The Night Circus review
So it's April 1st and I just finished this book. I didn't finish the March book in March. COME AT ME, BRO.
4/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't find it as engrossing as I've heard many people do, and I felt kind of neutral about it until about a quarter of the way through, but the last hundred pages or so were very fraught with tension. I had one hand over my mouth for a good portion of the last quarter of the novel, the other clutching my e-reader.
I had some reservations about the plot and the setting, which is mostly because I've never been to the circus and carnies kind of freak me out. But Morgenstern's prose were lovely. Quite simple, but very expressive and descriptive. Clever, as well. I smiled quite a few times, and thought, "That's a great line," more than once. I highlighted several passages as I went along.
I liked Celia and Marco very much, and the same goes for Bailey and Poppet and Widget.[Spoiler (click to open)]The love story between Celia and Marco was very well-written and believable, despite the fact that Morgenstern doesn't get very in-depth with it. I loved their first kiss, in the ballroom, and I was happy to see that they actually did get to have sex, even if it was only once before they turned into... whatever they were at the end of the book.
At first, I didn't realize Bailey would be a big deal. I thought there would only be one section of writing with him in it, but I was wrong, and I'm glad for that. We got to see him grow up, and tell off his shitty sister, which I loved. He's a sweet boy and I'm glad he got to stay with the circus. I'm glad he got to own the circus. I'm glad he got to stay with Poppet and Widget.
I also totally didn't realize this until the end of the book, but the second person narrative sections were actually telling the story of one night that 'you' spend at the circus, with each section covering a few hours. How did I not realize this?I definitely didn't look at this book as critically as I should have. I feel like I'm not smart enough to deal with this book. I even had a hard time dealing with the timeline, since it jumped around so much, even though it was clearly marked. OH GOD, NEW AND INTERESTING NARRATIVE STYLE, WHAT DO I DO?
[Spoiler (click to open)]PS, Celia's dad is a great big bag of dicks.
Prospero the Enchanter's immediate reaction upon meeting his daughter is a simple declaration of: "Well, fuck."
---
"It's not a real name," she says. "Not one that he's carried with him always. It's one he wears like his hat. So he can take it off if he wants."
---
"Grow up, Bailey."
"That is precisely what I'm doing," Bailey says. "I don't care if you don't understand that. Staying here won't make me happy. It will make you happy because you're insipid and boring, and an insipid, boring life is enough for you. It's not enough for me. It will never be enough for me. So I'm leaving. Do me a favor and marry someone who will take decent care of the sheep."
---
"Celia, wait,” Marco says, standing but not moving closer to her. “You are breaking my heart. You told me once that I reminded you of your father. That you never wanted to suffer the way your mother did for him, but you are doing exactly that to me. You keep leaving me. You leave me longing for you again and again when I would give anything for you to stay, and it is killing me.”
“It has to kill one of us,” Celia says quietly.
---
"I do not mourn the loss of my sister because she will always be with me, in my heart," she says. "I am, however, rather annoyed that my Tara has left me to suffer you lot alone. I do not see as well without her. I do not hear as well without her. I do not feel as well without her. I would be better off without a hand or a leg than without my sister. Then at least she would be here to mock my appearance and claim to be the pretty one for a change. We have all lost our Tara, but I have lost a part of myself as well."
---
"Do you remember all of your audiences?" Marco asks.
"Not all of them," Celia says. "But I remember the people who look at me the way you do."
"What way might that be?"
"As though they cannot decide if they are afraid of me or they want to kiss me."
" I am not afraid of you," Marco says.
---
"I tried to explain as much as I could," Poppet says. "I think I made an analogy about cake."
"Well, that must have worked," Widget says. "Who doesn't like a good cake analogy?"
---
"I believe you have my umbrella," he says, almost out of breath but wearing a grin that has too much wolf in it to be properly sheepish.
This review was definitely cross-posted to my Goodreads account. Deal with it.
4/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't find it as engrossing as I've heard many people do, and I felt kind of neutral about it until about a quarter of the way through, but the last hundred pages or so were very fraught with tension. I had one hand over my mouth for a good portion of the last quarter of the novel, the other clutching my e-reader.
I had some reservations about the plot and the setting, which is mostly because I've never been to the circus and carnies kind of freak me out. But Morgenstern's prose were lovely. Quite simple, but very expressive and descriptive. Clever, as well. I smiled quite a few times, and thought, "That's a great line," more than once. I highlighted several passages as I went along.
I liked Celia and Marco very much, and the same goes for Bailey and Poppet and Widget.[Spoiler (click to open)]The love story between Celia and Marco was very well-written and believable, despite the fact that Morgenstern doesn't get very in-depth with it. I loved their first kiss, in the ballroom, and I was happy to see that they actually did get to have sex, even if it was only once before they turned into... whatever they were at the end of the book.
At first, I didn't realize Bailey would be a big deal. I thought there would only be one section of writing with him in it, but I was wrong, and I'm glad for that. We got to see him grow up, and tell off his shitty sister, which I loved. He's a sweet boy and I'm glad he got to stay with the circus. I'm glad he got to own the circus. I'm glad he got to stay with Poppet and Widget.
I also totally didn't realize this until the end of the book, but the second person narrative sections were actually telling the story of one night that 'you' spend at the circus, with each section covering a few hours. How did I not realize this?I definitely didn't look at this book as critically as I should have. I feel like I'm not smart enough to deal with this book. I even had a hard time dealing with the timeline, since it jumped around so much, even though it was clearly marked. OH GOD, NEW AND INTERESTING NARRATIVE STYLE, WHAT DO I DO?
[Spoiler (click to open)]PS, Celia's dad is a great big bag of dicks.
Prospero the Enchanter's immediate reaction upon meeting his daughter is a simple declaration of: "Well, fuck."
---
"It's not a real name," she says. "Not one that he's carried with him always. It's one he wears like his hat. So he can take it off if he wants."
---
"Grow up, Bailey."
"That is precisely what I'm doing," Bailey says. "I don't care if you don't understand that. Staying here won't make me happy. It will make you happy because you're insipid and boring, and an insipid, boring life is enough for you. It's not enough for me. It will never be enough for me. So I'm leaving. Do me a favor and marry someone who will take decent care of the sheep."
---
"Celia, wait,” Marco says, standing but not moving closer to her. “You are breaking my heart. You told me once that I reminded you of your father. That you never wanted to suffer the way your mother did for him, but you are doing exactly that to me. You keep leaving me. You leave me longing for you again and again when I would give anything for you to stay, and it is killing me.”
“It has to kill one of us,” Celia says quietly.
---
"I do not mourn the loss of my sister because she will always be with me, in my heart," she says. "I am, however, rather annoyed that my Tara has left me to suffer you lot alone. I do not see as well without her. I do not hear as well without her. I do not feel as well without her. I would be better off without a hand or a leg than without my sister. Then at least she would be here to mock my appearance and claim to be the pretty one for a change. We have all lost our Tara, but I have lost a part of myself as well."
---
"Do you remember all of your audiences?" Marco asks.
"Not all of them," Celia says. "But I remember the people who look at me the way you do."
"What way might that be?"
"As though they cannot decide if they are afraid of me or they want to kiss me."
" I am not afraid of you," Marco says.
---
"I tried to explain as much as I could," Poppet says. "I think I made an analogy about cake."
"Well, that must have worked," Widget says. "Who doesn't like a good cake analogy?"
---
"I believe you have my umbrella," he says, almost out of breath but wearing a grin that has too much wolf in it to be properly sheepish.
This review was definitely cross-posted to my Goodreads account. Deal with it.