I have always told you how I am a fast reader but to my own disappointment, I read a book for a month. It’s got 490 pages (wait till you see my current read) which I thought I could easily finish in no time. But to my surprise, I took one whole month. Why? Is it not a good book?

I’ll tell you that later but first at least ask what book it is, no? Oh, you might have already got that from the title. Anyway…

It is “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern. My 7th book of 2020.

Again a very well-received novel. Read by many, appreciated by many, and recommended by even more. I am always excited to start a new book and for this, I was even more excited because I love magic, fairytale-like, and stuff. I wanted to read Starless Sea by the same author but happen to come across this one before. So, anyhoo, this is the blurb of the book.

The blurb of “The Night Circus”

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 Bowen and Marco Alisdair, 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.

Other works of Erin Morgenstern

Apart from The Night Circus, she has also written The Starless Sea and Flax – Golden Tales.

Review:

I’ll come straight to the point. I liked the book. But I’m not a fan. I just liked it, that’s all. As I said, I was really excited to start this book but when I did, I actually found it a little slow-paced. Maybe because I had too many expectations. But definitely better than the books I read previously this year. Okay, I have got so much to say about this one so let’s see one by one.

Firstly, the language is easy to understand, unlike some books where we have to have a dictionary next to us. And the narration is also good but as I said a little laggard.

Secondly, the descriptions. The details are a bit too much to handle. The book is all about details about the circus, the tricks, the magical striped tents, the luxurious aesthetics, etc. And these descriptions are never-ending. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading the details which are essential for a good book. But with this one, I think it went a bit too far. Although it is so magical and dazzling to imagine it.

Thirdly, this is a character-oriented book, not the story-driven one. And I prefer the latter one, so I felt this is not a good fit for me. So many characters and so much around how each of them perceives the circus. I’d have enjoyed better if it has a little more story to it. And the main characters Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair didn’t feel like protagonists at some points. The circus has occupied so much of the stage that even the main leads seemed like side characters.

Next, it has too many time jumps. In one chapter it is 1901 and in the immediate next chapter the time goes back and then in the next it jumps forward again. It seemed confusing at times in that sense as I hadn’t paid much attention to the chapter titles in the beginning, which I have figured it out later and started paying attention to chapter titles where the year was mentioned.

After 250 or 300 pages, I finally started seeing the story evolving. Even then it was just fleeting and then back to the descriptions of the magical surroundings. All the beginning chapters are just for character-revealing and opening of the circus, introduction of the magic tricks, and all. The beginning chapters are more like setting up the big stage for the big last act.

Lastly, the climax is here and maybe I expected something more, I felt it too simple. I expected some grand climax like the big grand circus that was described in every page but it seemed too plain.

Pros:

1. Simple language to understand.
2. The narration is smooth.
3. Character-driven. (Some might like it, so it’s a pro.)

Cons:

1. Time jumps.
2. Not a story-driven.

Overall, it is a good book. I’d rate it 3 out of 5. But don’t expect too much. Too many expectations lead to disappointment. So, read it with an open mind and then you might enjoy it.

Who would I recommend this book to?

If you are a fan of magic or someone who likes to read everything in detailed descriptions, or someone who enjoys reading slowly savoring a story bit by bit then this book is for you. You are surely going to enjoy this.

Alright, that’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed reading my review for “The Night Circus” and I will see you next time. And let me know if you have any good book suggestions, I’m always and always in search of good books. My current read is “The Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss.

Adios!

Lots of LOVE,

Nikki.

(Penname: Sarvani)

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