In her debut
novel, Erin Morgensetern reacquaints us with our childhood. The Night Circus is
an enchanting read which invites us into Le Cirque de Reves.We stand in awe as we
look at the black and white striped tents, smell the wafting fragrance of
toffee apples and taste the mystifying scents of magic.Yes this book brings
with it a sense of awe and wonderment; the type we got as children when we
first entered a circus and saw the giant elephants, got a ride on a donkey’s
back and watched clowns throwing knives at each other while blindfolded. One
moment you look out your back window to see fields of green and the next moment
the landscape has changed, utterly transformed into colonies of black and white
tents, sitting, waiting for the sun to set and the fun to begin.
A big part of the mystery in this
novel is the charming and quirky characters which we encounter. The Night
Circus would not be the same without the two twins, Widget and Poppet; Isobel,
the fortune teller; the contortionist, Tsukiko; Herr Thiessen, the clockmaker
and of course the illusionist Celia Bowen. Erin Morgenstern introduces us to well
crafted, complex characters, which will stay in our minds long after we place
the book on our book shelves and walk away. These unassuming characters
themselves are the very mystery the Circus breathes and needs to live. Without them
the circus would no longer serve its purpose – spectacle for the public, and
venue for a challenge.
In this novel appearances are
deceptive and not all is what it may seem. The circus is a world of its own,
with its own dynamics. Even the people
associated within it are unsure of its workings; its power of manipulation, even
its very purpose. In the thirty years the circus runs things become more
confusing as the time blisters on in this time vacuum that is known as the Le Cirques de Reves. Things begin to get a little difficult, fissures appear and
those close to the circus fear for its fate. All of this is in the name of magic.
Next Week Lady Ardour will be reviewing A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich.
Next Week Lady Ardour will be reviewing A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich.