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APRIL 14, 2012
A Book We Love: The Night Circus

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern, is the story of a contest to the death staged because of a long standing feud between rival magicians. One magician uses his daughter as a player and the other magician uses a boy he rescued from an orphanage.

They are supposed to be enemies, but become lovers instead.  Although the story has a dark undercurrent, the circus itself which was created as the stage for this contest is full of such marvels that the reader is as delighted as the circus patrons.  
The images presented in The Night Circus are enchanting.  Although the story and the characters are compelling, the writing and the circus itself are the real draw of the book. It has elements of myths, fairy tales and childhood delights.   
 
Excerpt: 
 
“The circus looks abandoned and empty. But you think perhaps you can smell caramel wafting through the evening breeze, beneath the crisp scent of the autumn leaves. A subtle sweetness at the edges of the cold.
 
The sun disappears completely beyond the horizon, and the remaining luminosity shifts from dusk to twilight. The people around you are growing restless from waiting, a sea of shuffling feet, murmuring about abandoning the endeavor in search of someplace warmer to pass the evening. You yourself are debating departing when it happens.
 
First, there is a popping sound. It is barely audible over the wind and conversation. A soft noise like a kettle about to boil for tea. Then comes the light.
 
All over the tents, small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. The waiting crowd quiets as it watches this display of illumination. Someone near you gasps. A small child claps his hands with glee at the sight.
 
When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears.”
 
Let this book transport you to The Night Circus.

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(1 comment)
posted by Jayne, Golden Library

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Comments

Nelly said, on Apr. 19 at 7:14PM
This book reminds me of a cross bread of "The Hunger Gamees" and "Romeo and Juliet"... with a twist. I really enjoyed it and would recommend for people who like that type of fiction. It qas a fun read.

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