My View ~ The Night Circus

 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

5- Moms Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Dessert. It doesn’t get any better!

 

 

 

Synopsis:  (From Good Reads)

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.

What Did I Think?  

“The Circus arrives without warning.”

This is the first line in one of my favorite books of the year. The Night Circus was more of an experience than a book. I could completely imagine everything that she described in my mind, though if Erin Morgenstern had not written it I feel quite sure that I never would have had the imagination to think of such wondrous things on my own. Every page a surprise, every sentence magic. I almost feel as if I have not lived my life to its fullest for never having experienced Le Cirque des Rêves for myself. I saw that the film rights have already been purchased and I while I hope the movie version comes to fruition, they better bring their best and brightest into the fold if they plan to capture even a fraction of the magic created in the book. I feel certain that the images in my head brought about by her words are more magnificent than anything they can reproduce on camera. Perhaps they will prove me wrong.

As I often do, I skipped reading the synopsis and just started reading. I read it afterwards though and I am glad I skipped it. I think it gives away so much that is much more beautifully experienced in the time it was meant to be learned (this is actually my opinion on most synopsis’ actually.) Since I had not read the synopsis I could not even tell another person what the story was truly about until I was more than 100 pages in, I only knew that I loved it. This story does something that I feel so few stories do anymore, it takes its time. I understand the appeal of jumping into the middle of the action, but sometimes I want the buildup. Her storytelling reminds me of Stephen King actually, both take their time. Nothing is glossed over, nothing left unsaid but there is nothing extraneous either. There is a real art to that kind of story telling. If you are going to give us all the details, then all the details better be interesting. They were.

I did tell another blogger that I was not sure that this book is for everyone, that perhaps some will not like that way that everything is so detailed. Thinking on it though, I hope I am wrong. There was not a single thing that I did not like about this story. I took almost 2 weeks to read this one; quite a long time for me since I often finish a book in about 2 days. I did not want it to end and I did not want to rush or gloss over details. I wanted to immerse myself in the story and in the circus. I encourage you to buy it the day it comes out, flip to the first page without reading the back and just enjoy the unknown. I can’t think of another thing to compare it to. I think that may be the best compliment that I can give it.

BOTTOM LINE: SIMPLY AMAZING, MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR. 

Buy Preorder it Now: (Clicking the cover takes you to Amazon*)
 

Source: From the Publisher for Review (via Shelf Awareness)
*I am an Amazon Associate. I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase through my links.