Genre: Contemporary
Fantasy
Date of Publication: July
3rd, 2012
Memorable Quotation: “It
is these aficionados, these rêveurs who see the details in
the bigger picture of the circus. They
see the nuance of the costumes, the intricacy of the signs. They buy sugar
flowers and do not eat them, wrapping them in paper instead and carefully
bringing them home. They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about
the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent.” (Pg.
184)
Lasting Impression: The Night Circus, or Le Cirque des Rêves (The Circus of Dreams), will leave you breathless with how vivid the story
and the Circus are, leaving the readers as upset to see the last page as the
last patron of the circus is to see the sun rise.
Story line: A+
Pace of Story: A+
Characters: A+
Ending: A+
Overall Grade: A+
Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus is
nothing short of spectacular. There are innumerable reasons why this circus is
so unique, the most noteworthy being that the circus does not adhere to the
usual visions of what a circus is. The
Night Circus is not only absent of clowns and elephants but also of color;
the tents, booths, and costumes are all covered in shades of black, white, and
gray; the lack of color giving the Circus a more sophisticated look.
Inside the walls of the circus
are many stories to told, all of which are in some way tied to the deadly game
of skill two magicians, Celia and Marco, have been unknowingly forced into by
their instructors. Through the third
person perspectives of numerous characters, including the magicians themselves,
we are shown a world where futures can be read in the stars, illusions are real
magic in disguise, and forbidden love always finds a way with a little luck and
perseverance.
The description of the circus and everything
it offers is exquisite, but it is Morgenstern’s description and personality
each character is given that sets this novel apart from anything I have ever
read. When Marco first falls in love
with Celia, for instance, the reader finds themselves falling in love with her
too. As the romance between the two
magicians blossoms, they learn to express their secret love for one another
through the different exhibits throughout the circus, a beautiful yet painful
display of affection that will make anyone’s heart ache.
Another example of Morgenstern’s
amazing storytelling is shown during the opening ceremony of the Night Circus,
when the cauldron in the middle of the courtyard has a beautiful archery/fire
display presented and everyone, including the reader, can feel and see
everything as if they were there. The
amount of detail required to write such a book is extraordinary, and left me
feeling breathless numerous times.
In an ironic way,
the best feature of The Night Circus is also its worst. It is amazing how much this novel draws the
reader in and how full of detail the chapters are, but unfortunately the
chapters do not always flow very well together.
Sometimes you become so deeply engrossed in one story line that going
into the next chapter is a bit like being thrown into a pool; the coldness is
shocking at first but once you get used to it, you adjust.
Personally, my soul has been stirred by this beautiful story
by the beauty of the characters, the circus, the mysteries everyone is hiding
for fear of being exposed. There is so much to be analyzed and discussed but
fear of saying too much leaves me only brushing the surface. If there is one novel I could recommend for
you to take a journey on, it is The Night Circus, for it is not often that
someone creates a novel made out of dreams and intertwines them with the most brilliant
of words to capture them.
~Shelly-Beans
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