The Night Circus

“I made a wish on this tree years ago," Marco says.
"What did you wish for?" Bailey asks.
Marco leans forward and whispers in Bailey's ear. "I wished for her."

The Night Circus was my Lake Powell read. Kevin complained when we got home that all I did was read all week, which was true. I couldn't put this book down.

My sisters recommended it to me, and I can see why. It was the most original piece of fiction I have read in a really long time. From beginning to end, it was absolutely magical. Truly, it transports you to a new world with believable characters, and magic that doesn't seem contrived.

The thing I loved the most about it though, was the sensory descriptions. I could taste the cinnamon flavored scones, the perfectly melted caramel apples that were neither hard or soft. The swirling cups of rich, hot chocolate. The wardrobe was described perfectly without getting annoying, and the circus itself sounded like the very best kind of dream. My sisters and I gushed about how badly we wanted to attend the circus after I finished. I don't know how Erin Morgenstern covered every detail so well without going overboard, but she totally did.

The story line itself was complicated and twisting, with complex characters and multiple story lines. At times I wondered where it was going, but it always came around in an unexpected and charming way. The main story line had a Romeo and Juliet feel but we all agreed that it wasn't overdone. Instead, the love story was diluted with other pieces of the story, making it feel less mushy and more romantic.

I do wish that there was a little more closure at the end, and that more explanation of how the magic works was given. But - at the same time, I think that is part of what made it so magical. The secret of it, and the mystery even to those who performed it.

Please read it. It is a great summer time read and the magic is almost tangible. Well done from beginning to end. 

Have you read The Night Circus? What did you think?

“But you built me dreams instead.”