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A review by hollowthesun
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
4.0
This book is like reading a dream (fittingly).
It's overwhelmingly wondrous and joyful, but there's just enough darkness stirred in that it never feels saccharine or pointless.
I could gush about the vibes of the book for a long time. It almost reminds me of an Alcest album, the way it makes you nostalgic for something you've never experienced.
There's something of the sublime captured in the Cirque des Réves. Even though through the story we learn who built it, when and why, it still feels like the circus is an element of nature; or something even beyond nature.
This book is so close to perfection
So. Agonisingly. Close.
The nature of "the game" provides a lot of mystery to the story, and honestly I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied with how it was resolved. Mostly because I don't really see how the "moves" made by either side could really have any impact on the outcome. If the game is just to see who survives longest, how does conjuring a garden made entirely of ice advance the interests of either side? I understand leaving the game a mystery, but it would be nice if the "gameplay" that we see at least appeared to have some sort of purpose to it.
That issue doesn't bug me quite as much though, as the romance between the two leads, Marco and Celia.
It did feel to me like they were in love just because they were the main characters and they needed to be in love for the story to happen. It seemed to progress quite quickly, and I don't think they had a particularly strong base relationship (or a base relationship of any kind, really) from which to build a romance. I could overlook that, and just accept the romance for the sake of the story, if it weren't for a couple other issues.
Marco's cheating on Isobel is never reckoned with. He never shows any kind of guilt or remorse, in fact when he and Celia are together, I don't think Isobel is ever mentioned by either of the characters, or by the narrative. It's as if she doesn't exist. She's used as a convenient plot mechanism to tie Marco to the circus, and dropped immediately when that purpose no longer needs to be served. A good relationship can be born from infidelity (at least in fiction), but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth when that infidelity isn't reckoned with, and is barely acknowledged.
When Marco does break up with Isobel, we don't get dialogue; it's all done quickly and quite coldly, as if the author forgot they were ever together (which judging by the rest of the book, she might have) and had to quickly rectify that mistake.
I do not like Marco and Celia's romance at all. It feels contrived, and no judgement is passed by the author on it's problems.
That said, I do think the romance is an unfortunate stain on a book which is otherwise basically perfect. It's enough that I can't rate it 5 stars, but in no way does it overshadow how amazing so much else of the book is; and it won't stop me from wholeheartedly recommending it whenever I have the opportunity.
It's overwhelmingly wondrous and joyful, but there's just enough darkness stirred in that it never feels saccharine or pointless.
I could gush about the vibes of the book for a long time. It almost reminds me of an Alcest album, the way it makes you nostalgic for something you've never experienced.
There's something of the sublime captured in the Cirque des Réves. Even though through the story we learn who built it, when and why, it still feels like the circus is an element of nature; or something even beyond nature.
This book is so close to perfection
So. Agonisingly. Close.
The nature of "the game" provides a lot of mystery to the story, and honestly I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied with how it was resolved. Mostly because I don't really see how the "moves" made by either side could really have any impact on the outcome. If the game is just to see who survives longest, how does conjuring a garden made entirely of ice advance the interests of either side? I understand leaving the game a mystery, but it would be nice if the "gameplay" that we see at least appeared to have some sort of purpose to it.
That issue doesn't bug me quite as much though, as the romance between the two leads, Marco and Celia.
It did feel to me like they were in love just because they were the main characters and they needed to be in love for the story to happen. It seemed to progress quite quickly, and I don't think they had a particularly strong base relationship (or a base relationship of any kind, really) from which to build a romance. I could overlook that, and just accept the romance for the sake of the story, if it weren't for a couple other issues.
Marco's cheating on Isobel is never reckoned with. He never shows any kind of guilt or remorse, in fact when he and Celia are together, I don't think Isobel is ever mentioned by either of the characters, or by the narrative. It's as if she doesn't exist. She's used as a convenient plot mechanism to tie Marco to the circus, and dropped immediately when that purpose no longer needs to be served. A good relationship can be born from infidelity (at least in fiction), but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth when that infidelity isn't reckoned with, and is barely acknowledged.
When Marco does break up with Isobel, we don't get dialogue; it's all done quickly and quite coldly, as if the author forgot they were ever together (which judging by the rest of the book, she might have) and had to quickly rectify that mistake.
I do not like Marco and Celia's romance at all. It feels contrived, and no judgement is passed by the author on it's problems.
That said, I do think the romance is an unfortunate stain on a book which is otherwise basically perfect. It's enough that I can't rate it 5 stars, but in no way does it overshadow how amazing so much else of the book is; and it won't stop me from wholeheartedly recommending it whenever I have the opportunity.