The Night Circus

A Novel

By: Erin Morgenstern

Narrated by: Jim Dale

Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

©2011 Erin Morgenstern (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

" The Night Circus made me happy. Playful and intensely imaginative, Erin Morgenstern has created the circus I have always longed for, and she has populated it with dueling love-struck magicians, precocious kittens, hyper-elegant displays of beauty, and complicated clocks. This is a marvelous book." (Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife)

"Self-assured, entertaining debut that blends genres and crosses continents in quest of magic…. Generous in its vision and fun to read. Likely to be a big book—and, soon, a big movie, with all the franchise trimmings." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Debut author Morgenstern doesn't miss a beat in this smashing tale of greed, fate, and love... a giant, magical story destined for bestsellerdom. This is an electric debut on par with Special Topics in Calamity Physics." ( Publishers Weekly)

Complex and wonderfully imaginative love story

If you could sum up The Night Circus in three words, what would they be?

Mysterious, Magical, Sure-to-be-your-favorite-book

What did you like best about this story?

The drama unfolds slowly over a period of years and the story builds and pulls great characters together for a excellent story.

Which character – as performed by Jim Dale – was your favorite?

Marco. He really pulls the heartstrings for this mysterious magician.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Night Circus has an opening, amazing applicants apply inside.

Lived it.

This is a Great story. It is beautifully read.
I would read this again and recommend it to a friend.

Better than H. Potter

Awesome read. Couldn't stop listening! This story is so creative and detailed. I could imagine all the scenes. The narration was to notch.

Wow. Just wow!

It’s been so long since I was this captivated and charmed by a mysterious adventure. The plot, magic and relationships in this book are enthralling. LOVED it!

Very Detailed

The books sounds to have almost been written like a script for a play or movie. Very detailed and at times hard to follow because there is so much going on at once. If one can stay focused on the basic story line they'll find it is a good intricately woven love story that while there are a few steamy parts isn't overly mushy. Overall, I did enjoy this listen.

Slow start, but glad I finished it.

The world in this book is wonderfully described, but the action and plot between the characters is a little slower than what I enjoy, and the magic system is relatively shallow when compared to The Magicians or Mistborn Some mysteries are kept mysteries for a bit too long, but I am glad I stuck with the book. It had a satisfying conclusion, and I grew fond of some of the secondary characters.

A Marvel

The Night Circus is a masterpiece.

For those of us who like a little mystery and magic intertwined in a story this book is a wonder, a marvelous wonder.

There is so much to love about this book that I'm not sure where to start. The author paints each scene with such detail that it feels as though you yourself are standing mere feet from the characters. As though you can taste, see, hear what they do.

Jim Dale give each character a voice that accurately portrays everything they are feeling. He reads as though he too loves this book, and that in turn makes it all the more enjoyable to listen to.

This book is worth the credit to listen to, it leaves you wondering what's going to happen next and wishing that you could buy a ticket and attend the "The Night Circus"!

Jim Dale got me in but I stayed for the story

To be honest the reason I started listening to this book was because of Jim Dale and his amazingness. I have love Jim Dale from the Harry Potter series and I probably would just listen to him read the phone book if I could. So I thought if he's reading it I'm gonna listen! When I started reading it I was kind of confused because there's a lot of switching back-and-forth and I couldn't keep the date straight but after I got the hang of it three chapters in I was able to enjoy the story to its fullest. The story is not just a love story between two people it is a love story between people and their dreams. I thought it was imaginative creative and a wonder. Kind a wish I could go to this circus. I would suggest this book to anybody who is into fantasy/magic and does not want to read an entire series. I give it five stars

Bought again with my own account for a 4th listen

This book is the most singularly magical piece of fiction I have ever encountered. I am held spellbound every time I listen. Jim Dale may actually have a silver tongue. It’s one of the few works that has successfully made me feel someone else’s nostalgia like it was my own, and made me fall in love with every character. It is damn near as close to perfect as it could possibly be in my opinion, which I understand may or may not be shared with other people, but I hope it is, because if you can experience this book the same way I do, you too can believe that maybe there is still magic in this world.

A magical journey!

One of the best books I have had the pleasure of experiencing! So very wonderful!