The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Atmosphere. Atmosphere. Atmosphere. Ms. Morgenstern's book is a writer's study in control and boundaries.

First, her setting is predominantly confined to only a few locales and she readily masters their look, feel and smell. By limiting her venues, she is able to spend time immersing us within their magic. The title circus is wonderfully transcribed from her imagination and becomes as much a character in the novel as the players themselves. Additionally, the house of Chandresh becomes another of these magic locales where the unimaginable routinely takes place. Second, Ms. Morgenstern limits the palatte with which she paints. Black and white with an occasional splash of red becomes much more vibrant in her hands than all the hues of the rainbow. As a writer of setting, Ms. Morgenstern does an outstanding job.

As a writer of plot, on the other hand, the author leaves something to be desired. I cannot purge the feeling that I was sold swamp land. The swamp land held some beautiful cypress trees and water lillies, but just try to build upon it and you will find little support.

First, the magical challenge that acts as the focal point for tension never really materializes. The rules of the engagement are so vague that we never feel a sense competition. The "moves" the players make are never judged or quantified, so we never know where this amorphous contest stands. Who is winning? Who is losing? What are the consequences of winning or losing?

The two forms of magic used have no yardstick by which they can be measured against one another. Has Celia's latest creation shown power and precision versus Marco's latest endeavour? Is she weak? Strong? Too emotional? Too chaotic? Is Marco too meticulous or labor intensive? Will the enchantments he weaves fall apart when pushed? Will one player push against the other's creations? None of this goldmine of plot is ever explored by Ms. Morgenstern. Instead, the plot leads us down the road of why this contest was ever contrived to begin with. Unfortunately, the answer to that question falls flat and we are left with an emptiness once the sugar high of the vision of The Night Circus wears off.



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