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  • The Night Circus

  • A Novel
  • By: Erin Morgenstern
  • Narrated by: Jim Dale
  • Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (29,474 ratings)

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The Night Circus

By: Erin Morgenstern
Narrated by: Jim Dale
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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)

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What listeners say about The Night Circus

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17,939
  • 4 Stars
    6,937
  • 3 Stars
    3,082
  • 2 Stars
    970
  • 1 Stars
    546
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    19,791
  • 4 Stars
    4,659
  • 3 Stars
    1,448
  • 2 Stars
    351
  • 1 Stars
    238
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    15,825
  • 4 Stars
    6,047
  • 3 Stars
    2,938
  • 2 Stars
    1,053
  • 1 Stars
    621

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A love story to the world

Everything about The Night Circus is fantastic. The narrator is very well paired to the story - everything from his reading of the scenery descriptions to dialogue feels very well voiced. I'm going to buy a hardcover copy to put on my shelf.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My FAVORITE book of ALL TIME!!!!

This book is absolutely my favorite book of all time! It is so well written and the characters are unique, the entire book is unique, nothing like anything I've read before and THAT is precisely why I love it so. I have read this book 3 times now and each time, I catch something new. It's a wonderful story and could quite possibly carry on, if Erin wanted to of course and I'm sure I'm not the only one, who would LOVE to see this story continue. Brilliant just Brilliant 5 very well deserved STARS 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟🌟

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Wildly imaginative! Amazing prose flourishes!

A wildly imaginative tale with brilliant images and prise flourishes. A unique piece of fiction.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting book

The narrator is perfect for the story. The story itself is unique and transporting. One of a kind.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

E xcellent

Best book I’ve listened to since Harry Potter. Jim Dale is the most talented narrator Barr none. Don’t miss this fantastic book. Sorry it’s finished!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book!

Loved the narration, the story, everything! Chapters inntricately and wonderfully woven together in a way that keeps its reader infinitely enthralled and constantly mesmerized.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful Mysterious Story

A feast for the senses.
Excellent narration.

Reminded me of a mix between a mystery, The Great Gatsby, Alice and Wonderland, and a complicated love story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enchantingly Spectacular

I read this book a few years ago and loved it enough to make it my first download from Audible. I have enjoyed revisiting the Night Circus and its mystifying cast of characters. The author presents the story in a way that lets the reader / listener create a breathtaking movie of the mind. ~j~

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Truly remarkable!

I loved it. Read it, listen to it and be amazed at the incredible narration by Jim Dale. He brought the whole thing to life in a way that I can't imagine any other narrator could have. The story is enchanting.
It hooked me from the sample, and that was not even close to the best part!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A sumptuous feast for the ears

What did you love best about The Night Circus?

The descriptions of the Circus and the people who populate it; in fact, all of the descriptions are gorgeous without being laborious and truly were a feast for the ears. I SAW the Circus and its many unusual tents.

Any additional comments?

This is a great, sweeping story that stays manageable by focusing on the experiences of a good handful of excellently rendered characters.

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