The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.
The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads:
Opens at Nightfall
Closes at Dawn
As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears.
Le Cirque des Rêves
The Circus of Dreams.
Now the circus is open.
Now you may enter. (from the back of the book)
Melanie says: I first picked up the book
while on vacation in Yellowstone, not because I wouldn’t be enjoying myself,
but because I needed something for when the sun went down and my mind was still
wide awake. I only mention this because I think it is a testament to the
quality of the storytelling in the book. I found myself thinking about the book
and sometimes hurrying back to the hotel to read while I was observing the
awesomeness that is Yellowstone. The story moves a bit slow at times and the
battle is much less epic than the back cover implies but the characters are
relatable, despite their magical tendencies, and the plot is quite intriguing.
I imagine the circus being something of a black and white Cirque du Soleil but
where the action happens up close and personal - I found myself
wanting to step into the pages and experience the circus myself. I also really liked the two converging
story lines (but only after I realized the importance of reading the chapter
description, which is not something I often do).
Lisa says: I remember seeing this in my local
store and thinking it looked intriguing, but instead of picking it up I just
put it on a mental back burner. When Melanie suggested bringing back the book
of the month (we’re bringing it back with a little less structure!) and it was
fate that she mentioned this book! I really enjoyed this book! I agree with
Melanie saying it is a bit slow at times. The circus set up reminds me of Ray
Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes (one of my favorite books). The Night Circus is definitely intriguing and
felt very real! As I was reading I was like either the ending
is going to be pants (check me and my British slang) or the author new what she
was writing. Sometimes I feel authors have a good idea and then don’t/can’t
follow through to the end. Erin Morgenstern knew what she wanted the story to
be. I can’t wait to see what her next novel might be like!
Janet says: I really enjoyed this book and found myself unable to put it down. Interestingly, I really likes Bailey's story line the best. As I read, I wanted to hear more about him! Of course I was very happy with the way his character ended up in the story. I felt a little disappointed in the climax. I think it lacked a little given the enormity of emphasis put on it.I loved what Marco and Celia made for each other, one of my favorite parts was when Celia experienced the ice tent. I felt like I was there and I wanted to explore more!Overall I recommend this book, I really enjoyed it!
And last but not least it looks like this book, yet again, is going to be turned into a movie. Yay. (note the sarcasm)
Update Jan 6 2013: Loraine @ What I Felt About.... shares her thoughts on The Night Circus here!
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