Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Publish Date: September 13th 2011

Length: 490 pages

The Circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it... It  is simply there, when Yesterday it was not"

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a whirlwind journey through a world of magic, mystery, romance and illusions. Set late in 19th Century London, the book tells the story of the gifted prodigies of two great 'magicians': Prospero the Enchanter and Mr A.H. (most often referred to as The Man in the Grey Suit). The two are bound together at an early age, destined to spend their lives playing out the tormenting game of their tutors. They are given no rules, no boundaries, not even the identity of their competitor. All they know is that the setting for this game is an intriguing Circus open only at night.

Le Cirque des Reves or Circus of Dreams is unlike any other carnival seen before. Open only when the sun sets, many of the sights inside are mere illusions, however various members of the cast hide their true magical abilities under the guise of trickery. Celia, the daughter of Prospero, takes on the role of the enchanter in this circus, performing wondrous feats in her act, whilst also using her abilities to hold together the fragile circus more than anyone else understands. Her competitor Marco, the orphan ward of Mr A.H. keeps his distance from the Circus, working for its proprietor the eccentric Chandresh Lefevre, however he is also vital in the uphold of the Circus. However, despite the magic that binds them to battle against one another, they fall in love, not knowing the true repercussions this could hold for them and all those involved with the Circus.

Review: This book really was a pleasure to read. The imagery used is beautiful and encapsulating, and after a few chapters I found myself longing to visit a circus again. Erin Morgenstern has created such a wonderfully believable, yet truly magical world for the story that you cannot help but expect to see the Circus's black and white tents on the outskirts of your town. The characters are complex and genuine, and although the cast is rather large, you are never lost through the twining threads. It is written in a non-linear style, each chapter starting with the date and location. My advice would be to make sure you read these or you will soon start wondering what just happened in the chronology.

The two main threads of the story, the first of Celia and Marco, and the story of Bailey and the Twins seem hard to relate to each other at first, but by the end they collide so beautifully. Stay away from spoilers or the temptation to glance at the last few pages; it really will be worth your time. 

Would I recommend it?: Most definitely. Although this books seems to predominately appeal to those interested in magic and childish delights, I can really see anyone enjoying this book. So if you consider yourself a dreamer, why not join the ranks of the Reveurs and step into the Circus?

Rating: 8.5/10

Buy is here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Night-Circus-Erin-Morgenstern/dp/0099554798/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382182902&sr=8-1&keywords=the+night+circus