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)

Which side of the fence is the dream?

I picked up The Night Circus and read it two weeks ago and since I wasn't able to stop thinking about I wanted to reread but, life. So I did the next best thing... I got the audio!

Jim Dale added more life to this story than it already had. I found myself falling even more in love with the all the characters. He read with such emotion and care that I couldn't miss a single breath.

Celia & Marco have literally become one of my fave OTPS! Their dedication and intense nature throughout the game was spellbinding. Poppet and Widge were a duo this book could not do without.

The way the whole story is untwined is so beautiful and I am certain I have never read or listened to anything like it.

This is a MUST in all forms!

Beautiful setting, but final chapters are weak.

Any additional comments?

The story unfolds in a late 19th century setting, interspersed with magical elements. This creates a wonderful tension between the rationality of the time and... the circus. The descriptions are beautiful and really puts you right in the middle of that world. The characters are the same way. They are mysterious in an ice-berg kinda way. The problem is: at some point the steam is running out. The characters turn from mysterious into shallow as you don't learn very much about them. The final chapters were actually quite boring and the conclusion not memorable. Jim Dale's narration is perfect - it fits the book just perfectly. I recommend the book overall, though. The first half is so good that it makes up for the weaker finish.

Lackluster, essentially a waste of time!

Lackluster, essentially a waste of time! I think that the people who gave this book good reviews haven't read or listened to many books. Should have been a short story, or a PG-13 film. The kind of film where the screenwriter intensifies the love story and casts really intense actors to liven up the drab narrative. Ugh waste of time.

Thank You!

Rarely do you get the experience of Rich full characters that play out to a proper well thought out closing. So Thank You to the author and reader for this book.

Magical!

This book took me to places I only dreamt of. If you want to be swept away, I recommend this book.
Cynthia

fantastic!

I love this. I had previously read it and was excited to hear it read to me. leaves me feeling wistful and wanting to be part of the circus .

just read it ... or listen to it

you will love it .. I know I do ... so go ahead and buy it .. it's not like will kill you.

Great story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story line is great, however it seems to be a little drawn out. I don't know how it could be condensed though. I enjoyed the magic of it!

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

I don't have a favorite moment but the visuals are so descriptive you feel like you are looking at everything all at once. I love it.

What about Jim Dale’s performance did you like?

I liked the performance. Memorable but not overdone.

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

Love is never easy, magic is never free.

Any additional comments?

Love this book.

Loved It

What made the experience of listening to The Night Circus the most enjoyable?

I loved the book, the story was great and the I enjoyed how it was read. I wasn't sure what the book was going to be like, but it had a beautiful way about it. It was mysterious yet easy to follow and made you care for the characters.

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

The Twins I think. He did them well.

Amazing story

I absolutely loved this story and the narration that carried it perfectly. As soon as it ended, I wanted to start it all over again