The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Star-crossed dueling magicians at the circus. Think of it as The Prestige meets Water for Elephants.

The Night Circus has been on my to-read list since last year, when it was topping the bestseller lists and taking over book displays across the country. I thought that, after a year, the hype would have died down, and I’d be able to judge it in a more unbiased light (as bestsellers are, in my opinion, not all they’re cracked up to be). However, I couldn’t go ten feet with this book in my hands before someone would stop me to say, “Oh my gosh, you’re reading The Night Circus! I love that book!”

Needless to say, expectations were high. And, for the most part, they were met.

The story centers around Le Cirque de Rêves, a mystifying circus that is only open at night. It pops up across the globe, unannounced, and entices its patrons in with its otherworldly atmosphere—illusionists,  contortionists, fortune tellers, and more become a part of the immersive experience, as guests make their way through a labyrinth of black-and-white tents. The sights inside are sometimes too amazing to believe.

Unbeknownst to the casual observer, there is something more  happening at the circus—it is the stage for two young magicians, Celia and Marco, to compete in a duel they have been trained for since childhood. Bound to each other in an unbreakable challenge, the two create tents and experiences within the circus that are meant to be seen as mere illusion, when in reality they are deeply rooted in real magical practices. As the pair tries to constantly one-up each other, the two become devastatingly star-crossed lovers, as there can only be one left standing in order to end the game. And, as they become more and more ingrained into the circus itself, they put not only themselves but everyone involved in the circus in danger.

The one word that keep occurring to me when I was reading this book was “lush”. The prose was infused with exquisite detail, each description (from the scent of the caramel apples to the performers dressed in elaborate black-and-white costumes) was rich and deftly handled; the writing was as immersive as the circus itself. Morgenstern created a world that I very much want to visit; Le Cirque de Rêves sounds like the most phenomenal night of entertainment ever, complete with carousels with almost-too-real horses and gorgeous living statues that move ever so slowly throughout the evening (there’s even a tent where kittens perform. KITTEN PERFORMERS!). I love the way Morgenstern writes, and that, to me, was what made this novel a worthwhile read.

As for the story, I was constantly wondering what was going on, as I was ensnared by the mystery. Morgenstern’s writing was withholding without keeping her readers too in the dark, and each plot twist felt thoroughly earned. It read like The Prestige meets Water for Elephants, an unexpectedly wonderful combination. I felt like her characters were not the main showcase of the story—though everyone was fairly well-developed, the novel focused more on plot, in the way that a fable does. I felt the ending of the novel was a bit anti-climatic, the pieces fitting together in a way that felt out-of-order, but it still proved to be a satisfying experience.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. Deeply atmospheric and filled with plenty of twists and turns, this was an enchanting read, to say the least.