The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is about the series of events that take place within the confines of a circus that travels across the world and runs strictly at nighttime. While the setting is constantly changing as the circus travels, a bulk of the book takes place in London where one of the main characters, Marco, lives as well takes place mainly in the darkness of night in scenes surrounded by fantastical illusions and bizarre magic. The story follows most commonly the perspective of Marco and Celia, two competitor's fighting against one another to win a magic bound competition; however, in the events following their outrageous acts to outdo one another and the psychological torment the competition puts them through, the two end up falling deeply in love with one another. Celia's character can be very closed off from others and closedminded at times because of this; however, her bold curiosity and strength help demonstrate her character's growth throughout the book. Marco, on the other hand, continually struggles to find a place that he truly belongs and is accepted into throughout most of the book; however, the passion and care he holds for others, particularly Celia, portrays the depths of his character and what he values as most important in his life. The main conflict of this book is that the competition Marco and Celia battle through against each other ever since their childhoods can only have one winner, or rather one survivor, and so the two must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for one another as well as if they are willing to jeopardize the fate of the circus, in which so many depend on, in the process. Overall, I would say that the conflict is for the most part wrapped up at the end with little left for the audience to still wonder; however, the ending is not necessarily a happy ending as some characters are left with a lot having been sacrificed by the end of the book.
Diving deeper into the central conflict of the book, early on in the novel both Marco and Celia are established as promising, young students of magic and illusion and are set against one another in a competition neither of them really know much about. Both of the two young students come from a rough past as Marco was an orphan and Celia had lost her mom to suicide. Finding purpose in training in magic for the competition seemed to help them cope with everything until the toll of the competition on one another started to destroy them. The conflict, I would argue, is not identified until later on in the book in which the two meet one another and start to fall for each other despite the inevitable odds of the competition. After fighting so long for themselves and pinning themselves away from others, Marco and Celia begin to open up to one another and find peace with their past in the face of a potential future with each other. Upon realization that there can only be one survivor, the two have to decide what they are willing to sacrifice for love and for each other. While this is occurring, simultaneously the circus is beginning to fall apart due to the deaths of two of the main founders and the conflict occurring between Marco and Celia. Ultimately, the fate of the circus is in Celia’s hands as she must decide how to hold it together for the sake of everyone involved in the circus and all that has been sacrificed because of it.
These conflicts reveal patterns such as the bonfire of the circus. Once the light of the fire gives out, the circus is stopped and must be rekindled in order to thrive as it once did again. This theme of light in connection to magic demonstrates the darkness that exists in the world and the glimmer of hope the circus offers for so many of the characters throughout this book. A place in which people can turn to for fun and adventure during trying and dark times in their lives. The hope and opportunity of the circus portrays in this symbol of light to demonstrate the connection it serves to others who don’t fit in with the confines of the world around them. Furthermore, based on sociological perspective, this book can be portrayed as a representation of a world away from reality as the circus offers hope to those who otherwise deemed themselves to be hopeless or lost. Building off of this idea on an authorial level, it seems Morgenstern’s story seems to portray the human desire for love and acceptance. Although maybe not in the form magic in our present day world, the symbol of hope and having faith in something is often essential to our lives and the ways we choose to prioritize what we do and who we allow into our lives. As demonstrated throughout Marco and Celia’s conflict between love and competition, humans desire to be loved and to belong. Similar to Marco and Celia, we have to decide as humans what we are willing to sacrifice in order to honor and protect the love we carry for others and our beliefs.
Although this book was beautifully written and filled with several deep metaphors and symbols, what was most difficult for me to overlook was the amount of holes in the plot that made it difficult to follow along with the characters and feel connected to them. There are a lot of third person perspectives throughout this story, which made it challenging for me to get a detailed grasp on a character as well as see them progressively grow. I would argue that a majority of the characters developed as the story went on, but not in a significant way that made to feel tied or drawn to the characters.
I think the book mainly felt very rushed as there was a lot happening all at once, and it seemed like complex relationships such as Celia and her father as well as Bailey and Poppet were overlooked sometimes through the book due to the wide array of perspectives and characters thrown into the plot. I also would have liked to have had more chapters about Celia and Marco’s relationship as I felt there was still a lot I was left wondering by the end of the book such as what their lives are liked following the ending as well as what the ending really means for them and their future.
Erin Morgenstern’s writing, however, is beautiful. The way in which she structured this story and created imagery was fantastic and consistently caught my eye while reading. While I think this book was good, I think there were a few things that also drew me away from it as well. On the other hand, I will most certainly be reading other books written by Morgenstern in the future as her writing style is truly amazing.
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'The Night Circus' is not only a beautiful concept, but moreover a a portal into another world full of enchantment and intrigue. As soon as the book starts, you are immediately transported into another world. Erin Morgenstern invokes all of your senses in her writing, which literally makes the real world fall away as you delve into the story and plot. I could literally visualize each character and scene and tent in vivid detail. It's important to pay close attention to the dates that precede each chapter as that is truly an integral part of the story line. It skips back and forth through time. There is really only one character, Isobel, that I don't feel really added much to the story - with the exception of one specific event that begins the unraveling of the dream, the magic, and the fate of the circus. Overall, I very much enjoyed this read, though I must confess I enjoyed, 'The Starless Sea,' so much more. However, though they are two very different books, both take your breath away as you enter Erin Morgenstern's vivid imagination.
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TJ
Easily my favourite book of 2023 (out of 30)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2023
Navin m
A Magical Masterpiece: "The Night Circus"
Reviewed in India on July 15, 2023Kindle Customer
Different edition
Reviewed in the Netherlands on June 5, 2023
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Reviewed in the Netherlands on June 5, 2023
On a different note this books is amazing.
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That Short Writer - Marta K. Destler
You don’t read this book: you live it—@thatshortwriter on IG
Reviewed in Italy on November 26, 2020
That Short Writer - Marta K. Destler
Reviewed in Italy on November 26, 2020
Let’s start with the cover because, although I know that a book cannot be judged by its external appearance, this makes an exception. The Italian edition lacks the silhouettes of Marco and Celia (which I framed in a print above my bed because they are too beautiful), but it contains all the magic and elements of the book: white and black, red (very important!), the clock, the hand that holds the and creates the circus. It’s fantastic.
The development of the story is very slow and each chapter not only jumps from character to character, but also over time. It may seem a little confusing at first, and it can cut the rhythm, but it poses so many questions that it forces you to move forward, page after page. It may not be for everyone, but I love slow developments, which lay the foundations for a story full of surprises and magic. There are also several elements of foreboding scattered here and there, which increase the questions and the need for answers, chapter after chapter. Towards the end I was so tense that I had to stop reading to take a deep breath and calm down a bit. The opiate effect that this book has had on my poor heart and my labile psyche is indescribable.
The style is impeccable and vivid. I had never read anything that stimulated all five senses: I perceived smells, felt the taste of food on my tongue, tickled my ears and eyesight, I touched leaves, fabrics and glass flasks. It is such a lively book, like the circus itself, that it is a real mystical experience. You don’t read this book: you live it. I felt like I was walking between those pages and marveling at every corner. Erin Morgenstern has a gift and is to make you feel cold when the temperature drops, or to see the future in the stars when a character reads them like an open book. There are short chapters in which the book addresses the reader in second person and it was really like visiting the circus and experiencing all the magic it contains. I saw the story unfold exactly before my eyes and the desire to really visit every tent and immerse myself in illusions was, and still is, beyond words.
There is this one scene of a kiss, in particular, that stopped my heart for a few moments. I had to (again) put the book down to recover, because it is so beautiful, powerful and tangible that it still makes me shiver. I really want to draw that scene.
But it is the subtle line between reality and illusion that has been, for me, the diamond of The Night Circus: in this world some people can bend reality as they please; there are those who were born with this gift, those who had to learn it from books; and who, however, does not believe in such nonsense and prefers to be enchanted by the acrobatics of the illusionists in a circus, wondering where the trick is. This book makes you dream because it has the power to make you believe that all this can be real.
The characters, especially Celia and Marco, are credible: they have flaws and weaknesses, they make mistakes and they are afraid, and this does not obscure their strengths, rather it highlights them even more. They spend a few scenes together, but when they do… woah. Their relationship and competition was born and developed before they could meet and for this reason every step towards something more is synonymous with tragedy. They must duel with illusions, according to very unclear and unwritten rules, until a winner is decreed. But who decides who wins? When? How? What will be the consequences?
Bailey, Poppet e Widget. I loved these three and their friendship, despite their differences. It was a breath of fresh air between tension and sadness. But they are not just a few minutes of lightheartedness; they grew up with the circus, some outside and some inside, and they play a pivotal role—even if they don’t know it yet.
And the circus. Holy cow, the circus. Le Cirque des Rêves. It’s the theater of the competition. It’s also a character that grows and changes over the years and with its inhabitants. It has its own character, a changing and shining appearance. It’s as strong as the wind and fragile as a house of cards. It jumps from city to city without warning, appears and disappears without explanation, but remains so much in the mind and heart of visitors that it even has its fans, the rêveurs, of which I am proudly part of. I don’t want to spoil the surprise to those who haven’t read it yet, but I loved every tent—especially the Ice Garden. But also the one with bottles and various containers (who has read it knows what they are full of).
And I would like to talk about the complex Hector and Alexander, the closest thing to a villain (even if, to me, this book is full of grey characters, instead of good and bad ones); and the mysterious Tsukiko; and that good soul of Fredrick; and my colleague and architect Ethan Barris; and everyone else. There is only one character who left me perplexed (perhaps underdeveloped and overshadowed by events). I’m talking about Isobel, the fortune-teller. She plays such an important role but has been relegated to a corner (spoilery part on my blog www.thatshortwriter.it).
If someone should know where the Cirque des Rêves will go next, please tell me. I have a very nice red scarf I’d like to use for the occasion.
PS: a little curious fact for you. Have you ever tried to send a message to the e-mail at the end of the book? Please, do.
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