Review & Giveaway: The Night Circus

by:  Erin Morgenstern
published by:  Doubleday
publish date:  September 13, 2011

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.

This book, much like a real circus, was quite a spectacle to behold.  It was finally something completely different and imaginative. 

This was one of the few books that I felt like it would make a better movie than a book.  It's not to say that the book was bad by any means.    It was just such a visual book that I think it could be so much more as a movie.  The movie right have already been optioned.  It definitely needs Tim Burton as a director.  The entire circus and it's cast is clad in black and white only with little bits of silver here and there.  That screams Tim Burton to me, plus he would lend that undertone of evil that is woven through the whole story even though there's a love story blossoming.

What I liked about this book was the writing.  It was beautifully written.  I loved the circus.  I loved how mysterious and magical it was.  I really liked the black and white theme, it was perfect.  I think it illustrated how naive the players in the duel were and how evil their masters their masters were.  I liked Celia and I liked Marco, however I didn't like them together.  That brings me to what I didn't like.  I didn't find them together very believable.

I wish there had been a little more explanation of the dual and what exactly it was it was going to be in the beginning.  It seemed like there was going to be an epic battle of magicians, a la Lord of the Rings, but it far different than that.  Not different bad, but don't expect something like that.

Thanks to the great people at Doubleday I have 2 copies to giveaway.  US addresses only.  No P.O. Boxes.  Please leave a comment below with a valid email address to enter.  If you'd like an additional entry you can spread the word about this contest (facebook, twitter, etc.) please leave a link in a separate comment.  I'll pick a winner on 9/19/11.