Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 387
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Random House, Doubleday
Release Dates:
-International: 13/09/2011
-Australia, Hardback: 15/09/2011
-Australia, Paperback: 03/10/2011
-Australia, Ebook: 03/10/2011

THE BLURB:
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 Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open 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, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

THE REVIEW:
'Night at the Circus' was one of those books that had so much hype surrounding it before even being published that I was hesitant to read it. How much would the hype impact my final thoughts on the novel. Would my expectations heighten and the novel seem dull in comparison? Or, would I like the book regardlessly because it had been dubbed a must-read.

 After reading the blurb and a few opening sentences I was absolutely sold and the hype was no longer a matter to consider. I think I would actually be mad at someone who liked the book because of the hype and not the actual contents of the novel, because the novel was so intriguing and artful that it should be liked for no other reason.

Morgenstern's writing is probably too fantastical to be magical realism, but has the same descriptive feel to it. Like the reveurs who were so drawn to the circus, I was drawn to the atmosphere created by this author. I didn't know what I wanted more: to finish the book and find out what happened or to stay in this beautiful piece of literature forever.

There were so many intricate ideas that were played out in this book. 'The Night Circus' will change your conception of what a circus is and can be. This book turned something childlike and chaotic into an elegant masterpiece. And, much like the reservoir in 'Imaginary Girls' by Nova Ren Suma the circus was it's own character.The characters were all extremely different to other characters that I have come across in books or movies. There were some aspects of it that reminded me a little of 'Moulin Rouge' or 'Phantom of The opera', but overall this book was definitely one of a kind.

Overall I think this book was absolutely wonderful. I give it 5/5 Stars and I've marked it as a favourite. There are so many great things that I could say about this book, but i think it would resemble written drool or spoil the book for everyone else. I recommend this book to everyone. This is definitely a grown up fairytale....
A very magical story...

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