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happysami's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Child abuse, and Blood
pikkumarja's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Tätä kirjaa ei ole todellakaan hehkutettu turhaan, koska kirjan tunnelma on käsinkosketettavissa. Uskon, että tunnelma välittyy kaikille hieman erilaisena, minulle se oli unenomainen hieman ahdistavalla tavalla, todella salamyhkäinen ja samalla lämmin. Pidin eri aisteihin vetoavasta kuvailusta erityisesti.
Kirja ei ihan yltänyt viiden tähden kirjaksi, koska henkilöiden välinen kemia ja yhteys ei aina tuntunut oikeanlaiselta tai perustellulta, vaikka oikeasti pidin monista hahmoista todella paljon ja esimerkiksi illalliskutsut olivat aina hurmaavia.
Kiinnostava fantasiakertomus, joka varmasti jää mieleen.
Kirja ei ihan yltänyt viiden tähden kirjaksi, koska henkilöiden välinen kemia ja yhteys ei aina tuntunut oikeanlaiselta tai perustellulta, vaikka oikeasti pidin monista hahmoista todella paljon ja esimerkiksi illalliskutsut olivat aina hurmaavia.
Kiinnostava fantasiakertomus, joka varmasti jää mieleen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Death
Minor: Alcoholism
folkofthebook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
4.5
“The circus arrives without warning.”
if you thought caraval was trippy, give this a whirl 🖤
slow-paced, but vivid and fantastical. i admittedly felt a bit bogged down sometimes with the time jump POV changes and would have liked a little more of the romance, but overall erin morgenstern delivers a vividly crafted tale of magic, time, and mystery. she cuts no corners on her lush scenery and revelry, the imagery so vibrant and detailed you can almost taste the caramel popcorn.
“When all of this is over, no matter which one of us wins, I will not let you go so easily. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence and Blood
Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
flowersindecember's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
such good vibes all around i enjoyed myself so thoroughly there were just a lot of timelines to keep up with but i LOVED the romance subplots and that they weren’t the main focus of the book but also were at the same time. it was just really good but i cannot explain most of it
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Violence
megj23's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood, Murder, and Suicide
koyali's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
"It seems like a lifetime ago that he walked to the circus, though it was only a few hours. And more than that, it feels as though the Bailey who entered the circus was an entirely different person than the one leaving it now" (203).
I think for the past half hour after finishing this book, I've been floating. Even now I'm very disoriented typing on my computer, and that means that it is the perfect headspace to write a review.
First of all, I am left absolutely stunned and breathless by the writing style. I've always loved this type of prose, and the way the circus is set up is incredible. The best I can describe it is that I'm very surprised that this story is a book sitting on my desk and not a portal to another world. It's whimsical, fantastical and feels as if a master spun the dreams of a child and made it into reality. If I were to judge this book on worldbuilding alone, it would be easily a 5/5. However, though I remember many details of the circus, I can barely remember what Marco looks like. Perhaps that's an oversight on my part?
Speaking of Marco, I liked his romance with Celia. It wasn't as grand or passionate as I had hoped, and frankly I didn't really care whether they had a happy ending or not. To me, they were more like windows into this insanely intricate world. Can't you tell that I really liked the worldbuilding?
The other characters were far more interesting to me. Bailey, Herr Thiessen, Isobel, and Tara were some of my favorites. All likeable to some extent(unless you don't like Isobel, which is fair) and felt the most human out of all the cast. Which makes sense as most lived their lives outside of the circus, or were more connected to the outside world than others. The characters inside, like the Marray Twins or Celia, felt unreal. Just like the circus I suppose, which I can describe the best as dreamy and foggy.
Also, I am very unashamed to say that Bailey's POV was my favorite. I was very happy whenever I turned the page and saw the date October 1902 (and I think I liked his romance more than the main one, honestly).
I would love to own a copy of this book, just to dissect it and relive it. Not because it was a 5 star read, but because I feel like I would appreciate it much more if I reread it knowing the ending.
Overall, 4.5/5 stars, almost entirely because of the stellar prose. I need to reread this.
I think for the past half hour after finishing this book, I've been floating. Even now I'm very disoriented typing on my computer, and that means that it is the perfect headspace to write a review.
First of all, I am left absolutely stunned and breathless by the writing style. I've always loved this type of prose, and the way the circus is set up is incredible. The best I can describe it is that I'm very surprised that this story is a book sitting on my desk and not a portal to another world. It's whimsical, fantastical and feels as if a master spun the dreams of a child and made it into reality. If I were to judge this book on worldbuilding alone, it would be easily a 5/5. However, though I remember many details of the circus, I can barely remember what Marco looks like. Perhaps that's an oversight on my part?
Speaking of Marco, I liked his romance with Celia. It wasn't as grand or passionate as I had hoped, and frankly I didn't really care whether they had a happy ending or not. To me, they were more like windows into this insanely intricate world. Can't you tell that I really liked the worldbuilding?
The other characters were far more interesting to me. Bailey, Herr Thiessen, Isobel, and Tara were some of my favorites. All likeable to some extent(unless you don't like Isobel, which is fair) and felt the most human out of all the cast. Which makes sense as most lived their lives outside of the circus, or were more connected to the outside world than others. The characters inside, like the Marray Twins or Celia, felt unreal. Just like the circus I suppose, which I can describe the best as dreamy and foggy.
Also, I am very unashamed to say that Bailey's POV was my favorite. I was very happy whenever I turned the page and saw the date October 1902 (and I think I liked his romance more than the main one, honestly).
I would love to own a copy of this book, just to dissect it and relive it. Not because it was a 5 star read, but because I feel like I would appreciate it much more if I reread it knowing the ending.
Overall, 4.5/5 stars, almost entirely because of the stellar prose. I need to reread this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
eddiroll's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Death, Murder, and Blood
takarakei's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I know a lot of people love this book but it just wasn't for me. Way too much vibes and not enough plot, it really struggled to keep my attention. Honestly it was like 80% descriptions of the Circus, so if you're into that this is the book for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
tays_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Alcohol, Murder, and Self harm
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual content, Infidelity, and Death of parent
filipacmiranda's review against another edition
4.0
If my analyses of The Night Circus focused exclusively on its main storyline (the competition between the main characters in and outside the circus), it would get a lower rating. Out of all the aspects of the story, the competition is the one that less matched my expectations. It was always poorly defined and developing in the background. Despite believing this was intentional, it also made me feel less invested and care less about the outcome. The only reason I paid attention to this aspect of the story was to try to predict what the characters’ futures held.
On the other hand, I consider this book to mainly be about circus life and how the relationships between the characters came to be. In that sense, it is undoubtedly stunning… The writing is highly descriptive and engaging, one of the strengths of this narrative. I was fascinated by the parts in which Morgenstern assumes the reader’s perspective and describes the spaces and tents that compose Le Cirque des Rêves.
Finally, the fact that the story is told in two distinct timelines adds some suspense and works as an engine for the plot’s appeal. It generates expectation as the reader gathers the bits and pieces that allow them to understand how the story ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Death
Moderate: Blood and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent