Book Review: THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday, September 2011) Hardcover, 387 pages. ISBN # 0385534635 / 9780385534635 

Awards: Locus Award for Best First Novel 2012, Orange Prize Nominee for Fiction Longlist 2012, Guardian First Book Award Nominee for Longlist 2011, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Adult Literature 2012, ALA Alex Award 2012, Lincoln Award Nominee 2014, The Kitschies Nominee for Golden Tentacle (debut) 2011, Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Fantasy and for Favorite Book 2011, International Dublin Literary Award Nominee 2013.

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

 My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     This is a circus like no other. It suddenly appears at various sites around the world without fanfare, advertisement, or notice. Yet it always manages to draw a sizable audience, who often return. The main attraction is not exotic or foreign animals performing for their trainers and the amusement of the crowd. It is a circus of wonders, each separate tent featuring unusual sights, sounds, and exhibitions that appear to illuminate and create a feeling of true magic. For the final years of the 19th century and the early days of the 20th century there was no other entertainment quite like it. 

     This is a circus novel like no other. The circus is merely an intricate creation that serves as the backdrop for a contest of wills where the apprentice players are not given clear instructions on who, what, where, or when but simply persuaded to play the game. 

     This is a romance novel like no other, with almost a complete absence of romantic scenes. The lovers never realize their true feelings until too far into the story, when Celia and Marco finally understand that they are adversaries in a fateful competition that neither now wants to win. The true nature of this conflict is also concealed from readers until the late chapters of this novel.

     Upon reflection, I have raised my rating from Four Stars to Five Stars. This is well above average and exceeded my expectations. But it's not perfect, and I would have rated THE NIGHT CIRCUS 4.25 OR 4.5 Stars if Goodreads accommodated fractional grading. I felt that the novel could easily have been 50-75 pages shorter with a little editing, and perhaps it wouldn't seem like I consumed too much caramel-coated apples and cotton candy if it had. However, this may also be the best debut novel that I will read this year, although it is too early in 2022 to determine that now. 

     This charming novel pulls you into its' highly imaginative world in the early pages and doesn't let go. The evocative descriptions and world-building are remarkable. Characters are well-defined, and there is a plethora of them, every single one likable despite their limitations. Like the best works of Neil Gaiman, THE NIGHT CIRCUS creates a feeling of true magic.