Published: Anchor Books, 2012.
Page Count: 512.
Genres: Fantasy.
“The circus arrives without warning.
No announcements precede it, no paper notices or downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”
Le Cirque de Rêves is a mysterious and wondrous circus that arrives in places most unexpectedly. Inside the black and white striped tents, guests see spectacles beyond their wildest dreams – beyond all comprehension. But behind the scenes, a fierce magical competition is underway. Magicians Celia and Marco have been trained since childhood to compete with an opponent who is unknown to them. But when they meet face to face, a forbidden love blooms with dangerous consequences, for only one can be left standing.
I was really late to the bandwagon on this one, but I finally caved to the hype and read it for myself. For the most part, I was really pleased with what I read.
The Night Circus’s strongest point for me was the atmosphere. It’s so palpable and magical throughout the story, especially in the “in-between” chapters narrated in 2nd person, that are told as if you are experiencing the circus for yourself. I lived for those chapters. It made it feel like I was there.
“You do not have much time before the sun inevitably rises. You are faced with the conundrum of how to fill the remaining minutes of the night. Should you visit one last tent? One that you have already entered and particularly enjoyed, or an unexplored tent that remains a mystery?”
I did however have a few problems with the plot. For the first half of the book, I found it to be a bit slow, and it took me a while to get truly interested. The shifting timelines probably contributed to this – I found them really confusing and I spent so much time flipping back and forth trying to figure out when I was reading.
Another thing that is still bugging me is the contest itself. I never really felt like there was a real magical competition going on. Celia and Marco never truly fight, they just try to one-up each other with displays of skill. From the description on the back, I expected something much different. And speaking of the competition, I’m still not sure I fully understand the motivation behind it? I feel like it was maybe explained… In a very muddy way.
One thing I did appreciate about the plot once I got near the end, was how everything came together succinctly. Everything that happens in the story has a purpose that wraps up perfectly in the conclusion.
The characters themselves gave me an impression much like the plot: it wasn’t until about halfway through that I started to become invested in them. This book really takes a bit to set things up. But once it did, I came to love these characters. I especially enjoyed the storyline with Poppet, Widget and Bailey.
Although The Night Circus had some flaws, I still really enjoyed it. It’s really a story about subtleties – you kind of just have to go along for the magical ride. I was left with such an atmospheric and cozy feeling, that I had to five it 4 stars. Because the plot was a little slow to start, and because I don’t think it lives up to its synopsis, I can’t rate it any higher. But I’m very happy I finally read this super-hyped story!
Final Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What about you – have any of you read The Night Circus? What did you think? Let’s discuss it below!
