Monday, February 29, 2016

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern


The Night Circus
512 Pages
Trade Paperback
Fiction
2011

Hurrah, I am finally reading something that isn't Terry Pratchett or Stephen King. What a wonderful book to make the journey with. My wife gave me a copy of this book for Christmas this year. After reading just the first few pages I was drawn in and I quickly read through the rest of the book in about a week. 

The book tells a story through mystery, secrets and revelations. It seems as if we are jumping through time and getting the tale by walking around the outside slowly circling until things become more clear. Between some of the chapters we are giving a first hand account of certain parts of the circus that display the magical inner workings of the circus tents. 

We start with two magicians making a deal. We aren't privy to what the deal really consists of, but realize that it will involve each training an apprentice of sorts and that this is not the first time these two men have played this "game" before. We meet a young boy who is drawn to the circus when it appears in a field near his house. 

The two apprentices soon find themselves a part of the Night Circus and they start to prove there magical worth by creating astounding and beautiful sights that seem to only be possible within the limits of the Circus. The young boy befriends a circus performer and starts to revel in the mystery of the Night Circus. 

It is really difficult to explain fully what the story involves without revealing too much. The reader is invited into the world of the circus and becomes intertwined with all the workings within. 

3 Emotional/Intellectual - I read other reviews that say the two main characters are wooden and "unemotional" I didn't feel that with the books, both of them are extremely reserved because of their unique experience and upbringing. I personally found them and many of the other character to be real and I cared for them.

5 Style/Readabilitty - I really enjoyed Morgenstern's writing. She presented us with this mysterious place with magical happenings, then carefully revealed how it came to be and why it continues to exist.

3 Long Term Impact - The book is a National Bestseller and it is her first novel. I hope this is an indication of other great things to come. More fantastic books like this is what I crave.

11 out of 13. I really enjoyed the book. I think a reader that enjoys magical realism would find this to be well worth your time.

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