I don't believe that I am a stupid person but I just couldn't follow this story. Totally confused by this book.

Good book that I really enjoyed.

Best book that I have read in a long time. I highly recommend this read. I could not put it down. The circus is black and white... but the story is not. Suspence is around every corner but the love story throughout makes my heart melt.

I read this book as part of my book club. Initially, when I read it, I quite enjoyed the novel. I got pulled into the circus as I read about it in vivid detail. Most of the characters were interesting though the author failed to develop any one of them, including the two central characters.

The book was predictable and there were many things that didn't make sense - why was their a competition in the first place? The reason seemed a bit pathetic when you read it at the end of the novel - a test of will and endurance? On what basis did the two central characters feel connected to, and fall in love with each other? Their story wasn't well developed and it seemed more about the physical connection than anything else. What is about the circus that traps people like Chanresh? Why did the man in the grey suit not have a shadow? None of that was explained yet the way the author wrote the book made it seem like all of these were clues to solving the mystery of the circus.

I think the book had a lot of potential but because the author tried to do much, with too many characters and not enough development of any one of them, it was a let down. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

This book took me. Few chapters to get into and found I would mark the last chapter to reference to years jumping. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. The circus is a magical place with such beautifully painted details, I felt as though I was there many times in the book.

this book was absolutely wonderful! the imagery was fantastic and it was just very magical! you really felt like you were part of the magic!
there are so many POVs given and many plots you've to follow but as long as you stay open-minded and don't think too hard, you'll enjoy it. just sit back and read because in the end you know that everything will be tied together into a perfect little bow.

I found the book slow and never really felt a connection with the characters (although I really tried). I had to remind myself I dislike leaving books halfway to be able to finish it.

Certainly don't understand they hype behind this book. I don't mind a story that tries to be different, but the timeline jumps in this book are horrible. This is certainly not an easy read.

I was very enraptured with The NIght Circus when I began it. I loved the depth and detail woven into all the characters, I loved the descriptiveness and the intricate components of the circus, I loved the imagery and the gothic elements all the way through the story. However this book took me quite awhile to read, and not because it was boring or long. I read a couple other novels whilst reading The Night Circus, I think because I just needed a little uplift from Erin Morgenstern's dark and sad world. Every character had sadness surrounding them, and I am not saying this emotion didn't work well with the characters or aid the aura of the story, I just felt it to be hard at times to read this story for hours on end. Perhaps it is because the book itself made me somewhat sad.

For a debut, I think this novel is exceptional. It is vivid and rich and luxuriously written. Ms Morgenstern is a sorceress of words. I loved the colour schemes of this story and the dark originality.

My most favourite element of this story is the love affair between Celia and Marco. It is timeless and unforgettably passionate. It had my heart fluttering on many occasions. I re-read some of the parts just to feel that rush again. I just loved it.

I would recommend this novel, definitely. However, I would be very picky as to whom I recommended it to. I don't think everyone understands this story as it was meant to be understood.

Before the book:
Before reading book, I had been fan-girling for a LONG time! I wanted the book like there was no other. And when I finally had the chance to read it, I jumped on it.



First impression:
When the story started, I was captivated. I loved the story! It was very unique. I was disturbed by Celia's father, Hector, who taught Celia in the most gorey way. Poor Celia was abused. I got so angry while reading the story, I just want to read on and hope on the ending. When Marco appeared, I REALLY want a happy ending! Marco is just the perfect young English man. I still remember when I read the first chapter, I immediately thought of this book has a similar feel to Water for Elephant.

I loved how the story is not base on romance, but magic. As I mentioned before Hector's teaching style is like authoritarian while Alexander, Marco's "teacher" was passive. I love the time setting, the turn of 1800 is just a magical time by itself and when you add real magic to it. It is like an explosion! I love the change in POVs. :) But I'm sad to say that I don't like how there are so many characters that you can lose track of them.


Later Into the Book:
The story began to slow. Sometimes it feel like I read for hours but never seems to move anywhere. I think this was because the story is very descriptive so it allows the readers to see and feel what Erin wanted the readers to feel. This got in the way of the plot. The story was just like a boat without its orbs, going no where. I was quite disappointed parts of the book where it lacked in action. There was a lot of description, and talking, never anything happening. I was hoping for some SHAZAM!


I did love the language used by Erin. As the story progress, I saw what more of Erin's writing and felt in love with . It was the kind of fit between sophistication and simple communication. You just can tell Erin is not just a wannabe writer that just had a good idea for a book. She actually know how to write. Her style is complex but not like you have to read the sentence a few times over to understand it. To tell you the truth I really want to write like that.

As I realized how she uses her language, the story became complex. From making the different ways the magicians use their powers to the delicate details of the circus is just so brilliant. I cannot imagine how much planning went into this book! I also really enjoy the conversations between the characters. They were all so witty, serious, and whimsical. I particularly enjoy the conversation between Celia and Marco when they first actually had a full conversation. This is because they seem to converse like two intelligent lawyers arguing in a subtle way, both counter with sassy comments, but you know they were flirting, j'adore! ♥


I love the subtle love story. It was not like a YA novel where it always seems like a forced love; Erin doesn't make the love story appear fast. It was like a slow cooker; it cook at a low temperature but the result was tender food. It was just like the love story, beautiful and exotic in its own way. That said, this love was scattered through the half end because of all the POVs.

When I got more into the book, it reminded be of Howl's Moving Castle because of all the magic and the twisted imagination. Sometimes it gets confusing and amazing at the same time.


Final Thought:
This book was great but it didn't live quite to my expectations. I wanted more actions and "dark magic" feel to it. I want the night to explode with evil clowns and axe killers, but I guess that was not Erin was trying to do. Overall, this book was a 4 out of 5 stars.

This book was very magical and fantasy-based. Not my cup of tea however, I decided to read it based on friends recommendations. It was well written with good descriptions. However, I did not identify with the characters at all and could hardly wait for the book to end.

From the first few pages of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, I was sucked in. Initially, I was hesitant to read it because I had read mixed reviews on the novel, but I was at the local library one day returning my copy before my rental expired and the librarian asked if I had read it and what did I think of it? Like me, she had heard mixed reviews. Naturally, I had get the book and read it immediately.

The Night Circus is a story about just that - a circus that comes into town mysteriously, and is open from dusk until dawn. Not only is it about this traveling circus, but it's also about two young magicians, Celia and Marco, both of whom are chosen to compete in a to-the-death duel with one another.

I think what most people didn't like about this novel is that it was slowly paced, but I really liked that about it. The story starts when Marco and Celia are just children and goes through the course of two decades, which couldn't be rushed. Erin Morgenstern is a fantastic writer and each sentence flows into the next with such beautiful imagery and descriptions. Certain spots will have you cringing slightly from the horror, but this book is far from being a horror book. It's magical, fantastical, and just one of the best books I've read.

One thing I really enjoyed about the novel was that it was like two stories in one. We have Celia and Marco's story, and then we also have the story of Bailey, a young boy whose first encounter with the circus was on a dare. It was refreshing to read about him as the story went on, ultimately to have the two stories collide with one another.

My only qualm with the novel is that I didn't quite understand the point of the game - was it just entertainment for two older magicians? It also was slightly confusing as the book jumps around, which is understandable because the book spans decades, but at times it was just slightly confusing. Once I got into the novel, it wasn't so bad to figure out what was going on.

All qualms aside, I still really enjoyed this book and it was a pleasant change from some of the current offerings. The funny thing is that the whole time I was reading it I thought to myself that it would make an amazing movie, and I just learned that the movie rights were purchased. I look forward to it as well as to reading more of what Erin Morgenstern comes up with in the future.

I didn't know what to expect from this book ... but in the end, I loved it. The characters were really enjoyable and the story line was unlike anything I had ever read before. I was really impressed and can't wait to read it again.

I didn't even bother to read the summary before starting this book, but I wasn't disappointed. The descriptions just made my imagination go wild.

This was an amazing book. There's no guessing what's going to happen among all of the magical twists! It was like Willy Wonka for adults (not all candy). I highly recommend.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It left me breathless and blew away all my expectations and any trepidations I had. In one word: magical. You start to question what's magic, what's an illusion, what's real? And the writing is just incredible. An absolutely beautiful debut. You need to experience the Night Circus for yourself.
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This review might not be the most coherent but I wanted to sing the praises for The Night Circus a little bit. This book was fantastic. Beautiful. Stunning. But most of all, incredibly magical.

Erin Morgenstern did an amazing job at getting across the sheer uniqueness of the Night Circus. The descriptions were spot on and I had a wonderful experience of visualizing the striped tents, smelling the delicious sweets, and feeling the sheer joy in the air. I couldn't get enough of all the acts and incredible performers. All the characters and scenes were so fleshed out it felt almost real, like reading an actual account of this magical appearing circus.

The romance can only be described as epic. It spans over years, under stress but only growing. It was incredibly complex and I loved every second that Marco and Celia spent together, doing mundane things like eating dinner or competing in using magic to the best of their abilities. They're constantly circling each other and the circus, becoming so entwined that it becomes impossible to separate them all for how much they come to depend on each other. It's a love that lives on; through generations, through time, through the very space we occupy.

Review from my blog: allofeverythingforyou.blogspot.com

A must read...I really loved it, could not put it down!
Can't wait for more books from Erin.

Great book, especially if you like magic and are able to imagine striking visuals simply by reading.

This is one of the best book I have ever read. It's so vibrant and different from other plots out there. It transports you to a world where anything is possible and allows you to suspend disbelief in any of its intoxicating situations. I especially loved the author's ability to have you imagine something you would never think of yourself. I relished every single one of those moments.
I'll just mention that the story jumps back and forth quite often, but if you stay with it everything makes sense at the end. Some of the characters are not as fully-realized as the author might have hoped, but you still care about them. The setting and attention to sensory detail will dazzle you.
Put this on your reading list immediately!

Was okay because of the Bewitched type of magic making the fantasy part of it fun, but it was boring throughout and dragged on for more than the first 1/2 the book. I continued reading simply because this is the authors first book and wanted to give it a fair review. This may be one of Heather's picks in order to move the many copies purchased prior to publication (oopsie). The plot was very interesting and has some potential. For a more entertaining and excellent novel read Water for Elephants.