Book Review

The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Publish Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Doubleday

     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 Reves 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.

     This book is definitely on my Top Five Favorite books. This book was breathtaking. I honestly don't know how to describe it. The book is like the circus within it-beautiful, unique, and amazing.
     When I read the first page, The Anticipation, I fell in love. The writing was great and the author created high expectations with the amazing build-up. I knew from that moment that my love would not last, but I was wrong.
     I fell in love with the book more and more, much like the circus goers and the two duelers.
     The author's description were dreamlike and seemed unreal because it was too spectacular. The Herr Thiessen clock scene is a great example. This scene was mesmerizing, magical, imaginative, and utterly captivating.
     I must say that the writing is better than the story. The story and plot were so hidden, much like the game. The main plot was buried by sub-plot after sub-plot. Each of these sub-plot was complex. It was like trying to get to the middle of an onion with very thick layers.
     Characters...
     The main characters are Celia and Marco. Both of them are magicians, illusionists, whatever you want to call them. Their talents were developed in different ways.
     Celia was taught by her insane father. Her father was very hands on with magic. He focused more on building up her ego and control.
     Marco was taught by Alexander. He was often alone, but he traveled a lot. His education was more about reading and writing and perception.
     Because, I can't believe I'm starting a sentence with because..., the two had such different educations, they excelled on opposite things. Since they are so different, they are a perfect match. So, love is inevitable. Yin and Yang is an apt comparison, especially since the story is all about the shade black and the color white.