A few nights ago, I finally finished the book 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern.
The book caught my attention when I read somewhere that it was as fantastic as the Harry Potter series, and that it was supposedly really good.
It took me a while to finish reading it, but I have my reasons. So let us begin.
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.' (from Amazon)
The book starts off with a description of the circus, leading to the introduction of Celia and Marco. Other characters are then introduced as the novel progresses, as well as how the circus came to be. Eventually, Celia and Marco (the supposedly dueling magicians) learn of each other, and eventually falling in love. Unfortunately, they are both trapped in the game their teachers have set up, and the only way for either of them to escape is by ending the match. All this and more happen in The Night Circus.
Review:
I give it - **** (4 Stars)
I initially planned on giving this book 3 stars because to be honest, it was quite lengthy.
However, after pondering on my overall review, I decided to give it 4 stars because there are several reasons that I may give it credit after an in depth assessment of sorts.
The book is long, painfully - nay - excruciatingly long. I almost gave up on it, but I was glad that I decided to push on through.
If anything else, this book has fantastic imagery. For me, that alone is reason enough to give it 3 stars. At first I thought it was my imagination that was hyperactive, but I realize that the author simply knows how to paint scenarios that are just exquisite and breathtaking. My complaint, however, is that there seems to be a bit of focus on the dresses, attires, and clocks in the book than what was necessary. Nevertheless, these were written beautifully and elegantly as can be imagined. There are, however, some descriptions that were just confusing and boring. Thankfully, I think I was half asleep during those chapters. So yes, for beauty of the narrations and the magical atmosphere, it felt good.
Mind you, magic in The Night Circus is different from what others may assume. This type does not exactly say its magic - more like enchantment. And unlike Harry and the rest of the Wizarding world who waves wands, or witches who concoct spells, hexes, and such. The type of enchantment in The Night Circus has is more along the lines of Noetic Science. It relies on charms, symbols, knowledge of old, and intense focus. It also shows how such feats take a toll on those creating it.
So yes, I think the scenery and the magic portion is highly commendable. The plot, on the other hand, is not much. Do not be fooled by other descriptions saying that there is a fierce battle between two magicians. I tell you, there is not. Nope. Nada. There is a bit of a love story, a lot of loose ends, and supporting characters who turned out to be more interesting than the main characters in the end. I wish the author delved more into Poppet and Widget (and their capabilities), but I guess there was just too much of the descriptions going around, that there was no more space for the other characters? There was also a lot of hopping between times. I would have preferred that it was on a linear plane because the years are just messy, IMHO. The end of it all was also quite anticlimactic. Hmph.
While I find The Night Circus to be dragging in certain parts, the first portion and the last were quite worth the agony. Hehe Oh come on, its not like its the worst thing you will come to read. The writing is very well done, but Harry Potter it is not. Thankfully, it is not Twilight as well. It is a mixture of a lot of things that has not quite reached its full potential, but if you happen to like enchantments and stepping into another world, then this should be able to help you color your dreams with black, white, grey, and a touch of red. MY FAVORITE COLORS!
That's all folks!
No comments:
Post a Comment