The Night Circus in FINDING AUDREY READ-ALONG

Jun 29, 2014 Meg rated it it was amazing

Truly phenomenal!

If you are searching for a tale that will forever have a hold on your heart, this is the story for you. It is not just that this novel is beautifully written, or that the story is incredibly magical and enticing that you find yourself reading it for days without a break. No, it is that this story of a circus isn’t like anything you will have ever read before. And will probably never read again.

The Night Circus is an enriching tale of mystery, romance and magic. You will lose yo ...more

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Jan 02, 2014 Denise Murphy rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-club

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is wildy imaginative. Wildy. I feel like “imaginative” is a word that gets overused, but it’s more than called for in this case. Many times, as the tents within the circus were described, I got lost in description and there were a lot of “how did she think this up” moments. Every tent was alive and real with vivid details.

I loved the characters of Marco and Celia, who were committed without their consent to the grand game that is the plotline, by their father The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is wildy imaginative. Wildy. I feel like “imaginative” is a word that gets overused, but it’s more than called for in this case. Many times, as the tents within the circus were described, I got lost in description and there were a lot of “how did she think this up” moments. Every tent was alive and real with vivid details.

I loved the characters of Marco and Celia, who were committed without their consent to the grand game that is the plotline, by their father figures. They are forced to practice and learn their crafts, sometimes by rather torturous methods, all in order to prepare for the challenge. I found both Celia and Marco, who are the main characters, to be interesting and likable.

The supporting characters were just as enjoyable. I am especially fond the of the twins and their kittens and, of course, Bailey.

The only complaint I really have is that there wasn’t much that happened. There was a lot going on, sure, but not many big moments of conflict. It was more of an emotional, slowly creepy journey than a roller coaster of shocks and surprises. But still, this is a wonderful world to get lost in and to dream in. I would love to spend time in any of these tents!

I hear the movie rights have been sold, and IMDB has it listed as “in production.” Me thinks this will make a gorgeous movie.

It’ll be interesting to see the visual interpretation that comes when this is translated to the big screen. I hope there’s a big budget, because without a ton of special effects, it won’t be the same. But since it was Summit who has optioned the rights, I have very high hopes!

This is her first book (and only published book to date), but she mentioned another book in progress on her site. Find her at her web site, Erin’s Emporium of Discount Dreams & Well-Worn Wonders. Erin is also a frequenter of NaNoWriMo, and early drafts of The Night Circus were written over various Novembers.

Read the full post here: denisedrespling.com/book-review-night-circus/ ...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Noor Azeem rated it really liked it

Read more of my reviews at We Live and Breathe Books

I've literally had a copy of The Night Circus sitting on my shelves for almost three years and I didn't read it until last month. I remember buying it when like three people recommended it to me within a really short timespan, and I figured I'd see what was up, but I just never got around to reading it? Lame. (Me, not the book)

There was a Lot more to this book than I was expecting.

First, the writing. The actual words on the page, ignoring plot Read more of my reviews at We Live and Breathe Books

I've literally had a copy of The Night Circus sitting on my shelves for almost three years and I didn't read it until last month. I remember buying it when like three people recommended it to me within a really short timespan, and I figured I'd see what was up, but I just never got around to reading it? Lame. (Me, not the book)

There was a Lot more to this book than I was expecting.

First, the writing. The actual words on the page, ignoring plot or character or any of that (for now). It was remarkable. No matter what form the words took -- a second-person exploration into the circus tents, a POV shift to a character who seems unimportant, a description of an illusion -- they were so beautifully crafted. I could give 5 stars to just the diction and the writing. Sometimes it's long descriptions, haunting and elegant, sometimes it's the chilling quality of the phrases being used to describe characters and their actions. I could drink the words up and keep drinking and keep drinking and keep drinking. The words and detail provide this aura and atmosphere to nestle the rest of the book in.

Moving on, the back cover is an inaccurate summation of the book. It isn't entirely wrong in the same way my brother thinks he's not wrong when he says he watched all of One Tree Hill because "it's about basketball" even though they stop mentioning it after one season. The back references the actual Night Circus and a deadly competition between two magical young adults who screw up the rules by falling in love.

Now, the book is very much about the Night Circus -- a circus that arrives unannounced, leaves unannounced, and is much different from an average three-ring circus, decorated in all blacks and whites and greys, with different tents and tunnels, a maze of an attraction with a little magical help to aid in its enchantment. And yes, it features Celia and Marco, who have been raised with the notion of some all-important challenge that they would get the details of when the time came, but it doesn't paint this narrative as the heart-stopping forefront of the novel. I actually was cool with the amount they were featured but I wish their competition had been more high stakes or unpredictable or threatening. Not for the sake of adding action but because it was a really cool concept and I think it could have been delivered on with a little more flair, especially since I've seen how well Erin Morgenstern can write the types of scenes that would make it so. And the love is not quite a deep, passionate, seductive, dangerous love. In fact, if you're looking for a book with a strong romance aspect, this isn't it. The love is quietly explored, background noise that occasionally becomes loud enough to look at, then quiets down again.

So if the book isn't about their competition and it isn't about their love, what is it about, really? A lot. Told by an omniscient third person narrator, we follow quite a few points of view; I didn't count but definitely more than 10. At first it's not apparent why we keep going back to each person. We'll meet a few kids and think they serve only to describe the circus, and then a few chapters later, here they are again talking about farming, and then further into the book you remember the girl being described is definitely the one who met the farm kid, and you aren't sure what you're piecing together, only that something seems to be happening. Also, the book jumps around with the years and locations quite a bit. It stays within the late 1800's (dips into 1901 I think a little) but doesn't tell the story in order. Sometimes, this is confusing, (honestly I stopped paying attention to the dates bc I have no grasp on conceptualizing time) but by the end, when everything ties together, the whole story makes sense, each and every point of view is accounted for.

It takes a while to get there though. The pacing of this book is definitely very slow. For me, this was generally okay because it felt like such a unique book and I was so enamored by her writing style that I was drawn in regardless of what was actually happening. For others, this might be a deal breaker. I think the book is trying to shroud itself in an air of mystery and not reveal anything too big about the plot until the very end, which is why it moves so slowly, just threading every story together until it finally becomes a knot. There isn't a lot of action or clear ~here is a conflict let's go resolve it~ and it's definitely a book you need to invest in.

I, personally, am totally glad I finally made the choice to read it because it did not disappoint. From the intriguing characters to the beautiful writing to the way the book just felt like it had its own distinct aura, it was a breathtaking experience. ...more

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Feb 06, 2014 Victoria Vetterl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-favorites

This book. I can't even express how amazing and beautiful and haunting and clever this book was. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about The Night Circus and I didn't know what really to expect. But I was not disappointed. My best piece of advice is to just experience this book; try not to read anything about it, or even the synopsis if you can. Just read and immerse yourself in Le Cirque de Reves.... ...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Ruhi rated it really liked it

honestly till couple of days ago I was gonna give it 3 stars but then I got so absorbed things got so exciting tht today when only a few pages were left I wanted more.. I wanted more of my reading slump book!!
I loved the weirdest things in this book.. the clocks.. oh those clocks.. I loved Herr Thiessen and his devotion to the circus and the inspiration he gets from the circus.. what would I not give to get my hands on one of his clocks!!
I loved those short chapters which described the various t ...more

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Apr 16, 2014 Marci M. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5/5

I'll do a few review shortly! :) ...more

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Aug 07, 2014 Guille Osorio rated it really liked it

It was my first experience in the Booksplosion group and it was amazing!

I had never read something like this. The writing style was beatiful and every single character was credible. The author created an amazing world. I could picture myself in the circus.

The "problem" was that I was expecting a different climax. Something more violent. I wanted to see more action in Bailey's story.

However, I loved this book and I really want to know what will be the next book in Booksplosion! ...more

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Mar 10, 2018 Athena Hailey rated it it was amazing

I haven't read anything recently that made me feel like this, this one is just plain brilliant and once i'm done with it all i could do is catch my breath and smile. this book is worth reading. worth to be included in my favorites pile. damn i should've read it sooner. ...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Alejandra rated it liked it · review of another edition

definitivamente un libro para ejercitar la imaginación y sumergirte en el mundo del Circo de los Sueños...es para lectores que disfruten de la descripción de forma rica y mágica, en la que la propia imaginación completa el relato.

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