Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Synopsis: “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. “Within these nocturnal black-and-white-striped tents awaits an utterly unique experience, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.
“Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.
"Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way – a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a “game” to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, 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.”
Review: The Night Circus exceeded all of my expectations. I picked up this novel on a whim. The beautiful cover first grabbed my attention but it was when I read the description on the dustcover that I knew this book had to go home with me. I’m obsessed with the romantic idealism of the circus, so the idea of a circus that’s only open at night and filled with illusion and magic grabbed my attention.
I bought it a week ago but hadn’t had a chance to read it until today. I stayed home from class with the flu and spent the day reading The Night Circus. I quickly forgot that I was sick and read the book straight through. Morgenstern has a beautiful way with words that I have rarely seen and her prose flows like the illusion and magic of Le Cirque des Rêves. The forbidden romance between Celia and Marco stirred my soul and quickened my imagination. This is a lovely first novel which I hope is the first of many.
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN: 978-0385534635
If you like this book you may want to read:
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (ISBN: 978-0553384840) Read my review here.
Abarat by Clive Barker (ISBN: 978-0062094100)
Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine (ISBN: 978-1607012535) Read my Review here.
