Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Well this was an interesting book. The summary on the back describes it as a a love story between two dueling magicians, but I don't think that is an accurate description at all.

There are two timeless magicians, both male, who have enjoyed over the centuries taking on an apprentice each, then having them duel to see who is the greater teacher. They find Celia and Marco while they are children and train them individually to be the best magicians possible. True magicians, not the tricks and illusions usually found in circuses. The Night Circus is the venue in which Celia and Marco are to perform their magic.

It's kind of hard to write a description of this book because it's very artsy and magical and isn't really about any one thing. Celia and Marco do fall in love, but this isn't a love story. There is a diverse array of interesting characters, so it doesn't even feel right to say this is their story. It's more the circus's story than anyone else. The circus is constantly on the move, staying only in one city for a couple of days before moving on, and changes those who encounter it. By the time I was finished reading I wished I could go to the circus. I've never been before; the closest I've come is a carnival or fair, which isn't the same thing.

Overall I definitely liked this book. It was different from anything else I've read and it truly was magical and dreamlike. It was a little slow moving, and I was confused for awhile because it didn't seem to be following what I expected based off the summary I read, but I eventually decided to just go with the flow and try to enjoy wherever the circus took me.

4 out of 5 stars

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