Not since finishing Lori Lansens' "The Girls" in 2007 have I wanted to parade down the street with a book, thrust it into the arms of complete strangers and say, "you HAVE to read this." Indeed, "The Night Circus" transports its audience to a world of seemingly endless mystery and provides a unique, transcendent and unforgettable experience.
The novel opens with a challenge between two magicians. "Prospero the Enchanter" pits his daughter, Celia, who has a natural talent for magic, against Marco, the orphan protégé of the mysterious Alexander. Le Cirque des Reves provides the venue for this challenge, a warren of black-and-white striped tents, each housing marvels that surpass the imagination: a cauldron with a flame that never goes out; a growing, living garden of ice; a Wishing Tree; a beautiful magician who can bring books to life, and who vanishes at will
Celia becomes a fantastic illusionist and joins the circus while Marco stays behind the scenes but each of their actions entwine and shape their binding challenge, a competition that turns into an intricate dance, a heartbreaking courtship and a magical dream. But despite such thematic magic, Erin Morgenstern tells her story in rich but straightforward prose. Her linear narrative unfolds logically, systematically, and with control. With neither excess nor embellishment, she introduces well-drawn characters who, despite possessing impossible ability, remain utterly human.
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