Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

A friend of mine had recommended several books by Erin Morgenstern and I had read and thoroughly enjoyed The Starless Sea, so I figured it give The Night Circus a read. Instead of a magical library we have a magical circus. It seemed intriguing and atmospheric, here's the Goodreads blurb:

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.

Read on for my spoiler-free review.

Overall Impression

This was quite an enjoyable book. I don't think it was as good as The Starless Sea, but it was still fun and had a charming ambience. I wish I could visit a circus as intriguing and magical as this one. The plot jumps a little in time, which made it hard to follow at first and while the characters are interesting, the focus is really on the circus and how it relates to the mysterious challenge of the key characters Celia and Marco.

Plot

The plot meanders through time and through point of view. Some brief sections are in the second-person, having you the reader enjoy the circus for what it is. Most however, are in the third person following either the characters involved in the inception of the circus in the late 1800s or a young fan of the circus in the early 1900s. The jumping back and forth through time can initially be a bit jarring, but after a while you get a sense for the characters and can tell when you are in the "past" or the "present". That being said, at some point they start to converge and they become the same story. Despite the looming challenge that Celia and Marco are taking, the plot mainly focuses on the magic of the circus itself and the relationship between a few of the characters.

Characters

There are several interesting characters throughout the story, chief among them Celia and Marco, who are stuck in a challenge they must complete. There is also Bailey, a young fan of the circus, Poppet and Widget, twins that were born at the opening of the circus, and many other people associated in some way with the circus. This is very much a fantasy romance and you know from the get-go (and the blurb) that Celia and Marco are star crossed lovers in some fashion. Despite that, it is still good to see them grow into it though their relationship felt at times a little rushed. The secondary characters sometimes feel like they have more realistic emotions with, for example, their slower appreciation of the circus and its people. Bailey was particularly interesting as he is among the more "normal" characters, but just happens to be at the right place and time to get swept into the story.

Setting / World Building

Le Cirque des Rêves, the Circus of Dreams, is a magical place. It appears as if from thin air unannounced and opens its gates at sunset. This night circus is full of mystery and intrigue with lots of tents and performances, all in monochrome black and white. There are illusionists, acrobats, contortionists, fortune tellers, and plenty of the typical food you would find at such a place. This is the main focus of the book- the mystery of the circus as the challenge ground for Celia and Marco. I haven't been to the circus in ages, and while I've seen more recently performances at the Cirque du Soleil, that is more a show rather than the experience of a ground full of tents and things to do and experience. The book does a good job of selling you the magic of the circus.

While there is real magic in this book, it plays a minor role and is more the setting in which the characters will act. Celia is naturally gifted, while Marco has to learn; I think of it as the difference between a sorcerer and a wizard, in more traditional fantasies. Regardless, we see most of the magic indirectly, except for some minor illusions or manipulations. Most of the circus is magical but only partially alluded to. We learn that some tents are made by one or the other, but exactly how is not the point of the story.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun book that I read a little slowly to enjoy some of the aspects of it. As I mentioned previously, I preferred The Starless Sea much more- the magic and ambience in that one are hard to beat. Regardless, this book makes you wish you could visit such a unique circus. While the plot and characters are weaker, the setting helps carry the story all the way through.