The Night Circus in Amazon Editors' YA Book Club

Dec 17, 2011 April rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, modern-lit

After reading reviews and book group discussions about 'The Night Circus', I realized that this is one of those novels that most people seem to either love or hate. I fall somewhere in between, closer to loving it than hating it. I enjoyed it.

Most of the appeal of 'The Night Circus' is based on the imagery, the descriptiveness of this magical circus and the story of it's creation and existence. It takes a while for the plot to really get moving - about halfway through the book is when it picked ...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Jules rated it it was ok · review of another edition

It’s true, my schedule has been busy the last couple of weeks with end-of-baseball and end-of-school activities, but if this book had grabbed me I would have found the time. I’m not sure why I didn’t absolutely adore this book. I wanted to love it, and thought I would. It had all the elements I normally love: magical realism (not really, but close enough), romance, bowler hats…

But something was off for me, and the only thing I can point to right now is the use of present/historical present narra It’s true, my schedule has been busy the last couple of weeks with end-of-baseball and end-of-school activities, but if this book had grabbed me I would have found the time. I’m not sure why I didn’t absolutely adore this book. I wanted to love it, and thought I would. It had all the elements I normally love: magical realism (not really, but close enough), romance, bowler hats…

But something was off for me, and the only thing I can point to right now is the use of present/historical present narrative tense.

Celia fixes the broken tea cup. Celia says. Celia nods. Celia fixes another tea cup.

(And then four more. There are a lot of broken tea cups.)

The glass shatters, the sound echoing through the room. The tea spills out over the tiles.

Before anyone turns at the noise, the cup has righted itself. The broken pieces reform around the liquid and the glass sits intact, the tile surface of the table is dry.

It resulted in the use of passive voice, which I absolutely loathe. It was incredibly distracting.

To say the tense of a book is bothersome enough to hamper my enjoyment of a story sounds phenomenally lame, and I almost wrote a post that simply said I found the book “just okay” to avoid sounding like an angry schoolmarm. But for me, the use of present tense narration and passive voice took the tension out of challenge. It was almost as if the narrator was telling the story against his will, and so to retain some dignity he delivers the tale as phlegmatically as possible. The end result is a conflict that simmers, not boils. The last chapter with Bailey and Mr. A. H–, Stories, made me think this was the case, and suddenly the strange structure of the book made sense. Then I remembered Baily receives the same third person narrative as every other character throughout, so that theory’s blown.

Speaking of structure, I found the changes in time confusing. We started 29 years apart and worked our way in and out and back in again. Towards the end of the book I didn’t know if I was in the past or present, 1901 or 1902, and that’s because, as we find out at the very end, 1902 isn’t the future at all, but rather the beginning.

The book wasn’t completely lost on me. I loved the tent descriptions. I want a wishing tree, a pond of tears, and an ice garden. I loved the use of tents as love letters. I loved the circus itself and I wanted to know more about chocolate mice and caramel air. Here is where the author excelled. I feel as if Morgenstern had a wonderful dream with the circus, a white-hot idea she couldn’t shake, and the book was an attempt to breathe life into this very clear, but static idea. In the end, I’m not sure she was able to do the star of the show justice.

From what I see on Goodreads, I have a feeling I’m in the minority. Okay, let’s here it. Tell me how I’m wrong. ...more

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Aug 10, 2012 bjneary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, historical-fiction, adult-reads

Thank you Morgan for recommending this totally awesome book! Erin Morgenstern's book is a feast for the senses, Le Cirque des Reves, is a very different kind of circus that suddenly arrives anywhere throughout the world, opens at nightfall and closes at dawn. Rich in color, smells, and tent upon tent that hold many different kinds of wonders. Yes, there are a few players; a contortionist, a fortune teller, and the red-headed Murray twins within this circus but they are just a part of a bigger sh Thank you Morgan for recommending this totally awesome book! Erin Morgenstern's book is a feast for the senses, Le Cirque des Reves, is a very different kind of circus that suddenly arrives anywhere throughout the world, opens at nightfall and closes at dawn. Rich in color, smells, and tent upon tent that hold many different kinds of wonders. Yes, there are a few players; a contortionist, a fortune teller, and the red-headed Murray twins within this circus but they are just a part of a bigger show that has been orchestrated by 2 men (with powers) who have been holding "challenges" for years with two players where only 1 can survive. Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair have been groomed since they were very young to win this challenge. But when they meet, they fall in love and they begin to show their deep feelings for one another through their creations within the circus. It is when innocent people start to question the strange, wondrous workings of the circus and meet with untimely deaths, that Celia, Marco, and the Murray twins (who can see past and future)valiantly try to change the course of what should happen. I am thoroughly besotted by the characters of Isobel, Marco, Celia, Widget, Poppet and Bailey. Their world is a good and caring world while the masters of the game are heartless, unfeeling, and think only of winning at all costs. To say this is a love story is just one aspect of this thoroughly well written book by Morgenstern. She has such a way of weaving her words to create wondrous pulsating worlds within the tents and throughout the world as they travel from city to city and charm the revuers who follow and write about the circus. Chapters alternate between different dates and time peeriods and what is happening between the characters but also other chapters deal with tents in the circus that have been created by Celia and Marco to show their love for each other. Read this book, enjoy the smells of carmels and cinnamon, a bonfire that does not burn, and many more tents and halls of illusions that are rich in sensory aspects. I have so many wonderful quotes from this book that will just keep me so happy as I read them over and over, remembering, and savoring. Highly recommended! ...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Ellen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

This book carried me away into a beautiful world of fantasy and magic and I didn't want it to end. The writing is exquisite, the characters fully-rounded and mostly likeable and the setting was so well described that I felt as if I was walking through that world rather than just reading about it. ...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Susan rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This book was not for me. I keep expecting to be told that they circus was a metaphor for the way society was being controlled and manipulated. This idea was reinforced by the presence of Mr. A H -- whom I thought was Adolph Hitler. Out there? Obviously. Perhaps that explains why I don't read much fantasy. ...more

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