Rinn
Written on Aug 5, 2013
The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Against the grey sky the towering tents are striped black and white. A sign hanging upon iron gates reads:
Opens at Nightfall
Closes at Dawn
As dusk shifts to twilight, tiny lights begin to flicker all over the tents, as though the whole circus is covered in fireflies. When the tents are aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign lights up:
Le Cirque des Rêves
The Circus of Dreams
The gates shudder and unlock, seemingly by their own volition.
They swing outward, inviting the crowd inside.
Now the circus is open.
Now you may enter.
Discover this amazing fantasy read with a different kind of magic.
The Starless Sea, the second novel from the author of the The Night Circus, is available for pre-order now.
- ISBN10 1784871052
- ISBN13 9781784871055
- Publish Date 6 October 2016 (first published 1 January 2011)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Vintage Publishing
- Imprint Vintage Classics
- Format Paperback
- Pages 656
- Language English
Reviews
Terri M. LeBlanc
Written on Feb 17, 2013
clairelm
Written on Jan 8, 2013
I can understand why some people don't like this story or think it's boring but it was exactly my sort of book so I have to disagree!
Another thing I loved is that, until the end, there were so many possible outcomes and yet it was all resolved neatly and satisfyingly.
I loved it :)
ibeforem
Written on Jan 4, 2013
This is one of those books I was ambivalent about before I started it. I had seen both good and bad reviews of it, so I had placed it in the “eh, maybe I’ll get to it someday” section of my TBR list. Turns out, “someday” was the end of December, as it was chosen for the January read in my book club. And my fears were unfounded. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.
At its heart, The Night Circus is a love story. Celia and Marco start out as pawns in a game with roots much older than them. To their instructors, they are not their children, but instruments being used to prove a point. The Circus is no more than a venue for their battle, until it becomes everything.
If you’re looking for a fast-moving plot, this may not be the book for you. The story meanders a bit, moving back and forth in time. I found that to be a bit confusing early in the story, but later you’re flipping between the same month in two different years, and I thought that was easier to follow. In-between parts of the story are short vignettes written in the second person (you), which I believe are meant to place the reader directly in the circus, to see what it would be like as a visitor who has no idea about how everything works. Truthfully, those bits could probably have been cut from the story with little damage, but they do make for a nice break from the story.
Jyc
Written on Jan 1, 2013
The step through the gates that takes you from painted ground to bare grass feels heavy. You think, as you walk away from Les Cirque de 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.”
[Re-read: September 2019] still as magical as i remember it. even better read as audiobook with jim dale as the narrator. i hope the film adaptation lives up to it.
ellieroth
Written on Sep 30, 2012
Wow qué bonita sinopsis, magos, amor, una feroz competición. Pero a mi parecer el libro no es lo que nos señala la sinopsis.
No quiero decir que The Night Circus sea un mal libro, al contrario, es un libro muy interesante. Pero después de leer algunos libros de Harry Potter y éste, he llegado a la conclusión de que los magos quizás no son para mí.
Sí, sé que estarás pensando: “Deja las comparaciones, por favor”. No lo veo como una comparación, sólo como... more
Hillary
Written on Sep 13, 2012
Mackenzie
Written on Aug 7, 2012
Before I started this book I had heard such wonderful things about it and I couldn't wait to start it. However, it didn't instantly grab me as I wished. There was no doubt that there was beauty to it, but the beginning is very much a set up. But once the book gets going and you get into it, it's hard to turn away!
The story itself was just so imaginative. I could easily picture being there and was so sad when I had to come back to reality. A circus where magic is real? All the tents described were delectable and enticing. Each one incredibly unique and beautiful.
The writing, while breathtakingly beautiful, could get confusing at times. The book takes place over 30 some odd years, but its not all in chronological order. It takes getting used to and while confusing at first, it all comes together in the end. What I loved about it was trying to piece it all together. You meet all these people and you have to figure out how they play into the book. You're playing the game right alongside them.
Also, I really enjoyed the sporadic use of second person narrative. Interspersed throughout the book are little parts telling how "you" see it. I personally think it made it more engaging and helped me really get into the book and feel a part of it.
Overall:
This book is so beautiful. It's a complex world of love, loss and magic. With gravity-defying Marry-Go-Rounds, Ice Gardens and a white-flamed bonfire, this book is a treat for the imagination and those who still believe there could be magic in this world.
All the best ♥
Mackenzie @ Oh, For the Love of Books!
nannah
Written on Jul 31, 2012
Because predictable isn't all bad. It's been getting a bad rep lately, but if it's so bad, why do people continue to enjoy fairy tales and retellings? It's not just the details but the way the whole idea is expressed that makes it enjoyable.
The writing for the most part was beautiful and lovely, although it tended to get weighted down by unnecessary adverbs, descriptions, and repetitions. For example, I believe there was even a sentence that went like this: "He nodded to show his consent." Morgenstern often told us too much when it came to characterization and showed everything when it came to the atmosphere of the circus. It does add to a fairy tale-like feel but I felt a little cheated, as though the circus was more important than characters and their relationships (to each other and to objects).
There were a number of bright and lovely characters in here, but I really enjoyed the twins Poppet and Widget most. It was beautiful to see how though the story focused on its main protagonists Celia and Marco, the twins were becoming more than just details. The unfolding of their later importance to the circus was magical and enjoyable to read. Marco, though, I am left feeling lukewarm about him. It seems he was only present to be a love interest, and that he was motivated by little else.
But all in all I enjoyed this book.
Hilarye
Written on Jul 9, 2012