Review: The Night Circus

The Night Circus 
Erin Morgenstern
Published September 13th 2011 by Doubleday

My rating:      
The Night Circus is a beautifully written novel which captured my interest from the first sentence. “The Circus arrives without warning.” I had some moments of concern because of the various points of view. Yet, Morgenstern’s well crafted fairy tale remained uncluttered despite the varied cast of characters.

The Circus itself becomes a beloved character, and as the reader I was often more concerned for the wellbeing of the circus than for some of the characters. The novel tells the story of Celia and Marco as they are bound by a magical contract which plays out in a mysterious competition.  The rules of this competition are mostly unrevealed to the reader as well as the various characters. Morgenstern successfully convinces the reader that the details of the competition are unimportant.  Yet at the same time I am concerned for the players and the eventual outcome.

The circus is held together by magic, but for the most part the patrons have either convinced themselves that it is a well crafted illusion, or they blindly accept and embrace the wonders of the circus not wanting to understand any of the mysteries.  

The Night Circus is nonlinear but was surprisingly easy to follow.  There were even occasional chapters that dared to use the risky 2nd person point of view. Typically, I find this narrative device to be ineffective and generally obnoxious. Somehow she pulled it off, and it brought the reader even deeper into the various tents of the Circus. The narratives were serene, yet almost suggestive, as if the reader was being lead through the tents by a hypnotist. There are several chapters woven through the novel that only serve to describe specific tents in the circus. The book was as enjoyable as the circus, Morgenstern brings the reader into the haunting and complex lives of the circus member, events are played out, but she never pulls back the curtain to reveal some of the more mysterious elements.  I wholeheartedly accept Morgenstern's magic and hope to see more from this author.

I have learned that Summit Entertainment has the film rights.  This is also the company that are responsible for the Twilight movies.  So needless to say I'm concerned that they will turn this novel into a steaming pile.  The visuals in the novel are stunning, so I hope that they can turn the film into something even more beautiful.  I worry that they will twist the classic Alice in Wonderland appeal into something more harsh and Burtonesque.  Guess I will have to wait and see.