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theirgracegrace's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A loving and alluring pastiche of present, past and future, the Night Circus is a great book for lovers of mystery and magic. The plot centres around le Cirque des rêves, a circus that appears suddenly and is only open at night. The circus is a battleground between two magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been forced into a competition that neither participant quite understands. As the magic of the circus deepens, the two get entangled more and more, and the performers begin to suspect something is afoot...
My most adored parts of the book are the descriptions of the circus venues, from the enigmatic Labyrinth to the Wishing Tree and the Ice Garden. The symbolism of a circus that is adorned in black and white, and it is the visitors who bring colour to it, shows immaculate sense of the book's themes. I was immediately drawn to the character of Bailey and loved how the narrative slowly incorporates him and the rêveurs. A delightful tale with a bittersweet ending that I look forward to reading next time the circus rolls into town!
My most adored parts of the book are the descriptions of the circus venues, from the enigmatic Labyrinth to the Wishing Tree and the Ice Garden. The symbolism of a circus that is adorned in black and white, and it is the visitors who bring colour to it, shows immaculate sense of the book's themes. I was immediately drawn to the character of Bailey and loved how the narrative slowly incorporates him and the rêveurs. A delightful tale with a bittersweet ending that I look forward to reading next time the circus rolls into town!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Body horror, Blood, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Pregnancy, Violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Vomit, Classism, and Cursing
One of the side characters get hit by a trainkattila's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide, Death of parent, Death, and Sexual content
kaylawtzl22's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
truly one of the best books i’ve ever read. the setting of the night circus is the plot and a character and the setting. there’s no other way i can describe it, it is EVERYTHING. every single character is so lovable and so unique to each other and any other character ive read. i really do not read fantasy or anything like that, but this book is the exception. you get completely sucked in. sometimes i see people rating it badly saying that nothing HAPPENS in the book and id say that it’s more about the story that’s being told from each character. aka, if you’re a nosey person, you’ll love this book. the level of detail is insane. i highly recommend listening to the audio book over reading it, at least for the first read of this book because there are a lot of characters involved and the narrator does a great job of making them all distinct and giving them different personalities and cadences. i was recommended to do that and i highly agree. i especially loved how there were interludes written like YOU are at the circus and then at the end it is revealed that you are at the circus IN PRESENT DAY. i just love how it proves that the circus stayed standing and not just for another decade or two. i love that the ending wraps almost everything in a neat bow and all the main characters get a happy ending. rip heir Thiesen though :(
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide
linzlee's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
narzibenoucdel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse
ninahuynh's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
If you enjoy multiple storylines and interconnected plots, this is the book for you. Every character has their own breath and life. The jumping in timeline is a bit confusing, moreso since I listened to it. That ending was not how I expected it to end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Bullying, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual content
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: abuse, self-harm, death, murder, suicide mention
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a standalone that is billed as a romance, but it is so much more than that. The romance is really secondary to the story.
We follow Le Cirque des Rêves, a circus that only opens at night and closes at dawn. This is your typical circus with clowns and bright colors. This is done in an elegant and restrained way, using only black, white and grays. We are the story from many different perspectives and jump around the timeline, but instead of it being confusing, each jump makes the puzzle pieces click together. The circus is the venue for an otherworldly "game" between two players that have been bound to each other since they were children, but never met.
This book is so hard to describe. The circus is a dream, and like dreams the story is ethereal and hard to pin down. There is magic, but it isn't heavy handed. It's more like bending reality and making the unbelievable believable. The prose is so beautiful. The descriptions are gorgeous without feeling heavy or unnecessary. We see our competitors creating tents and attractions as love letters to each other, though they don't know who they are competing against.
I loved everything about this. Romance does not do this story justice. You really have to read it in order to understand what I'm talking about. It was like walking into a dream. The clock was one of my favorite descriptions in the book along with some of the more esoteric tent attractions.I also loved the diversity of characters. It was all so subtle, but we did have a few sapphic and Achillean side characters. I feel like I could pick up something new if I read it multiple times. This would make for an incredible TV series.
If all of Morgenstern's books are this, I need to read them immediately.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a standalone that is billed as a romance, but it is so much more than that. The romance is really secondary to the story.
We follow Le Cirque des Rêves, a circus that only opens at night and closes at dawn. This is your typical circus with clowns and bright colors. This is done in an elegant and restrained way, using only black, white and grays. We are the story from many different perspectives and jump around the timeline, but instead of it being confusing, each jump makes the puzzle pieces click together. The circus is the venue for an otherworldly "game" between two players that have been bound to each other since they were children, but never met.
This book is so hard to describe. The circus is a dream, and like dreams the story is ethereal and hard to pin down. There is magic, but it isn't heavy handed. It's more like bending reality and making the unbelievable believable. The prose is so beautiful. The descriptions are gorgeous without feeling heavy or unnecessary. We see our competitors creating tents and attractions as love letters to each other, though they don't know who they are competing against.
I loved everything about this. Romance does not do this story justice. You really have to read it in order to understand what I'm talking about. It was like walking into a dream. The clock was one of my favorite descriptions in the book along with some of the more esoteric tent attractions.I also loved the diversity of characters. It was all so subtle, but we did have a few sapphic and Achillean side characters. I feel like I could pick up something new if I read it multiple times. This would make for an incredible TV series.
If all of Morgenstern's books are this, I need to read them immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Suicide
theaceofpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm so happy that got to relive the magic again after so many years. The last time was back in school and I actually did an artwork inspired that striped cover page (well actually two since our end of year project had to incorporate elements of other works we'd done over the year and those stripes were a great way of connecting things!).
I'd definitely forgotten a lot of what happened! While it wasn't quite the same as reading it for the first time, it was still such a great experience. The writing is just as beautiful as I remember it being. I loved the mysterious tranquillity of the circus. And the clock! I love the clock. Being able to explore some of what it contains was definitely my favourite part of this book! I will say that, like last time, I found keeping track of all the characters was a little confusing, although it was better this time around. (also, a side note here. The original adults are terrible! I had forgotten or maybe didn't even realise the first time just how bad they are...I mean, essentially sacrificing kids, stealing their childhood and actually their whole lives and abusing them for your own pride and entertainment??? No! It definitely got better when the various plots, prophecies and timelines came together towards the end. I do feel like the action everything built up to was a little rushed, although I can kind of see why Morgenstern did this. That doesn't change that I would have loved this part to have been a little longer though.
I'd love to be able to see some of Bailey's circus to see how it has changed because while it was definitely a dark place for a while, the people who worked there still managed to make it something beautiful. He's definitely one of my favourite characters in this. I can only imagine what it could become when someone who loved the circus for its magic rather than seeing it as a competition field took over and became its caretaker and owner. The ending... That last part was so beautiful. (Now all I have to do is find this mysterious circus...)
I know this book is recommended a lot and I love it, but I can understand why others struggle with it. Be aware that this is a meandering walk through space and time (although in a magic way rather than a scifi one!) full of descriptive writing for most of it. You might enjoy this less if you need a lot of action to keep you engaged. There is action, but it takes quite some time to get there. But if you are the kind of reader who enjoys the journey to the climax, this might be the book for you!
I'd definitely forgotten a lot of what happened! While it wasn't quite the same as reading it for the first time, it was still such a great experience. The writing is just as beautiful as I remember it being. I loved the mysterious tranquillity of the circus. And the clock! I love the clock. Being able to explore some of what it contains was definitely my favourite part of this book! I will say that, like last time, I found keeping track of all the characters was a little confusing, although it was better this time around. (also, a side note here. The original adults are terrible! I had forgotten or maybe didn't even realise the first time just how bad they are...
I'd love to be able to see some of Bailey's circus to see how it has changed because while it was definitely a dark place for a while, the people who worked there still managed to make it something beautiful. He's definitely one of my favourite characters in this. I can only imagine what it could become when someone who loved the circus for its magic rather than seeing it as a competition field took over and became its caretaker and owner. The ending... That last part was so beautiful. (Now all I have to do is find this mysterious circus...)
I know this book is recommended a lot and I love it, but I can understand why others struggle with it. Be aware that this is a meandering walk through space and time (although in a magic way rather than a scifi one!) full of descriptive writing for most of it. You might enjoy this less if you need a lot of action to keep you engaged. There is action, but it takes quite some time to get there. But if you are the kind of reader who enjoys the journey to the climax, this might be the book for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Blurb:
Marco Alisdair and Celia Bowen have been groomed since childhood to compete against each other in a competition of fantastical manipulation and illusion, although they are not told whom they are competing against, why they are competing, or the rules of the game. The venue of the competition is a traveling black-and-white circus that only opens at night, a circus full of magic, wonder, beauty, and enchantment. Marco and Caelia must contend with the complex and dangerous rules of the game while protecting the circus and its people they have come to love.
Review:
I first read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern when I was young (perhaps eleven or twelve), and I read it far too quickly. My impression of the story was that it had a beautiful, evocative setting but a weak plot and characters. I am not sure what compelled me to pick it up again, as I rarely re-read books, but I can safely say that my opinion of the book remains the same.
Morgenstern has a gift for creating imaginative and fantastical settings and descriptions so delectable to all five senses that they feel like magic. I loved falling into the Night Circus and exploring it; it felt like entering another dazzling world. I did not even mind how slow-paced the book is because I enjoyed indulging in the sensory cornucopia of the circus.
Characterization and plot remain the book’s weak spots. The characters, while not poorly written, lack depth and complexity in the way that young adult book characters often do. Beyond the initial setup, the plot moves at a glacial pace. The climax and resolution at the end feel rushed and rather fuzzy on the details. In terms of representation, the book’s Asian character is depicted as an exotic, Oriental stereotype, which isn’t great.
Overall, however, the book is so good at what it does well that I did not mind its weaknesses.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like The Night Circus if . . .
· You love rich, multi-sensory, imaginative, and fantastical settings and descriptions
· You like star-crossed lover stories
· You don’t mind slow-paced stories
You might not like The Night Circus if . . .
· You can’t stand lengthy descriptions of setting, characters, etc.
· You need strong characters and plot to enjoy a book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Murder
sxndaze's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Gorgeous and intriguing!! It’s been a while since I’ve read this, but Erin Morgenstern’s books are enhanced in audiobook format. I could better catch details by physically reading it, but the atmosphere and the magic really feels captured by the narration in both The Night Circus and The Starless Sea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide