Like it? What did you not understand?

[Celise]

I was confused about a lot of things in this book- one of them being what Isobel did to the circus. Anyone care to explain that bit to me? What were you confused about?

[Dani]

I think that Isobel put a charm on the circus to hold it all together. She was helping both marco and Celia out, but when she got upset and removed it, it let the circus fall apart. That is how I saw it anyway.

[Celise]

I thought that's what it was but I realized I didn't really know what "holding it all together" literally meant. I mean, once she let it go a man died but it seemed like it would happen anyhow.

[Belinda]

I'm not sure it's possible to understand, beyond "it's magic." There's no framework or rules for the magical universe. "Holding it all together" is all the explanation you're going to get. Based on interviews, I think that's as far as Morgenstern thought it out.

[Celise]

Very true, I suppose if the author has no explanation, no one will. It is a tad frustrating when the author hasn't really thought everything through.

[Ady]

I am almost done with the book and I have yet to see a duel or even to understand what exactly this competition entails or understand how it will affect anyone?
Did I just totally miss this in the book??? Everyone likes this book, so I am guessing that I somehow missed the plot....

[chinami]

Grafovna wrote: "I am almost done with the book and I have yet to see a duel or even to understand what exactly this competition entails or understand how it will affect anyone?
Did I just totally miss this in the ..."

There is no possibility of duel when there is love involved. As to what the competition entails its to test the endurance and skill of the illusionists. It affects the ppl involved with the circus, at the end of the game the circus will cease to exist. That is also the reason why they make bailey the proprietor.

[Celise]

I believe there was a duel, just not the violent one advertised by the summary. They were trying to outdo the other by creating tokens of love out of magic.

[Regina]

I found this book delightful. There was a lot of mystery and areas left to your own imagination, but I enjoyed the interaction between characters. I wanted to jump right into this book and experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the circus. I will read it again, but perhaps in chronological order next time.

[Deborah]

I think the intention, beyond the plot point, was that it took someone outside the conflict (Isobel) to maintain the structure of the venue. The card that Isobel removed from the deck was Temperance, the connotation here was balance - to temper- to keep from extremes. Once Isobel removed the charm the balance was lost and things began to fall.

[Celise]

Christina wrote: "Ok, after a glass of wine last night, I emailed. Nothing spectacular happened. Received the following automated reply:

Thank you for your interest in Le Cirque des Rêves!

If you are inquiring a..."
Perhaps the email will have something to do with the movie when it comes out.

[Julia]

Totally loved this book!

But there was one time skip that confused the crap outta me!

When Herr Thiessen, ahem no spoilers of course, but that 1 year time skip right there.

[SharHops]

I didn't understand the ending. I have no idea how that was supposed to tie everything together. :(

[Alpha]

I actually understood everything that was going on in this novel. Maybe its because I see everything sociologically...and I survived reading Choke without losing my mind too.

[Celise]

SharHops wrote: "I didn't understand the ending. I have no idea how that was supposed to tie everything together. :("

I don't know either. Them not being physically there didn't mean anything to me as to how it would keep the circus stable.

[Celise]

Julia wrote: "Totally loved this book!

But there was one time skip that confused the crap outta me!

When Herr Thiessen, ahem no spoilers of course, but that 1 year time skip right there."

Was that after the accident?

[Melinda010100]

The ending confused me.... but I can't wait to see the movie! I'll be expecting beauty and magic!

[Celise]

I wonder if they would actually be able to hire Geoffrey Rush to play Hector like Erin pictured. It can't be a coincidence that he's played a Hector Barbossa and she named her character that...

[Jenn]

Is there going to be a movie? I think Ryan Gosling would be a great Marco!

[Micheleann]

loved the night circus one thing i didnt understand why did the circus take place at night

[Celise]

Jenn wrote: "Is there going to be a movie? I think Ryan Gosling would be a great Marco!"

I actually pictured Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

[Celise]

Micheleann wrote: "loved the night circus one thing i didnt understand why did the circus take place at night"
From what I understand, it was the first thing that made the circus different from others and Chandresh was in love with the idea that it would seem more mysterious.

[Graciela]

Celise wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Is there going to be a movie? I think Ryan Gosling would be a great Marco!"

I actually pictured Joseph Gordon-Levitt."
Agree I think Joseph G-Levitt would be perfect....I'm on page 296 and I'm not sure if I love the book or hate it. The jumping around is bugging me and I don't understand how Isobel has power over the circus! I'm dazed and confused.

[Pat]

Regina wrote: "I found this book delightful. There was a lot of mystery and areas left to your own imagination, but I enjoyed the interaction between characters. I wanted to jump right into this book and experi..."

Totally agree/this book is a combo of Disney Magic and Harry potter darkness! I do want to read it again at some point/had it very overdue at the library so had to let it go for now!! Great imagination on the authors part...

[Elena]

i liked the book but i also didn't understand the ending...i was actually a bit confused about what happened to the circus and what happened to celia and marco....i was expecting a happy ending for this book...but unfortunately even if i didn't understand some things...i can say that the ending wasn't good at least for the protagonists...

[Tracy]

I just let it wash over me like a wave, and I found it emotionally satisfying, if not intellectually.

[Celise]

Tracy wrote: "I just let it wash over me like a wave, and I found it emotionally satisfying, if not intellectually."
Good point. I think intellectually it was lacking and confusing, but the emotion was undeniably there.

[Judy]

I just finished the book. Like Grace, I'm not sure if I love it or hate it. It seemed to me to take forever to get the plot started but still I enjoyed reading each piece as it came. Eventually, a good story emerged, but I hated the jumps back and forth in time. Seems to me it would have been a more enjoyable read if it had been more in order of the passing time. The ending was not as happy as I hoped but better than I feared.

[Jenna]

I really liked this book. I loved the whimsy. It's been a little while since I read it, but from what I remember, at the end, Celia and Marco were basically like ghosts in the circus. They weren't dead, but it was like their spirits were there, not their physical selves.

[Melissa]

I finished the book yesterday. I gave it 4/5 stars. The story itself was beautifully written. I loved the description, while I read a lot of reviews were people found it very boring and tedious. I felt like I was actually in the story, at the circus. I am not fully sure I understand it either. I'd like to read it again so I can pick up on the details and try to figure out how it all ties together in the end.

[Micheleann]

Mellybeans0919 wrote: "I finished the book yesterday. I gave it 4/5 stars. The story itself was beautifully written. I loved the description, while I read a lot of reviews were people found it very boring and tedious. I ..."

hi i to would reread the book night circus. i found it to be very intersting and very suspenseful but not tedious or boring. But i guess this is up to certain people what they like or dont like a friend of mine had also read the book and she found it to be very intriqing was her word. i think this book is for people who goes for the unusal in tatste in books such as myself and those people who have truly enjoyed this angelwolfmystic@yahoo.com

[Hiba]

I just finished reading it yesterday, I LIKED it, but didn't prticularly LOVE it. There were some loopholes, & the ending was vague, I didn't understand what happened to celia & Marco? All in all I give the book 3 stars..

[Carol]

I loved the book. For me it was a magic experience not a puzzle to understand or figure out. If we took more of life in that way many of our days would have more magic in them.

[[deleted user]]

Celise wrote: "I was confused about a lot of things in this book- one of them being what Isobel did to the circus. Anyone care to explain that bit to me? What were you confused about?"
Isabel was trying to keep the circus together. Do you remember in the book when Marco explained the competition to her as sort of a balance? He said that each player needed to add to their side but couldn't interfere with the other. Then Isabel commented that if you kept on adding weight to both sides wouldn't the balance break? Marco said that it wasn't a perfect example, but it really was close. I think Isabel was keeping the balance from breaking with her charm. when she broke the charm, the balance broke and mayhem ensued.

[[deleted user]]

Celise wrote: "SharHops wrote: "I didn't understand the ending. I have no idea how that was supposed to tie everything together. :("

I don't know either. Them not being physically there didn't mean anything to ..."

Marco's and Celia's tents that they created were a huge part of the circus, so if one of them died, the portion of the circus they created fell with them. Also, the circus running as smoothly as it did from the train moving it everywhere to the maintenance of keeping it together was also controlled by them, so the circus would lose that too. Marco also kept the people in the circus from aging or changing (no babies), so that also depended on him to keep the circus running as it was. them being in their ghost-like form with Bailey serving as a kind of conduit for them to still help control the circus as long as Bailey was still there.

[Helen]

I think readers enjoyed it based on ideas, imagination, charm and a lovely writing style. The actual story line was full of holes to the extent of not really existing at all. Just like the circus itself. It could have been so much better with a well thought out, understandable plot.

[Sarah Beth]

Regina wrote: "I found this book delightful. There was a lot of mystery and areas left to your own imagination, but I enjoyed the interaction between characters. I wanted to jump right into this book and experi..."

Haha I totally agree about the chronological order thing. I found myself always having to go back a few chapters, catch back up on what that character or characters were up to, and then enjoy the next part of their story. Between that and the tons of description, it took me a long time to finish this novel.

P.S. Good luck to whoever tackles the movie!

[Tiffany]

SharHops wrote: "I didn't understand the ending. I have no idea how that was supposed to tie everything together. :("

I agree. I didn't get it either. What happened to Celia and Marco? It seemed like they were trapped somewhere.

[Ayesha]

The last chapter of the book left me wondering. The man who checked out the clock mentioned that both Chandresh and Herrfriedrick died long time ago and was given a card with Baily's "email". So does that mean they put their death off like the grey suit man? he did wish for them to eventually let go.

[Nancy]

Captivating lush imagery. Some interesting characters. Ultimately, however, I cannot recommend the novel because of an unsatisfying paper-thin plot. The ending was a disappointment. The author tried to explain Bailey's role as an intermediary in preserving the circus, but that explanation had no foundation in Bailey's nature or past. What became of Prospero and Alexander? Leaving Marco and Celia floating around as ghosts together forever is not the fate they deserve. The author did not want her creation (the circus) to die, so she tied up the fate of the characters with the fate of the circus. I feel that is the plot flaw that led to the poor ending.

[Sunleister]

Grace wrote: "Celise wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Is there going to be a movie? I think Ryan Gosling would be a great Marco!"

I actually pictured Joseph Gordon-Levitt."
Agree I think Joseph G-Levitt would be perfect....."

Yes Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be great! But with Marco changing his facial appearance all the time one would perhaps need two actors.
And as Celia Bowen I imagined someone like Rachel McAdams with dark curls.

[Casey]

Did Chandresh kill a man and get away with it? I didn't understand that at all. That was the one question mark for me. Also his motive. I mean I considered him losing his mind, but that was still unclear.

[Tracy]

Tracy wrote: "I just let it wash over me like a wave, and I found it emotionally satisfying, if not intellectually."

Actually, that's funny, that's just what I would say, and my name is Tracy, too.

[Celise]

Sunleister wrote: "Grace wrote: "Celise wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Is there going to be a movie? I think Ryan Gosling would be a great Marco!"

I actually pictured Joseph Gordon-Levitt."
Agree I think Joseph G-Levitt woul..."

Yes, someone like Rachel McAdams would be great. I actually kind of pictured Keira Knightley the way she looked in King Arthur.

[Gerchia]

Sarah wrote: "Regina wrote: "I found this book delightful. There was a lot of mystery and areas left to your own imagination, but I enjoyed the interaction between characters. I wanted to jump right into this ..."

Ha! That person is going to need more than luck. If they don't get it right, it'll be a flop. Which would be a real shame because it's an amazing book. I suppose it's the little things that make it so great...but then again, a movie won't help us smell that particular brand of popcorn and other sorts of confectionaries...*shrug* All I hope is that they don't rush the project, that is if they making it. *idk*

[Muneet]

I was also left slightly confused, what happened to Marco and Celia? Any perspectives?

[David]

Just read The Night Circus. Brilliant story, with a great ending that befits the whole.

[[deleted user]]

Muneet wrote: "I was also left slightly confused, what happened to Marco and Celia? Any perspectives?"
Do you understand what Celia's father did? Celia took them through the same process basically only she was more successful. The reason being that they tied themselves into the circus. This allowed them to continue on with the circus with Bailey channeling their magic for them.

[Jack]

Celise wrote: "Very true, I suppose if the author has no explanation, no one will. It is a tad frustrating when the author hasn't really thought everything through."

Hard to believe that this author "hasn't really thought everything through." It's not her job to explain everything to us.

[Patricia]

Hello all!

I enjoyed this book, but here are the questions I was wondering when I finished:

1) Is Kiko still bound to be a player in the game since she was the last winner?
2) I wish there was a backstory to Alexander and Prospero. Why play this game at all?