'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern
2.5/5 Pitchforks
Meant to be a modern and magical twist on love stories, “The Night Circus” attempts to depict a dark and dazzling circus world of illusionists, magicians, contortionists, complications and love. Writer and multimedia artist Erin Morgenstern describes her newest novel and work in general as “fairytales in one way or another.” Unfortunately, though the intention of the novel seems to be to create a world of unbearable beauty, it only becomes unbearable at parts.
Set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the novel follows performers involved with Le Cirque des Reves, a mysterious and entertaining performance troupe that does actual magic instead of tricks. Part of the circus is Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair who, from a young age, have been put into a competition against each other, unbeknownst to them.
Though they are aware of the competition, they do not know whom they are against, nor is what they need to do to win explained. Though their overbearing trainers will not clarify the rules of the daunting game they are in, they devote their young lives to perfecting their craft. In the process, the magical beings fall into a passionate love that defies their fate.
The characters are weaved together in an interesting and creative style and the leisurely but persistent suspense gives a compelling charm and intrigue into the world of performance. However, these aspects cannot be appreciated because of the over-the-top decadent writing style.
Every scene is described with such magic and grace, but the book as a whole lacks magic. The hyper-elegant displays of beauty fall flat because there is rarely a contrast. Every scene is described with such enchanting detail that even a character’s sipping on apple cider sounds as if it is an incomparable experience. This level of enchanting narrative is more distracting than captivating.
Because the characters in the circus are continuously described as embodying utmost magical perfection, the drama is never as heightened as it could be. The storyline is written to beguile and surprise, but the imminent danger never seems that dangerous because there is so much faith in the characters’ powers. Even when blood is shed and places are burned, the lovers remain curiously unscathed. The story lacks the necessary gritty moment that would serve as a catalyst for change and revelation because, of course, the characters are beautiful, stoic and untouchable.
If Morgenstern had spent less effort describing elaborate special effects, she could have focused more on the haunting, underlying question of whether people who were never loved before can love each other. Though the author might believe that delving into psychological weaknesses and emotional trauma is not as aesthetically spectacular, it is a topic in her story that would have gripped readers’ hearts and minds.
Reach the reporter at mgrichar@asu.edu
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