19 October 2012

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern


Soooooo this book is all about atmosphere. It's beautifully conceived, and the author is clearly super-creative, which I am... not. At all. This is why I majored in art history instead of art. I like the scribblings and paint splashings of other people, but not my own.

Pretty sure this is how Raych's Sister of the Art paints.
Did you ever get into the FIMO/Sculpy clay thing? People were making all of these incredibly elaborate creations, and I was the kid in the back going, "lookit what I made!" and my mom would be all, "oh... that's a nice mud-colored blob, dear. What is it?" And I'd answer, "it's a RAINBOW!"


This is how I feel criticizing highly imaginative work. But someone's got to before Pinterest goes all crazy with The Night Circus-themed weddings, y'know? Oh, wait...

With all of that said, I feel like it was missing... something. Like maybe actual main characters? The Circus itself was uh-mazing, and all the secondaries were wonderfully realized, and the whole thing just oooooozed imagination like... I dunno because I'm not imaginative.

But I didn't dig the love story, ducklings, and I don't know why because I luuuurve a good tragic love story. Except it wasn't tragic and I felt like the lovers didn't really love one another so much as they loved their images of one another, and that always ends in tears.

I am totally That Girl who Side-Eyed this book.

6.5 of 11 flaming cauldrons full of ghosts

Comments (11)

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"Except it wasn't tragic and I felt like the lovers didn't really love one another so much as they loved their images of one another" - yes truth.

I did really like the book once I accepted it's all atmosphere and some people flitting about the scenery.

Excellent use of gifs by the way. Superb.
1 reply · active 649 weeks ago
Why thank you! I am particularly pleased with those two. you may see them again. And again.
This book was so pretty, but I don't think it'll hold up in the canon of Great Authorial Feats of 2012, if you know what I mean.
Accurate. Because love stories are the bomb, girl, but this one? Eh. But yeah, the general vibe was cool. I'm glad I read it.

I echo Red's approbation of the gifs. They were excellent. Also the sculpey story.
1 reply · active 649 weeks ago
Yessss, I'm very glad I read it. Otherwise I'd have been disappointed in myself, especially since I waited through TWO library hold lists for it!

Sculpey was clearly not my brand of awesome. I prefer nit-picky creative things like knitting where I'm just following a pattern. I bet I'd be awesome at origami.
I don't at all remember what the central love story was about (although I do remember not not-liking it as much as everyone else) but I may always remember the circus. THE CIRCUS IS ALL THAT MATTERS. Or so I choose to believe.
1 reply · active 649 weeks ago
That's because the love story wasn't any good. I firmly believe that Erin Morgenstern was more in love with the Circus than with ANY of the characters.

Except maybe the boy who became the head of the circus. He was lovely.
Lol, I had to look that up on Pinterest ;) It's not so bad, is it? I loved the cookies and the cakes... let's just say I wouldn't turn down a slice!

Aw, sorry to hear that you felt it was blah. We can't all love the same books, can we :s I admit it was way more about the atmosphere than the actual story. But I still lurved it!
1 reply · active 649 weeks ago
Ahhh, Pinterest. So full of ridiculous things!! I like the idea, but I feel like it's misguided - like the Twilight-themed weddings (but obviously not as bad!)

I liked the book while I was reading it! And then afterward I was all, "wait.. WHAT happened?" Then again, if someone made me a pool where I could leave my sorrow, I'd jump into a cauldron of magic whatsits, too! (that part made me tear up a little)
"Except it wasn't tragic and I felt like the lovers didn't really love one another so much as they loved their images of one another, and that always ends in tears." - Yes! We needed a Romeo & Juliet ending! Tragic would have been so much stronger I think. I remember quite liking this book (not as much as all the hoopla about it), but the ending could have been so much stronger! Almost like the author copped out at the end.
2 replies · active 649 weeks ago
YES! The atmosphere was so beautiful, but I agree with you. I think the characters' love required tragedy, and taking them out of the world was as close as the author could bring herself to making that happen.

I do look forward to reading more Morgenstern as she matures as an author. As first novels go, this was is pretty damn impressive.
Definitely! She's clearly super talented! I would for sure read her next book.

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