Pages: 512
Intended Audience: Adults
Genre: Romance / Historical / Supernatural / Mystery
Notes for Parents: Contains somemature scenes.
The Back Cover
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 is
called Le Cirques des Rêves, and it is open only 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. Amidst 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.
What the cover doesn’t tell
you:
The film and TV rights to The Night
Circus were optioned by Summit Entertainment, and a film is being produced by David
Heyman and Jeff Clifford under Heyday Films. Moira Buffini was
hired in February 2012 to write the screenplay. As of April 2018, there is
still no confirmation if a film or TV show will ever be made.
What’s good?
The
story unfolds around the dark and mysterious, ever-changing venue of the night
circus, where circus-goers wander from tent to tent to find fortune tellers and
acrobats, but also wondrous things like rooms that snow and living statues. The
circus itself, described in stunning detail, is a living, breathing entity that
blankets the story with an ethereal atmosphere that gives the story’s
characters a mystical quality. The plot is simple, and the pace is steady. It’s
a very visual story and has a satisfying end.
Best Part: The setting.
What isn’t good?
The time jumps are confusing. The plot is very
simplistic and lackluster, contradicting the promise of fierce competition,
high stakes, and dangerous consequences in the cover description. The romance,
what there is of it, is instantaneous and melodramatic. The writing is good,
but the character and plot development is lacking. The story appears to be
driven solely by the setting.
Worst part: The fierce duel never happened.
Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻
(2.5/5)
The
setting was amazing, but the story was uninspired. This is basically a
description of an amazing, mystical circus, with a thin plot and interesting
but under-developed characters. By the end, I didn’t hate the story, but I felt
underwhelmed. It was such a spectacular setting, but nothing really happened. I
was disappointed.
Morgenstern, Erin. The Night Circus. Toronto: Anchor Canada, 2011.
