"The movement is so subtle that it is almost undetectable, but slowly, very, very slowly, the statue reaches to accept the rose. Her fingers open, and the young woman with the rose waits patientlyas the statue gradually closes her hand around the stem, releasing it only when it is secure. And then the young woman bows to the statue, and walks off into the crowd." (Page 240)
Much like the human statues, we've done a lot of delicate dancing within the last few chapters of The Night Circus. Two conversations seem to have come to the forefront of the discussion:
The idea of manipulation. We've certainly read a lot about this through the words of Marco and Celia, but our comments are wondering how much of a part the other players have in this key term. There's a great discussion happening now between HuffPost Book Club community members 'MrsLaurMoran' and 'asemeco' that dissects these terms and explores the roles of the other circus staffers. I encourage you to expand that full thread and join in. We'd love to know if you agree with these thoughts.
The other idea we're exploring is the importance of Poppet, Widget and Bailey. We've mentioned Bailey in previous newsletters and he's definitely a character of interest, but something great happens if you go back into the book and read his chapters side-by-side, outside of your regular reading. Other commenters preferred to read that storyline mixed among the rest of the plot, like 'wildflower801.' What do you think? Have you been reading out of order?
As we move forward with the last two discussions of the book (this coming Sunday evening and next!), we want to hear from you. Are you interested in sharing your thoughts on The Night Circus? Get in touch with us if you'd like to blog, share your art work, or share a Pinterest board where you've been gathering inspiration.
And if you'll be on the east coast early next month, stay-tuned for more information on our spectacular end-of-book event!