Hardcover, 387 pages
English language
Published Nov. 6, 2011 by Doubleday.
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 …
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 per formers 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. - Publisher.
This novel is a light, entertaining story with appealing characters. And it's best if one knows as little as possible before starting it. So.
One of those books where the mystery is more interesting when you know less about it, but still quite good. If the ending had been as strong as the beginning, I would have given it 5 stars.
The great illusionist Prospero has a daughter. When her mother dies, he binds her into a challenge, to pit her magic against another; a boy whose identity will remain secret for many years to come. After her father’s death, Celia applies to join the Night Circus as an illusionist. Initially laughed at for being a woman, she dazzles the proprietor with her manipulations, creating birds from inanimate objects and transforming the colours of her gown. She is hired on the spot. As the circus evolves, Celia learns that the game is afoot.
The imagery is stylish and I think the creation that is the circus is wonderful; one I would probably much prefer in a visual medium. I would love to see a film adaptation. The circus exists in monotone; black and white striped tents, exhibits in shades of grey lacking colour and the circus groupies, rêveurs, who dress in …
The great illusionist Prospero has a daughter. When her mother dies, he binds her into a challenge, to pit her magic against another; a boy whose identity will remain secret for many years to come. After her father’s death, Celia applies to join the Night Circus as an illusionist. Initially laughed at for being a woman, she dazzles the proprietor with her manipulations, creating birds from inanimate objects and transforming the colours of her gown. She is hired on the spot. As the circus evolves, Celia learns that the game is afoot.
The imagery is stylish and I think the creation that is the circus is wonderful; one I would probably much prefer in a visual medium. I would love to see a film adaptation. The circus exists in monotone; black and white striped tents, exhibits in shades of grey lacking colour and the circus groupies, rêveurs, who dress in black with a hint of bright red about their person. The animals that grace the performances lack colour; zebras, ravens, white doves. Even the flames that light the candles are pure, bright white.
Perhaps I am suffering from hype fatigue as I was left feeling rather disappointed after seeing so many rave reviews over the last year. I felt that Erin Morgenstern had a wonderful idea, put all her effort into building the circus through prose and forgot about the characters and plot. An overly long build-up left me feeling like nothing was ever going to happen and even when it did, the next chapter would jump back into describing the circus again.
The characters were a little two-dimensional, which if you like a fairy tale feel could work but I didn’t really care what happened to them. Celia is abused as a child by her father, having her fingers cut and broken in order for her to mend them. She doesn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with this and it didn’t impact on her relationship with him. She was just a pawn, a pawn that could do wonderful, magical things, but really lacking depth. I liked the lesser characters a bit more, especially the twins.
I did really enjoy the final 150 pages though. I might have absolutely loved the book were it a novella but at nearly 500 pages, it was a bit of a struggle. There are some lovely passages and some of the ideas at the end really deserved a bit more exploration but it didn’t quite work as a finished novel for me.
Oh this book is lovely. It's deep and well-paced and has some of the most vivid imagery I've read in a long time. I swear I could smell the popcorn and hear the violins and taste the chocolate mice (though that might have been this fever helping out).
The book follows a classic magician's duel that is played out through the construction of a fantastical circus. The two unwilling combatants are tied into the game at a very young age by their respective teachers, who have an ancient but amiable vendetta. That's where the book starts, and it only becomes more convoluted from there. It's definitely a novel about characters—the combatants, the performers, the circus followers, and the circus itself (and it's an elegant monochrome cirque du soleil sort of circus, look for tumblers and illusionists and living statues here, not clowns and rainbow-bright colors).
I haven't read the cover …
Oh this book is lovely. It's deep and well-paced and has some of the most vivid imagery I've read in a long time. I swear I could smell the popcorn and hear the violins and taste the chocolate mice (though that might have been this fever helping out).
The book follows a classic magician's duel that is played out through the construction of a fantastical circus. The two unwilling combatants are tied into the game at a very young age by their respective teachers, who have an ancient but amiable vendetta. That's where the book starts, and it only becomes more convoluted from there. It's definitely a novel about characters—the combatants, the performers, the circus followers, and the circus itself (and it's an elegant monochrome cirque du soleil sort of circus, look for tumblers and illusionists and living statues here, not clowns and rainbow-bright colors).
I haven't read the cover blurb, as I bought this as an ebook upon a recommendation, but I hear it's highly misleading.
So let me just say: if you liked 'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell', 'The Prestige', and the tv series 'Carnivale' as much as I did... Then this is for you. Go for it.
I updated my rating on this book to 5 stars because although I read it ages ago it has stuck with me, and I need to read it again. It a seriously fun and beautifully written book.
The atmosphere and imagery for this dream like novel is spectacular. The Night Circus reminds me of that TV show Carnivàle; full of unimaginable wonder, mystery and a circus of wonder. At times this book also reminds me of a Neil Gaiman book playful with some dramatic surrealism thrown in for good measure. While everything from the illusions, circus exhibitions and even the clocks seem so unreal and unimaginable, Erin Morgenstern skilfully describes everything so well that you can picture it; even if you can’t make sense of it.
The Night Circus is a fairy tale of a circus in Victorian London that is full of magic when the sun sets till the sun rises in the morning. It has magic, romance, mystery and constant excitement. Morgenstern times the scene changes so well that while you want to know more, you are eager to find out what will happen next. …
The atmosphere and imagery for this dream like novel is spectacular. The Night Circus reminds me of that TV show Carnivàle; full of unimaginable wonder, mystery and a circus of wonder. At times this book also reminds me of a Neil Gaiman book playful with some dramatic surrealism thrown in for good measure. While everything from the illusions, circus exhibitions and even the clocks seem so unreal and unimaginable, Erin Morgenstern skilfully describes everything so well that you can picture it; even if you can’t make sense of it.
The Night Circus is a fairy tale of a circus in Victorian London that is full of magic when the sun sets till the sun rises in the morning. It has magic, romance, mystery and constant excitement. Morgenstern times the scene changes so well that while you want to know more, you are eager to find out what will happen next. It’s a skilful tactic that makes this book simply brilliant in every aspect. Even though this is a book the imagery makes this story amazingly visual you almost want to use the word ‘cinematography’ while writing a review of it. I’m not going to talk about the story line; you just have to find out that for yourself. There are a few flaws they are so easily forgotten in this book that is so close to perfection.
nice glimpses of a fantastical world, all wrapped up in the ending.
When I read the description of this book as a "Romeo & Juliet" love story that takes place in a fantastical circus, I thought, "Cool! Sounds perfect!" When I found out it was being read by Jim Dale (the popular narrator of the Harry Potter books) I downloaded it right away.
Unfortunately, this book did not live up to the hype. I was very disappointed since the story is so original in an industry that keeps chugging out the same ol' romance and/or murder mystery by the same authors. But for me, there was too much time spent on describing the circus instead of developing the characters. Celia and Marcus were barely in the same room for most of the story, and then all of the sudden they realize they're in love? I didn't buy it. I will say that I loved the author's description of the circus in spite …
When I read the description of this book as a "Romeo & Juliet" love story that takes place in a fantastical circus, I thought, "Cool! Sounds perfect!" When I found out it was being read by Jim Dale (the popular narrator of the Harry Potter books) I downloaded it right away.
Unfortunately, this book did not live up to the hype. I was very disappointed since the story is so original in an industry that keeps chugging out the same ol' romance and/or murder mystery by the same authors. But for me, there was too much time spent on describing the circus instead of developing the characters. Celia and Marcus were barely in the same room for most of the story, and then all of the sudden they realize they're in love? I didn't buy it. I will say that I loved the author's description of the circus in spite of the fact that:
1.) I have little patience for authors who go on and on about a setting, and
2.) The circus creeps me the $%*& out - seriously, clowns are psychotic
The book is well-written and Jim Dale is a delight (although, he did seem to go overboard with the Scottish accents in this one), but the story was just not quite there.
