Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

Expected Publication: September 13th 2011

by Doubleday

I received this ARC through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. Thank you. 

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.

UK cover

I have no enough words to describe this book. I'm amazed how a really good story, with so detailed descriptions and so credible and great characters, can transport you to another word… to a completely different, magic, and marvelous… world. 

Before I started reading this book I didn't know what I was going to find out in those pages… I was excited, but also skeptical… This was my first time hearing about Erin Morgenstern, and even though the plot looked really good, (The idea of the circus was striking) I wasn't sure I was going to like this novel.

How wrong I was! From the very first moment the story caught my attention, all those descriptions made the book even more realistic…. and the suspense…. even though this story is not about a murder or an investigation, the mystery is present all the time… you don't know what is going to happen, and at the same time you are trying to discover what is the next step, what is the next move of the author…  and that, for me, was an awesome experience… I love that kind of book that kept me motivated to continue reading, and "The Night Circus" did it!

The Illusionist

Also the theme was something I really enjoyed. All those fans of the movies "The Illusionist" (2006) and "The Prestige" (2006) will enjoy this book, which has a lot of similarities; the feelings and sensations…. and the same magic, and illusions, but of course, the story is completely different. 

So, maybe you are asking why four stars instead of five… That is simple. The book can be sometimes tiring and slow with all those descriptions. For those who prefer books with an active and quick story, this book will be a pain to read. There are too many stories, different characters in different places and in different times, all together, and you need to read the book entirely and carefully to understand what is their relationship… why are they important to the story? Why is the story told in that way? So, that is why I'm not impressed to read a few reviews with less than three stars. 

So, what can I say?

I have read thousands of books, that always promised me great stories, but I always end up disappointed. This book was the opposite. From the beginning the author showed me a wonderful world full of magic, incredible things, unforgettable characters and an extraordinary story. She made me believe that I was also part of it. 

Really like it!