Book Review: THE NIGHT CIRCUS

There are few books I read solely on the basis of recommendations. Usually when a book is recommended to me, there’s something about that book that already predisposes me to reading it (an interesting plot or premise, an author I’ve enjoyed reading before, a setting that sounds fascinating, etc.). THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern was one of those few books. There’s something about circuses that, for some reason, doesn’t grab my interest. I’ve never been a big fan of circuses, so a story based around a circus holds little appeal to me. But this book has been getting a lot of attention since it came out last Fall, and then seeing it appear on many fellow-bloggers “best read book of the month” lists forced me to put my reservations aside and give the book a chance. I’m glad I did.

The novel is essentially the story of two magicians, Marco and Celia, who were selected and trained from a young age to compete against each other. The setting for the contest is the mysterious “Night Circus”–a circus like no other that appears without warning, opens at dusk and closes at sunrise, features attractions that defy credulity, and then disappears as mysteriously as it arrived. As the story progresses, we learn the deep connection between the two magicians and the circus. A further wrinkle to the plot develops as the two rivals fall in love, a turn of events that has serious implications for the contest, and the future of the circus.

If you’ve ever read and enjoyed JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL by Susanna Clarke, you should definitely consider THE NIGHT CIRCUS. While the story is very different (aside from featuring two magicians), the tone is similar. Not that Morgenstern has copied Clarke, but there is a clear influence–and it’s a positive one that I think works very well for this story. I felt that similarity within the first five pages, and it didn’t put me off at all. In fact it gave me a sense of comfort, a connection with the author that made her story more accessible to me.

The arrangement of the story is also very interesting. There are, essentially, three time lines: one, perhaps the main one, that starts in the latter part of the 19th century, one that starts around the beginning of the 20th century, and a present tense second person narrative that puts you in the circus, walking through getting a sense of the atmosphere. All this jumping around might be confusing at the hands of a lesser writer, but here it works well. There are dates with each chapter heading to keep you oriented, and the past and the future time lines come together at the end in a very clever way.

So if, like me, the idea of a book about a circus doesn’t do anything for you, I urge you to think again with regard to THE NIGHT CIRCUS. I definitely recommend it if you liked JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL, also if you like stories about magic, and also if you like a good love story. It’s all those, and more. The writing is top-notch: not an ill-chosen word, and a good many well-chosen ones. Strictly speaking it’s not a YA novel (by the usual standards of voice, MC ages, etc.), but it definitely appeals to a YA audience.

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