The finest of pleasures are always the unexpected ones
I heard so many good things about The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, back when it came out, but never got to reading it. Until now, and the hype has died or something, because I actually have not heard anything about it anymore (but according to Erin’s website there is still a lot of hype going on).
Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Rating:
Title & Author: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: September 13 2011
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Doubleday
Synopsis
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.
I give The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern five out of five stars. I loved it and it is a great and curious tale. The story lines were great and how they came together in the end. All the characters get as much attention as they need and no one is really underrated.
Erin Morgenstern writes with such descriptions, but not as much as J.R.R. Tolkien does, which I really liked. She also makes great use of all the senses one person has.
Great thing also is, it’s for once a standalone novel instead of again a series of books I have to read before I have the end of the complete story.
All the characters were great, some of them mysterious, like Alexander, or funny, like Widget and Poppet. I just liked them all. Especially Poppet and Widget, the twins, they have interaction with all the characters, even though you do not know it at the time.
Celia Bowen, one of the real main characters is lovely and gets introduced as a young girl with no idea of what she has gotten into when her father puts her in a competition against someone she has never met. In the end she gets what she wants, even though not completely how she wanted it.
I feel Bailey, as the only non Circus characters, is very recognisable. He has a older sister and is kept down by her, his parents also do not listen to him. Which sounds to me like a very realistic character.
Overall I really enjoyed The Night Circus a lot and it made me want to read more by Erin Morgenstern, but she has only released a few short stories and not really new stuff.
Let me know what you thought of this book!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.
For now, let books enrich your life!