A Circus I Really Wished Was Real

Half Cannonball!!!!!! And I’ve reached my reading goal!

This is my second read of this book and I think I loved it more than the first time.

The Night Circus is centered around a magical challenge vetted between a magician’s daughter, Celia, and a mysterious ‘man in a grey suit’ and his protégé Marco. The two players are chosen against their will to compete in a game of skill until their masters decide who has bested the other.

Their playing field is a circus, populated by patrons, employees, and performers, that moves and reappears without warning as it makes a global circuit.

But it’s not just any circus. You won’t find your average scary clowns, stale popcorn, and scantily clad assistants here. This is the unique Circus of Dreams, and it’s a dream I want to never wake up from.

Morgenstern uses gorgeous imagery and great storytelling to weave a tale that encompasses many different dimensions of this impossible venue including the players, the patrons, the engineers, and the performers. It’s a circus completely devoid of color; blacks, whites, and greys are the only color (or lack thereof) allowed, even down to the food and the floor, and the creativity used to create such a remarkable space is amazing.

The characters are as colorful as their venue is void. Celia and Marco are the best mix of adorable and realistic, with a cast of major characters that are interesting, intriguing, and have personalities worth rooting for.

My favorite part of Morgenstern’s writing is that she never really explains how the magic works; it just does. It just exists, and her world is so fantastically built that you’re completely willing to suspend your disbelief with her and say “why of course that’s how it is.”

My only complaint, and it’s a small one, is that the end is like the movie, Return of the King, where the screen goes white and you’re like, okay that’s the end. And then it’s not….about 50 times.  Morgenstern’s end was the same. The plot would play out, and I’d prepare myself for the inevitable book hangover at the turning of the last blank page, and then BOOM! Another chapter. And another, and another.

Granted, these post chapters were awesome and beautifully written, but it made the ending feel a little too drawn out.

Either way, if you’re not a big proponent of fantasy, and just want to stick your toe in to test the waters, this is the book to read!