Ever since I read The Starless Sea back in July, I was greatly anticipating picking up The Night Circus in the autumn months. Time did get a bit away from me, and I didn’t end up reading this until December, and even then, I had to read it slowly because grad school is really no joke :’) In any case, I did, in fact, read it, and I fell in love—from the opening pages to the closing ones. One of the best books to close out 2021. Here are some fleeting musings on The Night Circus.
The circus arrives without warning…
Talk about an opening! The pages of this stunning novel were always full of mystery, yellowed with the ageless quality and themes of the tale(s) itself, and artfully dancing in their nonlinear story-weaving. Having already been introduced to Morgenstern’s delightful ability to interlace story within story, in and out of order, I quickly made acquaintance with all the different threads of The Night Circus.
This read is magical, ethereal, compelling, and real. No, we’re not likely to stumble upon a black-and-white, enchanting cirque des rêves speckled with bright bursts of crimson and replete with displays that take our breath away, but: that which is emotive, raw, and mesmerizing is relatable to us all.
I honestly think that—right now—The Night Circus might be my Morgenstern novel of choice! Truly, I didn’t think I that would be possible when I consider just how much I thoroughly enjoyed The Starless Sea, especially when I compound that with the fact that I read it during seaweek (ie my fav time of year, sentimental associations do play a major part in my favourite reads), but The Night Circus was just so utterly delicious. Also, how about that circular ending?!!? Forgot how satisfying those are.
“the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will”
Out of the myriad themes of The Night Circus, I think my favourite was that of the relationship between fate and choice. As a theological concept, this is something I could talk about for hours and hours. (I also can write about it forever and ever, my experience with East of Eden is a proof of that.) My natural fascination with these two themes carries over into literature, and I am always quite enraptured in the way that different authors explore them as well.
Bailey’s character arc is a wonderful exploration of this, and I particularly love the way his grandmother’s words foreshadow his path:
Follow your dreams, Bailey,” she says. “Be they Harvard or something else entirely. No matter what that father of yours says, or how loudly he might say it. He forgets that he was someone’s dream once, himself.
that last sentence, wow.
Marco + Celia
This post would not be complete if I didn’t mention these two <3 Their story, of course, had me on the edge of my seat, hard pressed for oxygen at times, and very much lightheaded during other moments. Here are a few of my favourite quotes about these two:
The false face had been handsome, yes, but consciously so. As though he was too aware of his own attractiveness, something Celia had found distinctly unappealing…But now, now there is a different person standing next to her, much more present…
He longs to reach over and touch her, but he resists, fearful of destroying the delicate camaraderie they are building. He steals glances instead… Several times he catches her regarding him in a similar manner, and the moments when she holds his eyes with hers are sublime.
It is destroying me that I cannot ask you to dance,” Marco whispers as she passes by him in the ballroom, the deep green of his suit seeping across her gown like moss.
“Then you are far too easily destructible,” Celia murmurs softly, winking at him…
screaming crying throwing up sliding down the walls gasping for breath commencing cardiac arrest etc.
Also, shout out to my girl Celia for that fantastic commentary there in quote one—on pretty boys who are full of it, they’re so yuck for that.
The intensity of his eyes and his touch rushes over Celia like a wave and she takes her hand from his before it pulls her under.
i am always feral for figurative language that employs the sea
Bons Rêves!
As was the case with The Starless Sea, I am already very much looking forward to rereading The Night Circus one day! What a marvellous read, I can’t recommend it enough! If you’ve read this novel, what did you think of it?! <3