I recently discovered this book while browsing the Top 5 Tuesday: Winter Reads! from fellow blogger Christina’s Recipe and a Read blog. The book blurb she shared had me hooked at once:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
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.
This book, I’ve now learned, was first published in 2011, several years ago. Where have I been? How did I not know about this book? I suppose one reason I hadn’t heard of Night Circus is because it’s a YA novel. I’m far from a young adult, but to be perfectly honest, some of the best books I’ve read are classed as YA.
From the time I read Christina’s post, I was intrigued. I hurried off to the library that morning and was fortunate to find Night Circus available on the shelf. As I checked out, the librarian looked at me with a rather surprised expression. “Oh, I’m reading this right now, too,” she remarked. I didn’t ask her thoughts about the book since I didn’t want her likes or dislikes to influence me in any way.
I returned home to comment on Christina’s blog and she, too, had just picked it up from the library. I started reading that afternoon, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I haven’t yet had time to finish — the last three days have been exceptionally busy — and I’m looking forward to picking it up and reading the rest of it.
The main attraction — no pun intended — is the world the author creates. It’s a strange world filled with unexplainable happenings, and yet it becomes so real that a reader is quickly drawn in.
This is an especially interesting read for me since I don’t usually venture into the realm of fantasy. At times, yes, I’ve been a bit puzzled, asking how and why, but as I read more, I’m suspending more of my disbelief, willingly letting go of my personal reality so that I can move about in this strange, black and white world of Night Circus.
I have glanced a bit at a few reviews of the story, and it seems that opinions are a bit mixed, but almost all readers have given kudos to the author for her lyrical prose and the way her words enchant.
Why not finish the book first and then post about it? That’s the usual approach for bloggers who share books with others. I’d rather take a different approach. I love reading along with others — like Christina — in a shared experience and then discussing the story afterward. Besides, I’m not a book reviewer. My purpose in writing this post isn’t to rate the story as good, bad, ugly, or whatever. It’s merely to introduce it to others who might be interested, others who might want to join in and read along.
In the end, I might love it, I might hate it, I might sing the book’s praises, or I might regret reading it. Until I finish it, I won’t know, but I do know that my thoughts and feelings in reading the story will be my own, as yours will be your own. Afterward is a time to share opinions, not before. At least, that’s how I feel.
Who wants to read along with me?
Breathe In...Breathe Out 