TITLE: The Night Circus
AUTHOR: Erin Morgenstern
GENRE: Fantasy
PUBLISHED: 9/13/2011
RATING: ★★★★☆
PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon / Barnes&Noble
MOBILISM LINK: Mobilism
Review: The Night Circus is a highly rated and talked about debut novel from a new author. At this point it's also her sole novel. The hoopla (and the novel) have been sufficient to get the book picked up by a major movie studio as well, though time will tell if the movie actually gets made. Is The Night Circus that good?
Taking a risk, the author divides the story into short chapters and "vignettes." This was initially a little disconcerting, and I was prepared to dislike this style. My conclusion is, however, that she does make this work. Part of the wonder of the novel is in the circus acts themselves, and these are usually what are featured in the vignettes. The shifts in viewpoints from character to character are what drives the shortness of some of the chapters.
A word about the story itself. It's set in a turn of the century world where both magic and steampunk elements are real. Two magicians/sorcerer types each pick a child to train in the ways of magic. They then bind them both to compete against each other in a type of magical contest/wager. The Night Circus is the setting for the competition. While both children are seemingly well tutored in magic, the specifics of the competition itself remain cryptic and hidden from both the reader and the two competitors for most of the novel. Feelings that the two competitiors, now a young man and woman, develop for each other further complicate the situation.
This is a story that hinges on the main character. Yes, I said character, not characters. The key to this novel is that the main character is the Night Circus itself. This is also what prevents it from devolving into some sort of steampunk romance or dramatic fantasy. The Night Circus uses this to put it's hooks into you and win you over. It's also very subtle about it, allowing you to think otherwise until the realization finally sets in.
The Night Circus itself is a wondrous place. The author manages to awaken the senses with rich descriptions of what your senses would reveal to you. While more and more of the acts and features of the circus are unveiled, no one act takes so much prominence that it takes away from the others. Gradually more new, or previously undisclosed, features of the circus are shown to the reader. This the area where the novel shines. The Night Circus places the reader in the position of a youth wandering the circus, a child revelling in the sights, sounds, and smells surrounding him. You have a sense of wanting to clap when the circus mysteriously appears on the outskirts of town, then a sense of loss the day it disappears to travel to it's next location.
The strength of the novel may also be its biggest weakness. If one has to pick a criticism of this book, it would be that the characters of the novel are often treated like the circus. Instead of exploring the depth of the characters, we are more often treated to their shiny "exteriors." We often get much more revealing looks at their appearances and actions then we do at their hearts and minds. At times we feel more like the audience in the seats watching them than we feel like participants in their story.
This novel should appeal to most readers. It is fitting for YA readers without being a "YA novel." It has elements of romance, drama, steampunk, fantasy, and others without pandering to or fitting neatly into any one of those categories.
I liked it. Quite a bit as a matter of fact. It drew me in slowly, then hooked me as it led up to a satisfying conclusion. I felt that sense of wonder at times, that of a youth wandering the circus grounds, one just trying to decide what tent to enter next or what treat to eat. I would recommend this novel to almost any other reader as well.
