Book Review: The Night Circus

The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publication: June 2012 (first published September 2011)
Format: Paperback, 508 pages

The Night Circus began with a deal between two magicians, Hector Bowen and Alexander to take a student, trained them with their art and let them compete. The competition is held in a traveling circus called Le Cirque des Rêves, which only opens at night and closes at dawn. In this competition, Celia and Marco will compete, testing each other with their skills until a winner is picked. None of them know the rules, and what it takes to win the competition.

At first, I thought that there are too many characters in the book. I often wondered what characters like Bailey, Poppet and Widget purposes are. As the story goes on, I finally understand why they are there. Each character in the story has their purposes. Although the book started out slow and a bit boring at first, it gets better as the story goes on. I can see how The Night Circus is well planned with each actions and characters development.

The love story between Celia and Marco was very sweet and sad at the same time. They were bonded, but cannot be together because of the competition. I absolutely adore how The Night Circus was written. It was beautiful. I love the descriptions and details. Reading the book makes me feel that I am almost there, in the circus to witness everything – the competition, magic and everything else.

Book Cover’s Description

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 and Marco, 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.