Weekend with the Night Circus

Happy Sunday!

We had a great weekend! We checked out the Blues Can in Inglewood on Friday night. I've decided that blues may not be my favourite genre of music, but the pub had a great atmosphere, and it was a lot of fun to spend the night with friends! We had a great Saturday night at a co-ed baby shower for our friends Chris and Erin. In between all of these get togethers, I managed to find time to finish 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern.

Warning: This review may contain spoilers.
'The Night Circus' is a book about two rival magicians, Prospero the Enchanter and the "grey-suited man". They engage in a mysterious challenge at the beginning of the book. Not much is revealed about the details of this challenge, but you slowly learn more about the rules and consequences as the book progresses. The challengers are the grey-suited man's young apprentice, Marco, and Prospero's daughter, Celia. The setting of the challenge is Le Cirque des Rêves.

The circus described in this book is very unique. It opens at sunset, and closes at sunrise. Its many tents and attractions are magical and mysterious. Celia and Marco are both key players in running the circus, and their creation of new attractions, each more impressive than the other, is part of their challenge. The circus is no ordinary attraction.

There is a love story of course. The two challengers, Celia and Marco, grow intertwined with each other's magic and are inevitably attracted to one another.  Unfortunately for the two young lovers, we learn that ending the challenge is not as simple as it seems. They must find a way to be together without ending the challenge, and by doing so, have a chance to ensure the circus can continue to travel and perform.

The amazing descriptions in this novel were very impressive.  The magical tents which hold attractions such as the cloud maze, the wishing tree and the ice garden make you wish you could attend this circus yourself! Reading about the circus actually reminded me of my experience at one of the Cirque du Soleil shows I have seen. The most impressive one was actually held in the streets of Quebec City under a freeway. There wasn't much for props, but the amazing costumes and acrobats made for a magical evening.

The storyline was average, but the meticulous details and magical setting were very endearing. I would recommend this book to someone looking for an easy read and who can use a little magic to brighten up their day.

Happy reading!
Domi