The Night Circus in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Feb 26, 2012 Erin rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-club

Long on atmosphere and mood and ambitious (if not always successful) with plot. Morgenstern does a great job with conveying the mysterious, dreamy qualities of the circus and the participants, but the ending seemed a bit forced. Not sure if this was Morgenstern's debut novel but, if so, it is a very promising beginning. ...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I brought this book home from the library several tines, but only when facing a book discussion on it could I bring myself to read it. What was I thinking? This is a wonderful book that I would classify as magical realism and is set primarily in London during the 1870s through 1903. I could see a movie made of this book in a somewhat steampunky style.

The focus of the story is the "Circus of Dreams" which appears unexpectedly in various locations around the world and is only open at night. I foun ...more

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Jan 07, 2016 Jenny rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookclub, 2016

This book was unexpected and not like anything else I've read lately. I really enjoyed reading each page of the book. The Night Circus was unhurried, part fairy tale and part ode to readers and lovers of good stories. I'm sad it took me so long to pick it up from its print date. I think The Night Circus will hold up well to multiple readings because there is so much to savor and enjoy. ...more

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Jan 21, 2015 Alicia rated it really liked it

I loved the imagery and atmosphere of this book. I wish the plotline between Marco and Celia had been developed more earlier on; it felt sudden when it finally became a more important part of the book. And the end seemed to drop off too quickly, leaving outcomes alluded to but not explored as fully as I would have liked. That said, the story took me through a range of emotions, and the descriptions were as spellbinding as the elements they described. I was caught up in the book at every possible ...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: 2012

Lovely, quick, pleasant read. Felt the same way as I felt after The Time Traveler's Wife, though--kind of like a sugar headache, but after reading? Didn't have enough threat, bite, or oomph to live up to all its hype. Still, better than Water for Elephants, and better than lots of for-women crap I've read this year. ...more

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Dec 30, 2013 Rossie rated it really liked it

I listened to this as an audio book, which sometimes made following the timeline a little bit tricky, which was a little bit annoying, which was really my biggest complaint about the book. Well-written whimsical literary fantasy.

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Mar 23, 2012 Kate rated it really liked it

This novel is more about setting and atmosphere than plot. There is a plot, and I thought it was a decent one, but the focus is on the circus itself. I was reminded of Shadow of the Wind, both feature a dark/gothic tone with amazing descriptions.

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