The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

For the second time this year I have revisited a novel for the purpose of discussion.  It thrills me to enjoy it more the second time around.  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is about imagination, illusions, magic, manipulation, love, passion, and beauty.  Beyond that I am hesitant to say too much.  Many people would say the back cover of the book says too much, so I will not even quote from there.

This novel involves a challenge between two older magicians, but they do not compete.  Hector Bowen and Mr. A.H. serve as mentors.  Two young people, the daughter of Bowen and a young man chosen by Mr. A.H., are unwillingly committed to this competition.  

Morgenstern employs two timelines: the creation of the circus in the late 1800s and the end of the competition in the early 1900s.  The sections are clearly labeled, and eventually the timelines overlap.  If you enjoy a story that keeps your mind’s eye busy, this novel will thrill you.  I hated to leave this world and will have the images living in my mind; her descriptions are breathtakingly realistic, and Morgenstern brings her reader into the experience as if seeing a live performance:  “A show without an audience is nothing, after all.  In the response of the audience that is where the power of performance lives” (57).

This novel is about keeping secrets, and I will honor that:

Secrets have power…And that power diminishes when they are shared, so they are best kept and kept well.  Sharing secrets, real secrets, important ones, with even one other person, will change them.  Writing them down is even worse because who can tell how many eyes might see them inscribed on paper, no matter how careful you might be with it.  So it’s really best to keep your secrets when you have them for their own good, as well as yours.  (226)

And yes, I will be reading The Night Circus again.

Morgenstern, Erin. The Night Circus. New York: Anchor Books, July, 2012. Print.
http://erinmorgenstern.com/