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The Night Circus
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Two starcrossed magicians engage in a deadly game of cunning in The Night Circus, the spellbinding bestseller that has captured the world's imagination.
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 amazement ...more
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 amazement ...more
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Kindle Edition, 401 pages
Published
September 13th 2011
by Doubleday
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Contains some minor spoilers.
I disliked this book, which means I ought to rate it one star, but it is not as awful as my one star shelf. One star books have to really repulse me to get that rating. The only redeeming thing about The Night Circus is that I didn't feel the one star compulsion to start a bonfire so I could properly dispose of it, hence two stars, but in this case it does not mean I enjoyed the book at all.
From the Goodreads summary: "But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is u ...more
I disliked this book, which means I ought to rate it one star, but it is not as awful as my one star shelf. One star books have to really repulse me to get that rating. The only redeeming thing about The Night Circus is that I didn't feel the one star compulsion to start a bonfire so I could properly dispose of it, hence two stars, but in this case it does not mean I enjoyed the book at all.
From the Goodreads summary: "But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is u ...more

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it’d be with someone experiencing this book for the first time.
I feel like my life is just a series of intense obsessions because I'm pretty sure this book has just become one of my defining personality traits. I've stayed up reading it until the early hours of the misty morning, rugged up so tight in the story even my soul felt warm. I wish I could inject this story into my blood stream. My heart is literally swelling with so much love I don't e ...more
I feel like my life is just a series of intense obsessions because I'm pretty sure this book has just become one of my defining personality traits. I've stayed up reading it until the early hours of the misty morning, rugged up so tight in the story even my soul felt warm. I wish I could inject this story into my blood stream. My heart is literally swelling with so much love I don't e ...more

Wedding cakes are typically the prettiest cakes, but they are almost never the tastiest cakes. I am not a cake expert (can I be one though? Is that a thing I can be?), but it seems to me that the tools necessary to make a cake exceptionally pretty -- a vat of fondant, to start -- also contribute to the cake not tasting all that good (unless you somehow really like fondant, which is incorrect).
Don't misunderstand me, I have no issue with cake. The right decorations, the right frosting (buttercrea ...more
Don't misunderstand me, I have no issue with cake. The right decorations, the right frosting (buttercrea ...more

Dec 05, 2011
Maggie Stiefvater
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
recommended,
adult
Five Things About THE NIGHT CIRCUS.
Ordinarily when I do my recommendations, I do a “five reasons to read _____,” but I think opinions will be so divided on THE NIGHT CIRCUS that I think “things about” will be more useful.
1. This novel is not what it says it is. Well, back page copy is always a weird thing anyway, as it’s not written by the author. And a weirder thing because it is essentially a glamour shot of the novel. It is not a lie. But it isn’t really what the novel looks like when it’s wa ...more
Ordinarily when I do my recommendations, I do a “five reasons to read _____,” but I think opinions will be so divided on THE NIGHT CIRCUS that I think “things about” will be more useful.
1. This novel is not what it says it is. Well, back page copy is always a weird thing anyway, as it’s not written by the author. And a weirder thing because it is essentially a glamour shot of the novel. It is not a lie. But it isn’t really what the novel looks like when it’s wa ...more

The Night Circus will be a 5-star book for a certain reader. This reader likes a lot of descriptions, doesn't mind a very slow story and has a soft spot for circuses. I am not that reader. I prefer imagery to complement a plot rather than substitute it.
The plot summary of The Night Circus promised many enticing things, but delivered, in my opinion, only on one - lush imagery of a mysterious circus that was a collaborative creation of two rivaling magicians. The book was good 80% description of v ...more
The plot summary of The Night Circus promised many enticing things, but delivered, in my opinion, only on one - lush imagery of a mysterious circus that was a collaborative creation of two rivaling magicians. The book was good 80% description of v ...more

The prose sparkles, and the story itself is a feat of magical acrobatics. It's a hard book to summarize, but basically two ancient magicians set their two best pupils against one another in a magical contest. Its venue? A mysterious circus that only appears at night. The only problem: the contestants don't really know the rules, or how victory is determined. And when the contestants start falling in love which each other, things get complicated.
...more
...more

Aw hell, I'm going to rate this 4.5 stars. I can't resist this book was so freaking good. I don't normally change my ratings, so don't expect this TOO often.
My feelings are so conflicted about this book. I don't know whether to immortalize it for all eternity in a frame on my wall, or throw it into the fire.
So, how the hell am I supposed to rate this book? A million stars, one star, 837 stars, what? In the end I did some crazy, overly complicated math that really makes so sense in my head, an ...more
My feelings are so conflicted about this book. I don't know whether to immortalize it for all eternity in a frame on my wall, or throw it into the fire.
So, how the hell am I supposed to rate this book? A million stars, one star, 837 stars, what? In the end I did some crazy, overly complicated math that really makes so sense in my head, an ...more

Jan 17, 2012
Richard Derus
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who needs magic in their world
**2019 UPDATE** The still-breathing film adaptation due from Lionsgate gets a director...of an EPIC flop that raked in a whopping $1.5MM on an investment of $9.5MM!
Sounds like a wizard idea, doesn't it? Simply corking! Who better to guide a beautiful book onto the oh-so-welcoming moviegoing audience's radar!
Rating: 6* of five
Sometimes, some books just don't lend themselves to an analytical, opinionated review. I'm reluctant to do that kind of review here and now because the experience of reading ...more
Sounds like a wizard idea, doesn't it? Simply corking! Who better to guide a beautiful book onto the oh-so-welcoming moviegoing audience's radar!
Rating: 6* of five
Sometimes, some books just don't lend themselves to an analytical, opinionated review. I'm reluctant to do that kind of review here and now because the experience of reading ...more

Sep 05, 2017
Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy
“How can I excel at a game when you refuse to tell me the rules?”
I guess “The Night Circus” is one of those books that make it especially hard to write a proper review and if I’m entirely honest I have to admit that I don’t even know where to start. It was unlike any other book I’ve ever read and therefore the usual structure of my reviews just doesn’t seem to be appropriate, let alone to fit.
”I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea ...more
I guess “The Night Circus” is one of those books that make it especially hard to write a proper review and if I’m entirely honest I have to admit that I don’t even know where to start. It was unlike any other book I’ve ever read and therefore the usual structure of my reviews just doesn’t seem to be appropriate, let alone to fit.
”I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea ...more

I have a bit of a complicated relationship with The Night Circus. I had been wanting to read it for 2 years now and was immensely excited to finally pick it up. I knew the prose was extremely flowery and lyrical so combined with an adult fantasy story, I anticipated it being a challenging read for me personally. I decided to listen to the audiobook after hearing great things, but quickly realized I was struggling to remain engaged with the story. After four hours of retaining almost nothing abou
...more

shrug. yeah, i had a good time reading this book. i got really swept away in its atmosphere, and it didn't disappoint me because i didn't go into it thinking it was going to be a masterwork of literature, explaining the human condition and changing the way i saw myself and my relationships in the future. it presented itself as a fantasy novel about a magical victorian circus and that's exactly what it gave me.
i think it is most successful in terms of its mood and its atmosphere. this is not a n ...more
i think it is most successful in terms of its mood and its atmosphere. this is not a n ...more

just as magically romantic and breathtakingly enchanting the second time around. ✨
_________________________________
it has been said that those who do not believe in magic will never find it, and this book is physical proof that magic does exist. every page, every word, every letter made a home inside my heart, which began to beat in a steady and strong rhythm of “i believe, i believe, i believe.” this story has woven itself into the very fabric of my soul and will forever be a part of me. a trul ...more
_________________________________
it has been said that those who do not believe in magic will never find it, and this book is physical proof that magic does exist. every page, every word, every letter made a home inside my heart, which began to beat in a steady and strong rhythm of “i believe, i believe, i believe.” this story has woven itself into the very fabric of my soul and will forever be a part of me. a trul ...more

I wavered between four and five stars on this one but then thought that I should show multi-millionaire authors the same generosity I show the struggling variety.
The Night Circus is very different from the kinds of fantasy books I’ve been reading of late. It’s not that it’s written in the present tense (I read the excellent Master Assassins recently and that is also in present tense). It’s not that is has a Victorian feel to it (the excellent Senlin Ascends has that). It’s not that it’s set in ...more
The Night Circus is very different from the kinds of fantasy books I’ve been reading of late. It’s not that it’s written in the present tense (I read the excellent Master Assassins recently and that is also in present tense). It’s not that is has a Victorian feel to it (the excellent Senlin Ascends has that). It’s not that it’s set in ...more

As a young girl, Celia Bowen is delivered to the father she never knew, a world famous magician whose secret is that his show is genuine magic - not illusions. He teaches Celia to manipulate the world in the same way so that she can compete in a high-stakes game against Marco, an orphan similarly trained by her father's nemesis. The arena for this game is an elaborate, surreal circus. Neither Celia nor Marco knows the extent of the game, nor their opponent, until they have fallen in love with ea
...more

Some books touch your soul in unexpected ways.
I’ve never been to a circus nor have I ever had a wish to go to one. But after reading this I want to go to one. Admittedly, this is plain folly because a circus this beautiful and enchanting could never be reality; it’s simply too wonderful, and could only ever exist amongst the pages of a magnificently written book. Real circuses are horrible places that are full of cruelty, animal exploitation and vile entertainment. What I mean to say is that I ...more
I’ve never been to a circus nor have I ever had a wish to go to one. But after reading this I want to go to one. Admittedly, this is plain folly because a circus this beautiful and enchanting could never be reality; it’s simply too wonderful, and could only ever exist amongst the pages of a magnificently written book. Real circuses are horrible places that are full of cruelty, animal exploitation and vile entertainment. What I mean to say is that I ...more

Reread: 2018
Maybe more like a 2.5/5?
I apparently enjoyed the audiobook much more because this time around I was really into it (and I remembered basically nothing from my original read, or listen rather) but then I got to the middle and I completely lost steam. I didn’t connect with it in the way I had wanted to and while there were some aspects I found very interesting, for the most part I felt like I was constantly waiting for more (which seems to be the point of the book). Just not for me any ...more
Maybe more like a 2.5/5?
I apparently enjoyed the audiobook much more because this time around I was really into it (and I remembered basically nothing from my original read, or listen rather) but then I got to the middle and I completely lost steam. I didn’t connect with it in the way I had wanted to and while there were some aspects I found very interesting, for the most part I felt like I was constantly waiting for more (which seems to be the point of the book). Just not for me any ...more

I want to take this book and stuff it in the hands of everyone I know.
“I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea of ink would not be enough.”
“But you built me dreams instead.”

I actually bought this book a year ago and it's been sitting on my shelf tempting me this entire time. The mixed ratings I've seen made me nervous to read it, but I'm so glad I finally did.
It is the kind of book I wish I could experience all over again for th ...more
“I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea of ink would not be enough.”
“But you built me dreams instead.”

I actually bought this book a year ago and it's been sitting on my shelf tempting me this entire time. The mixed ratings I've seen made me nervous to read it, but I'm so glad I finally did.
It is the kind of book I wish I could experience all over again for th ...more

Reviewing this book 2 years after I read it because.... this was a huge disappointment for me.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that the writing and world building were beautiful but this was the most anticlimactic ending ever. It had been sold to me as a "duel of magic between magicians" but really the world duel is used veeeeery loosely.
If you enjoy slow paced books that are atmospheric you might enjoy this more than I did. ...more
Don't get me wrong, I agree that the writing and world building were beautiful but this was the most anticlimactic ending ever. It had been sold to me as a "duel of magic between magicians" but really the world duel is used veeeeery loosely.
If you enjoy slow paced books that are atmospheric you might enjoy this more than I did. ...more

Buddy reading this book with my favorite Princess Celeste
2.5/5 Stars
There will be rants on this review, if you're easily offended I recommend you to stay away from continuing.
I really wish I could rate this higher but if you heard about this book already, you probably know there have been a lot of mixed reviews on it. It’s either you really love it or you really hate it. Sadly, I’m one of those closer to hating it.
Before you read this book, I must state two things.
1.DO NOT TRUST THE BLURB & THE ...more
2.5/5 Stars
There will be rants on this review, if you're easily offended I recommend you to stay away from continuing.
I really wish I could rate this higher but if you heard about this book already, you probably know there have been a lot of mixed reviews on it. It’s either you really love it or you really hate it. Sadly, I’m one of those closer to hating it.
Before you read this book, I must state two things.
1.DO NOT TRUST THE BLURB & THE ...more

A mesmerizing circus, two illusionists, and a deadly challenge.
The circus arrives without notice, one day in a city, one day on another. A unique circus, special, that only opens at night. A place where every tent hides a priceless marvel, unmatched performers and unforgettable acts that challenge reality. Le Cirque des Rêves. The place where the impossible is possible, where the unreal becomes real, and where the magic, is magic.
And in the middle, two illusionists trained from birth, matched in ...more
The circus arrives without notice, one day in a city, one day on another. A unique circus, special, that only opens at night. A place where every tent hides a priceless marvel, unmatched performers and unforgettable acts that challenge reality. Le Cirque des Rêves. The place where the impossible is possible, where the unreal becomes real, and where the magic, is magic.
And in the middle, two illusionists trained from birth, matched in ...more

Dec 21, 2012
Becky
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Becky by:
Barb
Shelves:
made-my-eyes-bleed,
reviewed,
bookclub_work,
fantasy,
2013,
audiobook,
disappointing,
multi-dimensional,
romance-y
I never expected to like this book. Just from the title I knew it wasn't for me, but so many people spoke highly of the book, so I read some reviews... And my opinion remained the same. This wasn't for me. Nothing about it appealed to me, and so I had no interest in ever reading it. But, it was chosen for my bookclub, and so I read it. Technically. And now I am going to rant about why I wish I hadn't. In detail, which means there's gonna be spoilery stuff, probably.
Here we go:
I don't like readi ...more
Here we go:
I don't like readi ...more


❝When the final bulb pops alight, and the smoke and sparks dissipate, it is finally legible, this elaborate incandescent sign. Leaning to your left to gain a better view, you can see that it reads:
Le Cirque des Rêves
Some in the crowd smile knowingly, while other frown and look questioningly at their neighbors. A child near you tugs on her mother's sleeve, begging to know what it says.
'The Circus of Dreams,' comes the reply.❞
The Night Circus was one of my favorite books of all time when it fi ...more

I have read and enjoyed all the Harry Potter books. In a way, I consider them my friends. The Night Circus is no Harry Potter, despite the marketing dreams of Doubleday management.
It is a fantastical battle/love story, set at the turn of the 20th century, that summons the imagery and characterizations of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The primary thrust here is the battle. Two children are chosen as stand-ins for an ages-old competition between two mysterious and seemingly immortal wizard-types. One ...more
It is a fantastical battle/love story, set at the turn of the 20th century, that summons the imagery and characterizations of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The primary thrust here is the battle. Two children are chosen as stand-ins for an ages-old competition between two mysterious and seemingly immortal wizard-types. One ...more

Feb 04, 2018
High Lady of The Night Court
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-read
“The circus arrives without warning.”
“You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus.
You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.”
These sentences are the beginning and end of the mesmerizing story of Le Cirque des Rêves. Three simple sentences that somehow encapsulate your emotions at the very point of the book they are placed. One filled with intrigue, the other with the l ...more
“You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus.
You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.”
These sentences are the beginning and end of the mesmerizing story of Le Cirque des Rêves. Three simple sentences that somehow encapsulate your emotions at the very point of the book they are placed. One filled with intrigue, the other with the l ...more

Sometimes I want chocolate. And sometimes I want the chocolate experience. I'm as guilty as the next person of the occasional vending machine pick-up for when I need those quick fixes. But then there's the slow anticipation. Take last week, for instance. It had been a few days since the last time. As I waited in line for my latte, my eyes happened to linger on a cute little cupcake, dark velvety goodness. Short, stacked, with a swirl of fluffy milk chocolate frosting. I resisted temptation, but
...more

This book was amazing!
I loved it.
Bought it in a charity shop.
I am not usually a fan of books that involve magic.
2018 - After re-reading i still love this book. So much happening and great characters. Little confusing when it jumps around so much at the beginning. But i have moved it from a 5 star to a 4 now.
I loved it.
Bought it in a charity shop.
I am not usually a fan of books that involve magic.
2018 - After re-reading i still love this book. So much happening and great characters. Little confusing when it jumps around so much at the beginning. But i have moved it from a 5 star to a 4 now.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Sep 06, 2017
❄️BooksofRadiance❄️
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical
4.5⭐️
So intricate. So complicated. So atmospheric.
I read this a few months back but I never really wrote anything, save for the six words above. Well, I just found what I wrote in one of my folders, so... here.
Alright, let me start off by saying that this book was magic. Simple as that. Seriously, the writing?? Experience it, my friends. Just experience it for your selves. Furthermore, this is a book you have to read twice to really comprehend and appreciate the magic behind it – never had I be ...more
So intricate. So complicated. So atmospheric.
I read this a few months back but I never really wrote anything, save for the six words above. Well, I just found what I wrote in one of my folders, so... here.
Alright, let me start off by saying that this book was magic. Simple as that. Seriously, the writing?? Experience it, my friends. Just experience it for your selves. Furthermore, this is a book you have to read twice to really comprehend and appreciate the magic behind it – never had I be ...more

I started reading The Night Circus on 8/15/17 and finished it on 8/21/17. This is my second time reading this book. It is an amazing read. The writing is so magical. I can’t read any other circus books without thinking of The Night Circus. I feel offended when I read The Nowhere Emporium and saw how the author copy almost every idea off of this book. I can’t read Caraval without putting it on hold to read this book again. The way Erin Morgenstern describe the circus is magnificent. The world bui
...more
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