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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
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
What can I say about a book about an indescribable circus, a challenge where the rules are undefined, and characters so complex that I still do not understand them all? This book is simply put (and the only thing simple about it) fantastic. It is beautiful. It is emotional. It is dark and devious, uplifting and powerful all at the same time.
A traveling circus sounds like an idea for a book which would end up being just trash-- a typical big seller with magic and mystery doing everything they can to make a buck for the author. Not so for The Night Circus. Each event is beautifully thought out, not just thrown in there for effect. Each scene is written to put the reader in a trance, the words chosen meticulously to evoke the right emotion, the right smell, the right vision.
My favorite line of the entire book (describing the mysterious train which transports the circus from town to town): "Most of the passenger cars are lined with thick patterned carpets, upholstered in velvets in burgundies and violets and creams, as though they have been dipped in a sunset, hovering at twilight."
In the end, the message is a grandiose pat-on-the-back for what it means to be a the storyteller, whether it be a novelist or simply a parent tucking their kid into bed with a bedtime story. A story is a "tangled knot of words in [your] heart." And that is what The Night Circus is. A tangled knot of characters, feelings, and places that comes directly from Morgenstern's heart and takes over the reader's.
A traveling circus sounds like an idea for a book which would end up being just trash-- a typical big seller with magic and mystery doing everything they can to make a buck for the author. Not so for The Night Circus. Each event is beautifully thought out, not just thrown in there for effect. Each scene is written to put the reader in a trance, the words chosen meticulously to evoke the right emotion, the right smell, the right vision.
My favorite line of the entire book (describing the mysterious train which transports the circus from town to town): "Most of the passenger cars are lined with thick patterned carpets, upholstered in velvets in burgundies and violets and creams, as though they have been dipped in a sunset, hovering at twilight."
In the end, the message is a grandiose pat-on-the-back for what it means to be a the storyteller, whether it be a novelist or simply a parent tucking their kid into bed with a bedtime story. A story is a "tangled knot of words in [your] heart." And that is what The Night Circus is. A tangled knot of characters, feelings, and places that comes directly from Morgenstern's heart and takes over the reader's.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really wanted to love this book. As many others have said, the setting and writing is just beautiful and I loved being absorbed into this beautifully described magical world. However, I found it fell short in plot and character development and the finishing pages left me extremely disappointed and dissatisfied. It's such a shame, because had Morgenstern's incredible style and imagination had been accompanied by more.. content, this book would have been an absolute winner for me.
4.5 stars.
The atmosphere in this book is absolutely magical. Its so different from anything I've encountered before. It was a mystical mysterious tale and I really enjoyed it.
The atmosphere in this book is absolutely magical. Its so different from anything I've encountered before. It was a mystical mysterious tale and I really enjoyed it.
This is actually a 4.5* rating. The magical world, the wonderful prose, the writing style, it all deserved 5*. But the romance in it seemed rather cliché and it didn’t do anything for me, so that took away from the wonder and originality. If a less talented writer had written this story it would likely have been a 3* story. Still, it is a wonderful book because Morgenstern writes so beautifully I’ve never seen this style before.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-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
I'm really rating this a 3 1/2. Original, clever story...I wonder what it is like talking to authors of stories like this. Agree with Sara - it was hard to feel a lot of connection with the characters, but I'm not sure that is the focus of the book. I did feel a fascination with the circus itself, like everyone else in the story. Sort of wished for more understanding of events in the book, but I think I'm glad to let those be unexplained, like the circus.