Reviewed by Ambrea
“The
circus arrives without warning.”
The
Night Circus, known by its followers as Le Cirque des Rêves, slips into town
without notice. No one knows when or
where it will appear, and no one knows how long it shall stay; rather, it is
known only to open its gates from dusk until dawn, closing quickly at the first
rays of sunlight. For visitors, the
Night Circus resembles a dream with its amazing performances, its astonishing
feats of magic, and its fantastical tents.
For others, like Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair, the Night Circus holds
grave and perilous secrets—and, more importantly, the key to their survival.
Trained
expressly for the purpose of pitting their talents against one another, Celia
and Marco use the Night Circus as a battleground. And caught in the middle of their dangerous
competition are the lives of patron and performer alike, such as young Bailey,
who falls in love with the circus, and Poppet and Widget, twins who have the
unique opportunity of finding their entire lives wrapped up in the striped
tents of Le Cirque des Rêves.
When
I cracked open The Night Circus, I
was immediately hooked. Erin Morgenstern’s
novel is addictive, like her circus creations, and equally fantastic. Her novel has a level of visual precision and
creative acuity that is, in a word, extraordinary. The
Night Circus is rich with detail, crafted with uncanny precision and populated
with beautiful scenery, breath-taking adventures, and endearing characters.
As
the stories of Celia and Marco—and, subsequently, Bailey, Poppet and Widget—unfold,
it’s fascinating to see how Le Cirque des Rêves adapts and changes to fit
them. I especially loved the idea of the
circus being a battleground, a test to see which magician is strongest: Celia with her raw, untamable talent, or Marco
with his clever enchantments and powerful spell-binding.
I
loved the sense of adventure and romance, the danger and the daring and the
drama. In general, I loved the entire
concept of the circus. It has a
fascinating genesis and, honestly, it’s beautifully portrayed with its
black-and-white striped tents, its magical characters and creations that seemed
to be pulled directly from a dream. I
couldn’t help but be drawn into their world.
Once
I started, I devoured The Night Circus. On the one hand, I wanted to find out when
and where all the puzzle pieces would fall into place; on the other hand, I
also wanted to know what would happen to Marco and Celia. Since one or both magicians can fail the
competition, I was justifiably worried for Celia and Marco. I mean, I’d learned to love them both over
the course of the book: what would
happen to them? Would they die? Would Celia survive—or would Marco?
I won't say anything to avoid giving away the conclusion,
but I will say that I was left with a warring sense of satisfaction and
displeasure when I finished Morgenstern’s novel. Equal parts romantic and tragic, The Night Circus left me with a sense
of fulfillment—and a lingering desire that things had turned out differently
for the magical duo.
