The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Rêves delights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire.

Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs - the dreamers. At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter's daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer's apprentice. At the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of the imagination, and of their love...

A fabulous, fin-de-siècle feast for the senses and a life-affirming love story, The Night Circus is a captivating novel that will make the real world seem fantastical and a fantasy world real.

Reviewed by layawaydragon on

1 of 5 stars

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DNF. Made it about a third of the way through. I don't get the appeal or hype.

I mean, it wasn't bad. Just...long and bland. Why do I care? What are the stupid stakes already?? What's the bloody fucking point???

Considering this is supposed to be a romance between rivals, a third of the book in and they don't even know each other yet! AND the guy has a girlfriend!

I felt bad for the kids in the beginning. The invisible man was a surprising twist. The best parts were the minor character chapters disbursed between the main POVs, like the clock maker. Other than that, nope. Twas not for me.

Put it down, sighed in relief and forgot about it peacefully. Until I realized how far behind in my reading challenge I was and swore I read more and finally remembered it.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 February, 2020: Finished reading
  • 1 February, 2020: Reviewed