The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern
Pages: 387
Source: Gift
Format: Hardback

Rating: I really liked it!

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

My Review:

Beautiful, enchanting, enticing, imaginative, alluring, haunting, magical! I could go on and on. While slow to start, The Night Circus ends up a book to remember. 

Before I started this book I had heard such wonderful things about it and I couldn't wait to start it. However, it didn't instantly grab me as I wished. There was no doubt that there was beauty to it, but the beginning is very much a set up. But once the book gets going and you get into it, it's hard to turn away! 

The story itself was just so imaginative. I could easily picture being there and was so sad when I had to come back to reality. A circus where magic is real? All the tents described were delectable and enticing. Each one incredibly unique and beautiful. 

The writing, while breathtakingly beautiful, could get confusing at times. The book takes place over 30 some odd years, but its not all in chronological order. It takes getting used to and while confusing at first, it all comes together in the end. What I loved about it was trying to piece it all together. You meet all these people and you have to figure out how they play into the book. You're playing the game right alongside them. 

Also, I really enjoyed the sporadic use of second person narrative. Interspersed throughout the book are little parts telling how "you" see it. I personally think it made it more engaging and helped me really get into the book and feel a part of it. 

Overall:

This book is so beautiful. It's a complex world of love, loss and magic. With gravity-defying Marry-Go-Rounds, Ice Gardens and a white-flamed bonfire, this book is a treat for the imagination and those who still believe there could be magic in this world. 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie