• The Night Circus

  • A Novel
  • By: Erin Morgenstern
  • Narrated by: Jim Dale
  • Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (29,179 ratings)

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The Night Circus  By  cover art

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
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Nothing I didn't LOVE

This was just a great listen. I have loved Jim Dale since I first saw him on Broadway.in Barnum (twice). This was such a great story and Jim made it a wonderful listen. I wish I had a friend to gab with about it. Perfect for a book club. Particularly the ending. Enjoy!!

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The most enchanting 13 hours you will experience

This is a beautiful, fantastical journey to a victorian world filled with wonder. Jim Dale as the reader is phenomenal. I really can't say enough how beautiful this audio book,,,you will be transported! AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

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Pure magic!

A lustrous tale of star-crossed lovers - full of memorable characters and unimaginable mysteries. The Night Circus drops you inside a wonderful game ... to watch the competition between the students of two magicians. In a world of dreams so real, you will never want to wake up.

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Excellent

At first I wasn't sure if I would like the narration but after a bit I got used his voice and actually really loved it. Jim Dale did an excellent job creating different voices for the characters that were pretty believable especially given some were women. The story was beautifully written and Mr. Dale's voice really brought it to life.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Twilight with Magicians

Quite descriptive and eloquent in transporting the listener into this ethereal narrative. Unfortunately also trite in its romanticism.

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magical

I read this book 4 years ago and listening to it this week I love it even more now.

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It's brilliant

I loved it so much I'm listening to it again after my first read through. I highly recommend this and can't wait to see a movie version of this story and hopefully Cirque Du Soleil will be involved

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Jim Dale and The Night Circus.

I have read this book 6 times. I was BEYOND excited when I saw Jim Dales name as narrator. I'll probably reread the book but I know that I'll listen to it.

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Great story and performance

Lovely story, and beautifully performed by Jim Dale (as always). The only advantage I see to reading this book as opposed to listening is that, because it jumps around in the timeline a bit, it can be hard to track what year you’re in if you’re distracted at the beginning of a chapter.

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Like a Dream

This really did seem like a dream. I didn't want it to end. I imagined myself in all of the tents and how much fun it would be to walk through the clouds or be in the star-gazer. Great imagery.

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