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_audie's review
5.0
one day i'll be able to write something coherent that encompasses everything i felt about this book
sashapasha's review
4.0
Haunting, atmospheric, and at times frustratingly slow, I can see why The Night Circus would be a polarizing book for reviewers. It's got a plot, but it unfolds so slowly that readers looking for something action-packed will be disappointed. What this book does particularly well is paint an immersive picture of the mystery and allure of Le Cirque des Rêves, or The Circus of Dreams, as the night circus is called. This circus is constantly expanding and changing and the ideas behind each addition are incredibly imaginative and fun. I was 100% sold on the circus, and I would love to see this book adapted for the screen since everything about it is designed to be a spectacle.
Getting invested in the characters took a little more time, but I was eventually rooting for them to resolve their difficulties and found myself quite emotionally involved by the finale. None of the characters ever really stood out in my head, but they were all agreeable enough.
The romance would ordinarily have been fast for my taste, but the atmospheric nature of the story made it work. And who doesn't enjoy a well executed star-crossed love? I particularly liked how Celia and Marco's differing educations/backgrounds played into their placement within the challenge and how that tied into the matched-opposites theme of the circus -- they were like magentic poles, north and south, yin and yang, black and white, night and day, etc, which was reflected and repeated in symbolic elements throughout the circus. The symmetry was very satisfying and probably a large part of why their relationship was believable.
My biggest beef was occasional annoyance over the amorphousness of the plot, but the mysteries were revealed and things were tied up in the end. I'd recommend this book to fans of [b:Uprooted|22544764|Uprooted|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550135418l/22544764._SX50_.jpg|41876730] and other tales with a strong emphasis on atmosphere.
Getting invested in the characters took a little more time, but I was eventually rooting for them to resolve their difficulties and found myself quite emotionally involved by the finale. None of the characters ever really stood out in my head, but they were all agreeable enough.
The romance would ordinarily have been fast for my taste, but the atmospheric nature of the story made it work. And who doesn't enjoy a well executed star-crossed love? I particularly liked how Celia and Marco's differing educations/backgrounds played into their placement within the challenge and how that tied into the matched-opposites theme of the circus -- they were like magentic poles, north and south, yin and yang, black and white, night and day, etc, which was reflected and repeated in symbolic elements throughout the circus. The symmetry was very satisfying and probably a large part of why their relationship was believable.
My biggest beef was occasional annoyance over the amorphousness of the plot, but the mysteries were revealed and things were tied up in the end. I'd recommend this book to fans of [b:Uprooted|22544764|Uprooted|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550135418l/22544764._SX50_.jpg|41876730] and other tales with a strong emphasis on atmosphere.
marshmellowhello's review
4.0
loved the atmosphere and the characters, didnt love the ending and the "contest"
sarahmascara's review
4.0
This book is unlike just about any book I've read before. It's about two people trapped in a competition they don't understand, two "fathers" too focused on the competition to actually be fathers, and a delightfully fantastical circus so packed with delicious imagery that you will yearn for it to be real. Throw in a love story, unique and interesting characters, and enough reality to ground it all, and this book is hard to put down. The only real disappointment comes when it ends. Everyone in my book club (including me) loved it!
jillian_roberts's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I 100% understand why people love this book. However, I did not. I LIKED it, but nothing more. It did have beautiful writing and was a very magical story, but it was soooo slow and soooo description heavy. Also sorta confusing. It just took me forever to get through.
zepeng's review
4.0
4 stars
This book is lush in prose and invites you into a dreamlike state. From the non-linear narrative, multiple POVs, and writing style, I felt like I was watching things unfolding before me and not reading it. You are reading this book not for the plot, nor for the character. You are reading this book solely for the reading experience. It is so easy to go wrong, but I think it hits just right at the spot.
However, I must confess that I am a bit disappointed. Perhaps I dived in promising forbidden romance, enemies-to-lovers, and intense fights. There are elements of these, but very subtle and very slow. I wish that some moments were made more profound to make it more intense, but that might break the overall feel of this book. And because of the subtleness, it makes things very confusing sometimes. However, I quickly understand that you need to discard all thoughts of understanding the plot and just go with the flow.
Overall, considering that this book was released in 2011, where YA dystopian novels were the buzz, I think it is a good alternative for readers that like things slow. In fact, reading it now, the book still stands and no one can tell it has been a decade since publication. This just proves that some books are timeless, thus I believe this book is worth the read.
This book is lush in prose and invites you into a dreamlike state. From the non-linear narrative, multiple POVs, and writing style, I felt like I was watching things unfolding before me and not reading it. You are reading this book not for the plot, nor for the character. You are reading this book solely for the reading experience. It is so easy to go wrong, but I think it hits just right at the spot.
However, I must confess that I am a bit disappointed. Perhaps I dived in promising forbidden romance, enemies-to-lovers, and intense fights. There are elements of these, but very subtle and very slow. I wish that some moments were made more profound to make it more intense, but that might break the overall feel of this book. And because of the subtleness, it makes things very confusing sometimes. However, I quickly understand that you need to discard all thoughts of understanding the plot and just go with the flow.
Overall, considering that this book was released in 2011, where YA dystopian novels were the buzz, I think it is a good alternative for readers that like things slow. In fact, reading it now, the book still stands and no one can tell it has been a decade since publication. This just proves that some books are timeless, thus I believe this book is worth the read.
yaakovakiva's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so engaging and I loved the worldbuilding, but I think the narration of Jim Dale is the 5th star for me. His narration was absolutely exquisite and it made the book for me in a lot of ways. In terms of the book, this will probably be a book that I re-read, which I rarely do. It was that enchanting, and I also love that it was a book originally written during NaNoWriMo! :)
asherstrife's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This book is exactly what you want it to be. It is pretty close to perfect.