#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Two starcrossed magicians engage in a deadly game of cunning in the spellbinding New York Times bestseller that captured the world’s imagination.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 … 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 both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.
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5 Stars are not enough for this meticulously constructed one-of-a-kind masterpiece that was timeless, beautiful, elegant, magical, and masterful. Holy shit. Literal goosebumps. Wow.
The Night Circus is absolutely one of my all-time favorite books! Absolutely gorgeous, unbelievably imaginative, and utterly unique from beginning to end, TNC will captivate you on page one and won’t let up until the last page. Truly magical in every sense of the word.
This book is said to be ‘Dazzling’ and ‘Enchanting’, and I have to agree. Its magical aspects make you feel involved in a world of its own. I liked the initial mystery and the character presented. Mr. A. H and Hector Bowen AKA, ‘Prospero the Enchanter’, commence a challenge between Marco and Hector’s daughter Celia that forever changes their fates. They must both create spectacular magic for a travelling magical circus. Their performances must baffle their spectators and that won’t be easy; not for Celia anyway. Although the magical elements and the enchanting dazzlement are inspiring, they quickly faded for me after a few chapters as the story carried on with much the same tellings of the wonders displayed in the different tents of the circus. Had I gone into the book with the expectation of a visit to the circus I would have been impressed, going into it with the expectation of being taken through a journey with a beginning a twist and a breathtaking resolution, I felt disappointed. This book could have easily become a highly scored piece of work if it would have been half its length and had a more dramatic ending.
This is one of my favorite books! And I plan to reread it. The plot is original and very atmospheric… when does a circus roll into town and not open till midnight? The characters are amazing. The story takes you on a whimsical journey.
The Night Circus is an unforgettable book about a traveling night circus called Le Cirque des Rêves that has no particular plan for traveling and it arrives in locations without any sudden announcements or warnings. Its black-and-white striped tents are full of magic and incredible things, and it attracts reveurs from all over the world – all identified by the bright red accessories they wear to mark them as regular visitors.
The story is actually about the life of this circus and the magic at the heart of it. The characters are secondary, but at the heart of this story is a living, breathing circus that seems to come alive on the pages. It’s also not a real circus that you’d expect to see today. Yes, there are all the aspects you’d find at a circus, but the real circus is actually the part of this act where magic is passed off as illusion. It looks like magic, but the magicians make it seem like it is an illusion and not real magic.
Behind the curtains of these tents are two young magicians at war. Celia and Marco have been training since childhood to fight their final battle that was devised for them by their instructors before they were old enough to know what they were getting into. Only one of them can win and the stage is set, with the circus being the battle ground for incredible feats of magic and imagination.
Of course, Celia and Marco fall head over heels in love with each other and they don’t truly understand the rules of the game they’ve been locked into. They believe there is a way out of this battle and they are sure, with all their magical skills, that they can find a way to be together.
The game won’t change, though, and only one of them can be the victor. The other will die.
Despite knowing these odds, Celia and Marco cannot help their growing love. Rooms grow warmer and lights begin to flicker with the merest brush of their hands. They create magical rooms for each other that are testimonies to their love, and the reveurs all benefit from this because, of course, these rooms are set within the circus and are entertainment for all and not just for our two young lovers.
The Night Circus has an incredible array of characters and I’d love to learn more about all the people in the circus. I think Morgenstern could take this story even further and write about the twins, the contortionist, and all the other amazing characters in this story. There are endless possibilities to continue this series.
The book reads like magic with stunning descriptions of settings and events. It’s a beautiful book that will leave you feeling heavy with whimsy and wanting more. The Night Circus was one of my favorite books in 2018. It’s going to be hard to whittle my book list down to my top 12 favorite reads of 2018, but I’m quite certain The Night Circus will be on that list.
Best Takeaway Quotes:
“Secrets have power. And that power diminishes when they are shared, so they are best kept and kept well. Sharing secrets, real secrets, important ones, with even one other person, will change them. Writing them down is worse, because who can tell how many eyes might see them inscribed on paper, no matter how careful you might be with it. So it’s really best to keep your secrets when you have them, for their own good, as well as yours.”
― Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
“Life takes us to unexpected places sometimes. The future is never set in stone, remember that.”
― Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
“Only the ship is made of books, its sails thousands of overlapping pages, and the sea it floats upon is dark black ink.”
― Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
Adored this book. Such a great listen (audiobook) that I finished it the first time in three sittings. Just wanted to keep listening and hear more. Highly recommend
This book has gone down as my all time favorite. It is very well written with different viewpoints that soon come together. It was sad finishing the book but it will always be a favorite.
Fabulous book. A bit confusing at first because it’s not a linear story, but definitely worth reading
It was a bit tedious to read at the beginning. Towards the middle of it I was ready to know who wins lol but I love all the characters. Only issue I had was the jumping time. I kept having to go back to see how old the twins were. But after awhile I was able to place the time by the characters.
I would love to visit a circus like the night circus!
I’ve had this book recommended to me so many times and it seems to have a really passionate cult following but I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed by it. While it is unquestionably beautifully written, I found the emotional depth of the plot to be somewhat lacking. Unfortunately, I found this to book to be an example of style over substance.
It immediately became one of my all time favorites!
This was a great book. Different – don’t get me wrong – but great. It was set in the late 1800’s early 1900s. It is about two young people – a man and a woman – who have magic abilities. The girl’s father and “The man in the gray suit” enter these two into a challenge. These are bound to the challenge as children and never told about the other person. The winner gets to live.
What they develop is the Night Circus. Each piece of the circus, and all the people that are a part of it are a part of the challenge. And eventually, they figure out who their challenger is, meet, fall in love……
The story is lovely. It bounces all over the place over the course of 30 years so you have to be paying attention. The other characters are developed almost as much as the two challengers, which I really liked.
I liked this book ok, but after the raving about it, I guess I wasn’t all that impressed. I mean, there was a great fantastical – fantasy element that was fanciful and enjoyable, but I was expecting to be blown away. I mean, I would recommend it…but I didn’t find it to be as moving as anticipated.
This is one of the most unique books I have read in sometime. It is not only entertaining but it is original. The characters are very clear and the environment is clearly defined. I highly recommend this book and hope for more from Erin Morganstern.
This novel is unlike anything I have ever read before, and I would recommend it to anyone who reads. This is a novel that is more than meets the eye. A story that contains layers upon layers of ethereal reality that makes you feel as though you were in a completely otherworldly plane of existence. Words so expertly weaved together to create a masterpiece on pages that I wish could go on forever.
Though there are aspects of love, murder, and betrayal. This is not a story about people or mankind. No, this is a story about an object. A thing. A magical operated inanimate object. The circus. If you think you know anything about circuses or magic. Forget them because this story will make you view circuses and the world itself through new pairs of eyes.
This is no ordinary story.
I promise you that there is no novel that is or that will be that can top this as my favorite standalone story.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a surprising fantasy, a unique magical experience, exactly like the Night Circus itself. Young magicians Celia and Marco become unwitting pawns in a game of tricks and sorcery only one can win. The last thing they should do is fall in love, so of course, they do.
This book has beautifully detailed descriptions of the fantastic acts found inside the black and white striped tents of a circus that appears and disappears as its owners please.
It’s been my favorite book since reading it back in 2012. I still love to reread it to this day.
This book is so different from anything I believe I have ever read. It’s so detail packed, you can picture everything as if you are a reveur yourself.
I fell in love with this book. It’s one I will return to time and time again.
I was originally put off by the jacket blurb which said it was a love story. Well I’m very glad I was pulled into the book by its affinity to Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes” The writer created a magical world as rich as Harry Potter’s was.
Anyone looking for a great read should give “The Night Circus “ a try.