The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

A magical fantasy ride with an air of elegance and sophistication.

The Night Circus has been on my To Be Read list for what feels like forever. I finally purchased a copy from one of my favorite bookstores, Bookman’s, and then I let it sit on my shelf for an additional undisclosed amount of time. I finally broke down and read it as my first cover to cover read of 2022 after my dear bookish friend, Liz, recommended it for my 12 books 12 months challenge.

I knew the basics going in. It was a magical circus. A circus that “arrives without warning.” A circus that is obviously only open during the overnight hours. Those ideas in themselves set the stage for what is sure to be a million little developments and discoveries over the course of the almost 400 pages. (My copy of the book had 512 pages?!?!?)

What I loved most about the book was the elegance and sophistication of the writing style. There was a rhythmic tone set that matched the time period which was the turn of the 20th century. Everything was based on the power and wonder that is magic…real or perceived.

That is the fun of this. I would like to assume that most people are familiar with magicians and while they are talented, their skills are based on tricks of the eye, distractions and personality. Even in The Night Circus this is what people’s perception is of the different acts and tents that hold wonderful and fantastical experiences. However, this circus is powered by real magic and a cast of characters that are deeply diverse. I loved the tent that Marco created and the Carousel that Celia designed among all the other fun like the kitten show.

The plot delves into developing the idea that the circus is just the backdrop of a game, a challenge that pits two young magical talents against each other. While we know from the beginning of the story that these two characters, Marco and Celia, are being trained to participate in the challenge, neither is told what, when or where the challenge will take place and the identity of the other competitor is withheld. They make that discovery along the way on their own.

I did enjoy experiencing them growing up and their character development as they began to piece things together and how they ultimately both came to be part of the traveling circus. But, I will say that there were points throughout that I felt that I was beginning to lose interest. I really enjoyed the circus, but all the scenes that took place in London with Chandresh began to bore me. I get why they were there, but I wish everyone was just at the circus!!

Part of why this isn’t a blow-me-away book is because of the elegance and sophistication of the style and development. It’s like a catch 22 for me. I loved the whimsical elegance, but at times I feel that it muted the energy and excitement. I feel it is the same reason that I am not a big fan of the classics. I would never have survived in the world of privilege and sophistication of that time period. I also understand that this is a very unpopular opinion. However, I do appreciate it all and completely understand and respect other readers’ love of it.

Out of all the circus characters, the twins Widget and Poppet, were obviously my favorite! They brought the energy, youth, and recklessness that was needed to balance out the severity of the challenge and the growing desperation that builds to the climatic moment at the end. They view everything through those clear eyes of youth, the eyes of ones who have never lived outside of the circus. I was fully invested in their story and development.

I have heard this from others, but I too struggled with figuring out why the heck we were wasting so much time on Bailey’s character. I honestly didn’t care if he stayed on the farm or went to Harvard. I just wanted to go back to the circus!!!! However, when everything finally fits together like the final pieces of the puzzle, I ended up loving him. Again, this is partially because of his youth and the role he plays with Widget and Poppet.

Ok, I will finally address the love story. I'm not a huge fan of Marco. It’s not that I don’t like him per say, I just don’t particularly care for him. It isn’t even until the very end of the book that I felt that I truly believed how he felt. Maybe this was because I wasn’t sure exactly how Isabelle fit into all of it, and my heart hurt a little for her. I do however like Celia, and how their story ends is just as magical and elegant as every other aspect of the story. I loved that it all came together in that one chaotic moment. Everyone involved finally fully realized their place and role in the circus and how their lives were defined and tied to the circus and each other. True love is taking a leap of faith for and with the other person even when you have no idea how it might end. This was a powerful and perfect conclusion.

One other  area I struggled with was the shifting timelines. Now, I love multiple timelines, but in this book it was a little off putting. I only say that because it would jump to the future, then go back to the past. It would be 1899 for one chapter and then 1902 the next then 1900 in the next. And since the book only contained a 3rd person narrator and not multiple points of view, it felt that it caused some inconsistency.

Where does this land on my bookshelf?

As unpopular an opinion this might be, I am placing this on my middle shelf. Towards the top, but still on my middle shelf. It is not one of the best books I have ever read, and I’m not sure it will be one of my favorite books of the year. Granted, it’s only January!!  But, I did enjoy the build up and creation of the circus, the elegance of the style that matched the time period, and the way that everything was tied together so magically at the end of the book. The magical fantasy of the cloud maze and the book ship filled the pages with wonder. The tone that Morgenstern developed comes from her pure talent as a wordsmith. I can never take that away from this book. I’m glad I read it, and I appreciate that my friends pushed me to get to it. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you like this particular style of writing and time period.

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