Jaclyn’s Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus
written by Erin Morgenstern
published by Doubleday, 2011

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books, Target, Kobo, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book? Oh boy, this book was a labor of love. The idea of this book, the plot, the world it exists in . . . they are all beautiful. The writing is descriptive and poetic–a joy to read, even if there was no story to be told. The story and characters are unique and intriguing. My only problem with this book is that it is incredibly slow. The author takes a very long time to set the scene, describing each minute detail and feeling the characters have. Unfortunately, this leaves very little room for the actual story. It took me a while to realize that the chapters each take place at different points in the timeline–some much farther into the future. After I realized what was happening, I found myself looking forward to the eventual clash of timelines and stories. Overall, I loved the writing but wished for just a little more developed story.

Would I recommend it? Overall, I did like the book, so I would ultimately recommend it. I think this is a book that you read for the joy of the written word. The author is clearly masterful and has weaved an amazingly imaginative world.
 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, 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. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

 

 

 

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** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on June 8, 2020.