an excellent surprise it included magic, competition and love. It really made me wonder about the what ifs of human possibilities. It also all tied in so beautifully together, let it be known that at the end of this fantastic novel everything that you have read begins to really hit home and tie together. The author did an excellent job making characters both larger than life, but also realistic, characters a reader gets to know and falls in love with.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to embrace this novel during the school and holiday season although I wished I had had the time to read it in one sitting, I’m grateful that I took the time to fully immerse myself in the circus, the different sights, sounds and just the sense of wonder that is throughout the whole book.

I’m excited that this book was wrapped up in such a beautiful way. A way that made me not long for more but feel a sense of peace at the end.

The setting was so well developed that as I read I felt both at home and full of wonder about the circus and the surroundings, everything was perfectly

THANK YOU ERIN MORGENSTERN FOR PAINTING A BEAUTIFUL STORY THAT HELPS ADULTS IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES OF MAGIC!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny

Spoiler: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Happy holidays all of you lovelies. I hope that you are all safe and warm on this beautiful day/night/evening.

This was a fantastic fall/winter read. I enjoyed the thought of magic all wrapped up in my blankets with a cup of coffee. It was an excellent distraction from all the school work that was flooding in.

The setting in this novel was so well described that I felt as though I was really entering the circus and finding out the mysteries with the participants.

Characters:

♥ Celia: She is really something else. I enjoyed the fact that she was so strong and powerful although it was heartbreaking to see her alone, so when Marco and her hooked up I was excited but also hesitant as they were competitors. As the story went on and we find that only one will survive I began to wonder what in the world they would do to either save each other or to stay together. As the story unwrapped, I began to see what the others were planning, but I had no idea if that would work. In fact, I worried about the fate of everyone in the circus. Would they consider it to selfish to die together and leave the others attached. In the end, I understand why they did what they did, so as to save all those around them.

♥ Marcos: He was a really struggle to get to like after the way he treated his other little friend, but in reality, he was lonely and people have been known to do worse when they are lonely. He is great for Celia. They belong together and were certainly my definition of star crossed lovers. I enjoyed watching their romance unfold and seeing them lose themselves to each other. I’m happy that they were able to pass on the circus to Bailey, Poppet and Widget, they will surely take care of it.

♥ Poppet: She’s a little odd, but truly a smart and loving girl. She cares so much for those around her and I hope that she does not get hurt by that, but her smarts will likely guide her along with her extraordinary talent.

♥ Widget: I worry about him befriending the man in the grey suit. I don’t trust him, to pit others against each other to the death is unacceptable. But he is a natural storyteller, as you can tell by the way he describes the circus throughout the novel.

♥ Bailey: To give up your family and home for the unknown is brave, but to bind yourself to something ever changing and so full of wonder. I hope that Bailey never loses his appreciation for the circus.

I could go on to mention all the other characters, but in reality I could go on forever.

Moments to Remember:

♥Pg. 477

“‘Stories have changed, my dear boy,’ the man in the grey suit says, his voice almost imperceptibly sad. ‘There are no more battles between good and evil, no monsters to slay, no maidens in need of rescue. Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something, in any case.’”

♥Pg. 490

“You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny