The Night Circus (Vintage books) (Paperback)
Short Description for The Night Circus The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads: Opens at Nightfall. Closes at Dawn.
Full description- Publisher: VINTAGE
- Published: 24 May 2012
- Format: Paperback 512 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: Contemporary Fiction
- ISBN 13: 9780099570295 ISBN 10: 0099570297
- Sales rank: 315
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Reviews for The Night Circus
- Top review
Into the night
I'm always saddened when I complete a stand alone book. Even more so when I come to realize that this is the author's debute, and that there are no new books to read as of yet.
The Night Circus is an amazing book, although it is not intended for everyone. The descriptions sweep you off your feet, and your imagination takes you to places not unlike Neverland or Middle Earth, despite the element of fantasy being much subtler.
Much like Chekhov's pieces, much of the plot here happens in the background. We do not see our protagonists fall in love, but are told so a few years later. We do not see the pieces within their game being moved, until the game is nearly complete. We see the ripples of actions, of dialogues, of stories, and above all, we cry and smile with the full cast of the book.
What few down sides that do exist (which, frankly, is only the fact that Marco and Celia are flat and not really interesting characters), are unimportant by the time reading is done.
This book was a pleasure to read, and I cannot wait for Morgenstern to publish more. Get to it. by Shery A Dazzling Journey
Also published in "A Cup of Coffee and a Book"
"You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus. You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream." (~490, The Night Circus)
The Night Circus is anything like I've read before. It was such a dazzling journey I admit being quite speechless but I'll try to explain myself in this review though I believe it won't be coherent.
This book, brought to us by Erin Morgenstern, is a magical romance within a game in which Le Cirque des Rêves is the venue. We are presented to Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair and they need to prove to their mentors that one of them is stronger than the other. And what was once a competition, soon turns into demonstrations of affections through magic and illusions.
The circus isn't a normal circus. It appears out of thin air, without warning and you never know when it'll disappear. As soon as you approach the fence, you understand it's not an ordinary circus with clowns and animals and tricksters. Instead, you find several tents, each one even more wonderful than the other. And despite being a circus, it lacks colour, the black and white stripes and main pallet being the only colour around you. Apart from one or two shades of red from the Rêveurs.
Morgenstern created a breathtaking book that hooks since chapter one. As soon as you enter the circus, you don't wish to leaves it and when you stop reading it even for a minute, you barely recognise your world and know where you are. You don't know what's real and what's not.
The writing was beautifully developed. There's two distinct timelines within the book that twist together at the end. You might find it complicated to read two different moments in time, but the way Erin divided them and marked them was rather smart. At each change, she would add a small description of the circus, letting us get inside it as a visitor rather than a reader. I found those small snippets a brilliant way to caught our attention to the venue.
I will be utter honest with you, I am trying to resume something I felt so personal I believe I'm not actually making any sense at all. This book is a total excited and mystical experience it differs from person to person and you need to go through it to fully understand my statements. You need to visit the various tents, the various characters and moments in this book to understand the magnitude of what Erin Morgenstern created. It lies within your feelings rather than in your writing 'cause, for me, it's being a difficult task for me to put it in words.
Magic works in mysterious ways and, for me, this book was a dazzling journey in which love conquers all and dreams are told to come true. With this story, I believed in the power of magic and, I can honestly admit, I've became a Rêveur.
"Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. There's magic in that. It's in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift. Your sister may be able to see the future, but you yourself can shape it, boy. Do not forget that... there are many kinds of magic, after all." (~482, The Night Circus) by Leonor (Ner)Enchanting!!!!
I just finished the book and i´m like Waw... What a amanzing journey is reading a book like that. All details the writer give us of that world is almost like a sensorial experience, de description of the circus, the characters, the magic tricks(or not), i adore it and i never like going the circus wich is fun because is my favourite book of the year so far... by sara pereira
The Night Circus
Read my full review on my blog, Michelle Shouts Random.
***
Let me give you my reason for giving this book a rating of five and why I really liked it when other readers would say that this book is slow-paced and too much of magic that they can't keep up. I'd say that the magnificent magic stunt that left me in awe--every time there would be, which is every time--masked the 'slow-paced-ness' of the book that I didn't mind (or noticed) it at all. For me, it's not too much; it kept me excited and read the rest of the pages.
The story was that two 'masters' decided to have their battle again with their new chosen students. There's not an exact reason for the competition or reward known for the winning master and his student. It remained a unknown mystery throughout the book, but whoever student lost shall die.
It is, indeed, not the kind of book I've never read before. The short summary (seen above) is promising yet another forbidden love, which is more expected in books these days. But the thing is, how can the two main characters, Celia and Marco, can escape this competition to be together without hurting each other when the magic itself bounds them into the never-ending competition? It took until the near-end of the book to finally have a solution. I love the romance between them but I wished they were given more exposure with it to make it more appealing.
I loved how some parts of the book was narrated like you're the one entering the circus, the overall mystery and twist in the end. I also loved how the author thought of showcasing other interesting characters, besides the main. Each have their own way of shining with the roles they play. They didn't appear as supporting characters, but one of the reasons how the circus--and this book--sparked.
Let me share you a line from the book..
M. Chandresh Christophe Lefevre continues to push the boundaries of the modern stage, dazzling his audiences with spectacle that is almost transcendent.
And let me re-write this line to describe how the book is for me..
E. Morgenstern pushes the boundaries of the modern stage, dazzling her audiences with spectacle that is transcendent.
I must say that I am dazzled by this book. It is enchanting and mysterious at the same time that it don't hurt. by Michelle SedeñoStunning - Must read
I'm rarely moved to write a review, but this was potentially the most stunning book I have had the pleasure to read. The writing is intoxicating, the story mesmerising. It leaves you enriched by the experience, in the same manner the reveures are from the circus, and reluctant to leave Morgenstern's world. by Katherine Payne
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