I Want to Go to "The Night Circus" - Please!!!

Have you ever read a book where you just wanted to crawl into the story and be a part of it??  I have - lots of times.  Here is yet another.  It's been awhile since I posted a book review - mostly due to the mediocre books I've read lately. But that changed with Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. There are very few books which live up to the hype that surrounds them - as notably the Hunger Games trilogy and the Harry Potter series do, therefore I am happy to report that The Night Circus is one of such books.

Synopsis:  Two illusionists (Celia and Marco) are chosen at a young age to be bound to one another in a contest that will span their lives until one wins. They have been given no rules, other than that they must perform in some way. They have no idea how one wins, or what one must do to win. Their sponsors in the contest create a circus to be utilized as the arena for the contestants. One travels with the circus (Celia), the other does not (Marco). Their story is interspersed with the perspectives of several other characters affiliated with or within the circus, all of whom enrich the plot and provide a deeper look at the workings of the circus and those it touches. The drama is heightened when a deep and magical love between these two 'combatants' is realized.

Review:  This debut novel by Erin Morgenstern is beautifully written and (even more importantly) beautifully edited, something that many books these days lack, but this novel might not be everyone's cup of tea.  Morgenstern creates a magical world in which the setting takes center stage. This circus is one that has never been seen, heard, or read about before. The imagery of the circus and the magic is enthralling, vivid, and unique, and, at many points, the setting is the focus in a scene. If you fall under its spell, you will wish to keep reading in order experience the world of the Night Circus a little longer and to unravel the mysteries of the people who are involved with it. It's been a while since an imaginative setting filled me with such a sense of wonder. There are novels that are character driven and, as such, need incredibly well-developed characters in order to succeed. Conversely, there are engrossing novels that are setting-driven where the focus isn't on a character's growth. So while Night Circus's cast might be perceived as 'flat characters' in that they don't get too much in-depth development, they are certainly not dull characters, but a colorful component that adds to the intrigue of the magical circus and the mystery that unfolds which is part dream and part nightmare. But for some readers, the magic will not be enough and instead they will find it excessive and probably self-indulgent. For others (like me), it was a breath-taking journey and a world I wished I could experience for real. If there's even a bit of a dreamer or a lover of fantastical settings in you, definitely give this book a try.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars