The Night Circus

A Novel

By: Erin Morgenstern

Narrated by: Jim Dale

Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

©2011 Erin Morgenstern (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

" The Night Circus made me happy. Playful and intensely imaginative, Erin Morgenstern has created the circus I have always longed for, and she has populated it with dueling love-struck magicians, precocious kittens, hyper-elegant displays of beauty, and complicated clocks. This is a marvelous book." (Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife)

"Self-assured, entertaining debut that blends genres and crosses continents in quest of magic…. Generous in its vision and fun to read. Likely to be a big book—and, soon, a big movie, with all the franchise trimmings." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Debut author Morgenstern doesn't miss a beat in this smashing tale of greed, fate, and love... a giant, magical story destined for bestsellerdom. This is an electric debut on par with Special Topics in Calamity Physics." ( Publishers Weekly)

Starts slow... stick with it

This story starts out slow and to me a bit jumbled. But stick with it. The story develops into a creative, colorful and intriguing story of a never ending game. You will favor different characters and dislike others. It really pulls you in after a bit.

Something Missing?

A good debut book, but something feels like it’s missing. It fees to me that this could have been two books or focused more narrowly.
Also the time jumping at times can be a little off putting.

Fantastic!

What about Jim Dale’s performance did you like?

Excellent job

Any additional comments?

Listened to the book on my latest work trip. Very descriptive and easy to imagine. Jim Dale was wonderful

Nice, but not excellent

I nice story, and well performed, but not as great as I had hoped. There were some great spots, but lacked the ‘wonder’ it could have had. The ‘challenge’ was confusing and left me wondering why. It just wasn’t a compelling plot point, and more mystery and intrigue for the circus would have been appreciated, not to mention a little bit of action. Still a nice read.

Mesmerizing

Narrator made the story believable
Could not stop listening. Definitely a second read. Author is added to my list PC wanting more

Favorite

I have read this book twice a year, every year, since it came out. It is by far my favorite book, its completely magical and rereadable. I bought the audio book because I was unable to read at work, but still wanted to be able to stretch my imagination. Jim Dale's performance is outstanding. He captures each character's unique voice with ease, and truly brings the story to life. I've listened to the audio book three times now, and every time I listen, its just like reading it myself, magical, engaging, and beautiful. I highly recommend this book and this reading.

Wonderful book!

Wonderful book and reading! Highly recommend. Will keep you spell bound. Could not wait until I could listen to it.

Completely swept away...

I loved Night Circus. Imaginative, exciting, well written and perfectly narrated (of course). It's a very different take on magic than anything I've read before. It's a great listen. Within the first couple of chapters, you'll be hooked!

It pulls you in and makes you want to join!

Would you listen to The Night Circus again? Why?

I don't know if I would listen again, there is a sense of discovery with this book. Once that is gone, listening to it again would cause me to over-analyse a book that I just enjoyed the first time.

What other book might you compare The Night Circus to and why?

Oddly enough, it reminded me of IT by Stephen King (not for the horror, but for the story telling) as well as Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. The flashes back and forth, and the higher powers that manipulate the characters.

What does Jim Dale bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think the accent brings a sense of distance and just out of norm. His pace was perfect and I was never left with the urge to fast forward.

If you could take any character from The Night Circus out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I think I would have to take Celia out for a dinner and conversation, but I'm still fascinated by Marco. And the twins would be fun to walk the circus with.

Any additional comments?

I recommend it, but you'll wish it was a place you could visit when you're done.

review

Didn't love the ending, but the rest was good. overall. I would recommend reading to a friend.