'The Night Circus' Review: The Next 'Harry Potter'?

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not."

So should you read Erin Morgenstern's debut novel, "The Night Circus?" The short answer: "Yes." The book is engaging and magical, entrancing the reader every step of the way.

Even the first three sentences of the novel, as seen above, transport the reader to another place. With creations such as a beautiful garden made entirely of non-melting ice, and a house of mirrors that shows you more than just distorted images of yourself, Morgenstern creates a circus of which one can only dream. What better name name for it then than "Le Cirque Des Rêves" - French for "The Circus of Dreams"?

Not only does a circus provide constant stimulation, but it is also a great setting for making the reader feel both creeped out and exhilarated. Ray Bradbury perfectly displayed the terrifying aspects of a circus in his novel, "Something Wicked This Way Comes," and Morgenstern follows suit.

Her circus features both beautiful and creepy characters, and though everything at her circus is colored only in black and white, Morgenstern's circus employees embody many shades of gray.

She tells the story of Celia and Marco, bound together by an oath made during their childhood. They are both opponents and lovers, and only later do they discover that their magic duel must end in the death of one of them.

Some might simply dismiss this perhaps as a frothy YA (Young Adult) love story or a piece of genre fiction, labels perhaps attached to it due to "The Night Circus"'s recurring comparison to "Harry Potter." It is actually far from either.

It seems a shame that this will be Morgenstern's only book on "Le Cirque Des Rêves," though I must admit that it couldn't have ended more fittingly.

After reading the novel, I had a short phone interview with Erin Morgenstern, whose novel came out today.

Some critics have placed "The Night Circus" into the category of Young Adult. Do you consider it YA?

No, not at all. It was never intended as YA. I always thought of it as an adult novel. I'm guessing it's because people bring up the "Harry Potter" comparison. I think it definitely has crossover appeal though.

What's so magical about a circus?

I'm not big on traditional circuses, but there's something about an entertainment venue that you're completely immersed in, 360 degree entertainment. It's easier to lose yourself in that kind of world than a play or a movie.

If you could join the circus, what would be your dream job?

I've always wanted to learn fire art, even though it scares me a little bit.

How is the next book coming along?

I'm still jotting down notes. It's in the messy development stage. The story is starting to show up there. I'm probably not going to have time to work on it until late this year or early next year, though.

Is your method of writing this book similar to your method of the last book?

This one is on a similar track. The story is coming together a little faster because I learned so much while writing "The Night Circus." I have a better idea of structure.

What living author's book would you recommend?

Alan Lightman's "Einstein's Dreams." It's a unique little gem of a book...and it has perfect little vignettes. It influenced the circus I created.

 

Comments

[Monster Mash]

12:20 PM on 09/15/2011

I'm still not sure whether to pick this book up or not.

I like the cover, but is it just me, or does it look like a doll with a poofy dress on someone's hand? I know it's a circus, but from far away it looks like a doll.

[James Haviland]

10:19 PM on 09/14/2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Circus_of_Dr._Lao,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Unicorn
The two greatest circus novels not cited in your article are The Last unicorn by Peter Beagle and The Circus of Dr Lao by Charles Finney.

[jackiwhitford]

08:46 PM on 09/14/2011

There is no "next Harry Potter" unless J K Rowling writes one. Stop using that phrase it is annoying! Let the book stand on its own merit.

[sanemd]

05:45 PM on 09/13/2011

Can we please put a moratorium on the phrase "Next Harry Potter"? When I was a buyer, that phrase was used to describe The 39 Clues, Twilight, and The Hunger Games. Please, just stop...

[EStreetShuffler]

02:21 PM on 09/14/2011

Agreed. It's not fair to those other books and it's unlikely that such a phenomenon will occur again, at least not anytime soon.

It's like all the bands that have been dubbed "the next Beatles" through the years: the Byrds, Badfinger, the Monkees (which in a way they were, but on purpose) the Knack (yes, I remember reading the review when I was 14 and thinking, "What???"), Oasis, etc.

Turns out Harry Potter was the next Beatles.

[Dave Lusterman]

01:59 PM on 09/13/2011

This reminds me of "7 Faces of Dr. Lao". Between that and Ray Bradbury I have a feeling I have read this before.

[Mahi Joe]

05:25 PM on 09/13/2011

Kind of sounds like Bradbury's "Something Wicked Comes This Way" huh? Which I might add was a great read.

[proggirl]

10:59 AM on 09/15/2011

It's possible to tell a similar story and have very different results. I'm giving this one a chance.

[Set to Jet]

01:56 PM on 09/13/2011

It's downloadable for free from iTunes via Starbucks' new "book of the week" card it's offering!

[Set to Jet]

06:57 PM on 09/15/2011

Unfortunately, I just found out that it is an "extended sample." Oh well, free is free.

[GonzoFactor]

12:09 PM on 09/13/2011

Sounds a bit like Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes".

[Stroodle]

03:53 PM on 09/13/2011

Do you not read the articles?

[Mahi Joe]

05:26 PM on 09/13/2011

Sorry I said the same after you posted. Guess we agree.

[philko]

11:57 AM on 09/13/2011

"Alan Lightman's "Einstein's Dreams." It's a unique little gem of a book...and it has perfect little vignettes. It influenced the circus I created. "

Nothing more needs to be said. "The Night Circus" now goes on my reading list.

[SF TKF]

11:39 AM on 09/13/2011

So funny. I was just discussing this with my editor. She called it a compelling read in which nothing happens (which did nothing to encourage me to pick it up).

[sanemd]

05:42 PM on 09/13/2011

that doesn't sound promising :/

[Wookiee1972]

11:32 AM on 09/13/2011

Oh, and if you like Angela Carter or Neil Gaiman, you are absolutely OBLIGATED to read this.

[blizzard man robot voice]

01:46 PM on 09/13/2011

Love Neil Gaiman so I will be audibling this.

[Hesseth Ran]

06:26 PM on 09/13/2011

Angela Carter was the first thing that came to my mind when I read the review. I'm still on the fence, though, since I suspect it's not quite on that level.

[Wookiee1972]

12:16 PM on 09/17/2011

It's not quite at the level of Carter (what is?) but it's pretty good.

[Wookiee1972]

11:31 AM on 09/13/2011

I read the advanced copy.... READ IT. It's great.

[ChrisInYao]

11:18 AM on 09/13/2011

About the title, I think it's best as it is. "The Circus of Dreams" or "Le Cirque Des Rêves" sounds too, ya know, cliché . Sounds like a good book. I'll check if it's available on Kindle.

[Daws]

11:13 AM on 09/13/2011

Just bought it!

[HPost Hipster]

10:58 AM on 09/13/2011

I knew about the Night Circus years ago. I'm sure the quality will go down now. Just sayin'.

[blizzard man robot voice]

01:47 PM on 09/13/2011

Ahhh... your name fits so well with your post!

[FPhoebe]

10:38 AM on 09/13/2011

You can't pinpoint what is going to be the next huge book series, it doesn't work that way. Nobody thought something like Harry Potter would come up...the last book series of that magnitude was probably The Chronicles of Narnia. So let's stop trying to guess what the next Harry Potter will be, shall we?

[Wookiee1972]

11:30 AM on 09/13/2011

This isn't a series. It's a self-contained work. The only comparison is the combination of the magical and the mundane.