The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Doubleday, 2011
Source: Library
Read for: R.I.P. VI Challenge

"The circus arrives without warning." So begins the magical foray into Le Cirque des Reves, a sliver of dreamland that appears without warning, is only open from dusk until dawn, and enchants and fascinates its visitors, often making them devoted followers for the rest of their lives. At the heart of the circus are two enchanters locked into a magical duel. However, as the circus grows around them, they begin to pool their efforts, creating sights and experiences that are more and more magical, until the magic turns inward and compels them to love. Who will be left standing, and will the circus survive the standoff?

The Night Circus is a book that has received a great deal of attention since it was born into the bookstore world two weeks ago. Already I've seen bloggers and readers turn away from it because of the hype. Because of that reaction, I am hesitant to say what I'm about to tell you. I don't want anyone to avoid this book because they don't want to follow popular sentiment or be disappointed in a story that is lauded with too much energy. However.

This book has firmly lodged itself on the hallowed shelf that holds my "favorites." In fact, because I am a weirdo and actually rate books and movies and songs in my head, I will tell you that it is now my third favorite book. So. If you are turned off by hype, please avoid the rest of this post. Please avoid all the other gushing reviews and glowing praise, get the book for yourself, read it, and come back to me. However, if you want to know why I loved it, read on.

Reading The Night Circus is an incredibly rich reading experience. The prose is abundant with vivid images and sensations - you can taste the chocolate mice (with almond ears and a licorice tail), feel the bite of the bonfire's heat through the chilling air, see Madame Padva's luxurious velvet gowns. You can feel the magical energy the circus is humming with on your skin. At the same time, the story itself is told sparsely. While every image is illustrated thoroughly, leaving no sense to be questioned, the pieces of the story fall into place slowly, told in scenes that happen sporadically, skipping back and forth between different years and characters. The story unfolds delicately. We don't see inside the characters' minds. However, once the final pages are reached, the loose ends are tied. You may not understand all the mechanics of the book, all the reasons why things occurred the way they did. Some aspects of the story are still shrouded in mystery. However, it was satisfying for me. The mystery was part of the enjoyment.

The characters themselves are also a delight. They are all unique, eccentric, and talented, adding different qualities to the circus. There is no villain (although Prospero is probably the closest thing). The characters are complex with different motivations. They all do good, and they all do wrong. I enjoyed getting to know all of them.

And of course, the circus itself. Several chapters in the story are told in second person, guiding the reader through the circus. I thought this was a very unique and effective device to immerse the reader in the circus. The narrative part of the story vacillates between the past and a more immediate present, but instead of being disjointing, the personal journeys interspersed between chapters gave me the opportunity to experience the circus for myself. It made the story personal to me - I cared about the characters and the circus. I wanted both to survive. I was fully invested. And really, wouldn't it be lovely if we could visit a place like that, a place fully devoted to experiencing beauty in every sense?

This is one of the few books that I read as slowly as possible. I did not want it to end. If I could, I would be a reveur and dress in black and white and red and follow the circus around the world. I would own an Herr Thiessen clock. Reading The Night Circus was one of the most positive and delightful reading experiences I have had in years, and I cannot recommend it enough.

5 stars

Warnings: Brief sensuality, there might be language but I can't remember