Beautiful and alluring, the enigma that is The Night Circus is a story that will stay with you and take over your heart. Pushed on me over a year ago by my younger brother, he told me the Night Circus was his favorite story he had ever read. As with most things he recommends I knew it would be a flawless book, but I still was unprepared for how quickly the tale enthralled me.
A dark competition set between two master magicians, their protegees are dragged into a game where they, and the reader don’t fully know the rules until the very end. Never the less, while Marco and Celia are the true beating pulse of the story the large, and enigmatic cast have the undeniable feeling of being welcomed home. Haughty but protective aunts who might be witches, warm uncles giving helping hands in your projects, and children underfoot. Whether a family gathering or a circus somehow the reader becomes part of this tight knit group that I know I will be coming back to over and over again.
I know that purple prose isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but as Ms. Morgenstern has easily the most descriptive and unique prose I’ve ever read. You are surrounded by amazing feats of magic, that I could see as if I were standing in the room. While she writes about illusionists, I truly believe that she is one herself.
I have to be honest. I set the book down for several months. Not because I didn’t enjoy reading it, but because I only had acts four and five left, and I knew that they would break my heart. Also because I didn’t want to say goodbye to this beautiful world I had joined. Well, I was right on all accounts. I don’t know the last time a book made me sob, with such tender heartbreak. How enraptured I was with the competition-turned love story. As one character says at the end, the reader is surrounded by love notes from Marco to Celia and back again the entire time the circus is travelling. How then, could I not fall in love with them and their story?
Just like the true fans of the Circus, I would love to dress up in black and white, with just a dash of red, to wander the circus. To see Celia perform her feats of magic, to have the scent of smoke and caramel surround me, to watch the kitten show, to see the clock that Herr Theissen made, place a wish upon the wishing tree, watch as Isobel tells my fortune, and delve through the Ice Garden or fall through the Cloud Maze. As any true Rêveur I am now dedicated to the Circus. I would recommend it as the best nocturnal visit you might ever have. Just remember, the circus arrives without warning.
You can get your own copy of The Night Circus here at Bookshop.org which supports local independent bookstores!
my way by Starlight 