Friday, September 6, 2013

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern


I read this book a while ago, but never reviewed it on the blog.

I really enjoyed all of the characters along with the storyline, but this was a slow read for me.  It contained a lot of very lengthy detailed descriptions, which at times were difficult to envision.  The tents and the circus with their black and white theme sounded beautiful, but I wish Morgenstern spent more time on the characters and less time on the setting.     

On a more positive note, the few times when the main characters Celia and Marco were together, it was pure magic.   I absolutely flew through those sections and was left longing for more.  If only they could have spent the majority of the book together, I probably wouldn't have been able to put it down.  

I also really enjoyed the interaction between Bailey, Poppet, and Widget.  Poppet and Widget are twins who were born opening night of the circus.  Their parents are performers, so they grew up within the circus and are now performers themselves.  Bailey becomes enchanted by the circus when he is a boy and is destined to become a part of it.  When the circus comes back to Bailey's hometown, he becomes friends with the twins and we begin to experience more of the circus through their adventures. 

The love story, characters, and elements of magic were fascinating, but for me...The Night Circus lacked the spark needed to really capture the readers.  I liked it, but it was more of a 3 star book for me.  It is being made into a movie with an anticipated release date in 2014.  This is one of the rare occasions when I think there is potential for the movie to be better than the book.  The costumes and circus tents will be magnificent to see on the big screen.  

2 comments:

  1. I've tried a few or more times to read this myself, and I just can't get attached to it, despite how much I want to be! I'm a circus FREAK I love it! I love love love everything there is to do with it, and love this take on it. However, the characters just fell flat.

    Thanks for the review! You sure did hit the nail on the head.

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    1. Thanks!!

      Did you read Water For Elephants? That is another circus related book that I really enjoyed.

      Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment :)

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