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)

Magical Listen

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

This is a wonderful, creative story and I could frankly listen to Jim Dale read the phone book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Night Circus?

The creativity of the plot and descriptions are amazing. A joy to listen to.

Have you listened to any of Jim Dale’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Jim Dale read the Harry Potter books and his performance adds so much to the whole experience every time. I bought this just because of him and I was not disappointed.

deep book, not my type

The book is well written, in terms of the clever use of English. However, it was not a satisfying tale. It did not invoke any lasting feelings on any character. It's a book that is probably read in an English class, not for leisurely reading...

Was enjoyable

I enjoyed this but it was a little slower paced than I would like. The characters were interesting and the plot was easy to follow. Kind of reminded me of "Big Fish".

Lots of Night, But Could Use More Circus

First, let's get one thing out there: Jim Dale is a genius as a narrator. There's simply no one better! So, now, on to the book. I really liked the story; however, I wanted to know more about the circus acts and other performers. There was a lot of emphasis on the love story, which wasn't a bad thing. I was just hoping to learn more about some of the other very, very interesting characters. In many ways, I hope that Erin Morgenstern will write a sequel to this book in which more time will be spent on the other characters.

Amazingly captivating!

This audio book was so entertaining that I found myself sitting in my car listening to it long after I arrived home from work. Much praise to Jim Dale.. He is superb!!!

Amazing! Loved It!

Been a long time since a book has captured me like this. Highly recommend it!

Good listen.

I loved the idea of the actual night circus in the book. It was very magical. The writing around the circus and other areas of the book was very good, with beautiful imagery.

The plot and characters were less developed and less interesting to me than the circus itself.

Jim Dale did an excellent job narrating, which improved my overall rating of the book some.

Overall this book is average, with some more interesting parts. I didn't put this book on my "must read list" or go recommend it to all my friends. Yet, this is a entertaining read, and I am glad I listened to it.

great book

Where does The Night Circus rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Right at the top

What other book might you compare The Night Circus to and why?

A little vbit Hungar Games, a lit bit Harry Potter - but what a love story

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

all of them - Jim Dale is great just like he was in Harry Potter

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Cry

Any additional comments?

Very good book - keeps you listening from the beginning and of course Jim Dale does the reading

Beautifully told for the theater of the mind

I chose this book based on some of audibles recommendations, and after reading the summary, I decided to give it a shot.

The story was both enchanting and dark. I quickly found myself swept away by the rich visual descriptions and fell in love. I could just picture it all so clearly. I definitely recommend The Night Circus to any lovers of mysterious tales.

PS. Jim Dale could read the ingredients on a cereal box and I would happily listen.

Magical Writing

Jim Dale's narration was outstanding and brought much feeling to a complicated story. I was enthralled to the very ending of intertwined cliff hanger. I believe all the main characters were interesting with great depth in their struggles to understand their role, conflicts, and ultimate resolution to survive. This book is a great love story set against two men corrupted by their arrogance and contempt of mankind. The survival of the Night Circus was born out the magic exceeding the boundaries of the men who chose to use the circus for their selfish ends and it gave us a new generation of artists and dreamers. I love this wonderful story