“You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus. You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.”
This is a real 'book I've been meaning to read' situation! The Night Circus had been on my shelf a long time, and it's got such a reputation amongst book lovers. I think at first, the hype worked against it - I was expecting to be utterly blown away; to have discovered a new gem to hoard on my bookshelves, that would give me warm fuzzy feelings when I walked by and saw it in my collection. For those who haven't read it, like me until very recently, The Night Circus is a slightly fantastical, almost-steampunk-like novel about a circus which travels around the globe, opening only during the hours of darkness; and the two duelling magicians at its core. Who wouldn't want to fall in love with that premise?
Naturally, with that much build-up, it felt like a let-down at first! The prose is pretty overwritten in the early parts, with paragraphs of floral descriptive terms where a sentence would have done the job. I appreciate this is an attempt to convince the reader just how special and unique and magical everything is, but it came off as a bit saccharine, self-conscious, and overdone. So much tautology! I rather agreed with a review from the book's initial release: we are 'continually told how magical the circus and its denizens are without ever being truly surprised, entranced or beguiled.' In short, I was rolling my eyes, waiting for the hype to justify itself.
Luckily for me, it did. At about halfway through, I felt that the cogs of plot were turning fast enough to shed any unnecessary linguistic frills, and just like that, it was like I'd finally walked through the clockwork gates of Les Cirque du Reves, and the magic started to happen.
I suppose it was about the time the reveurs, the fans of the circus, came into being that I really started feeling like it's somewhere I'd really love to visit. What I enjoyed was that the reader spends a lot of time in the circus, and it becomes almost familiar - certain tents we revisit several times, the caramel apples, the scent of the central, eternally burning bonfire. It is almost as if it's a real place you've visited and have fond, slightly hazy memories of. But that doesn't make the reading experience less magical, because the ever-changing nature of the circus means you're constantly surprised by new, wonderful attractions and feats of illusion, conjured up by the two magicians in a never-ending competition that centres on the circus' wonders.
There's a large cast of characters, but I found it easy enough to keep track as they're all very distinct, three-dimensional personalities, and whilst the plot is intricate and clever, I never felt bamboozled. It all slots beautifully together, complete with red herrings and twists and plenty of razzle dazzle. The only thing I would criticise about the web of characters and plotlines is that I felt the two central figures, Celia and Marco, weren't really given enough time or development compared to everyone else. It really is an ensemble piece, and I would have liked to get to know those two better - and for them to get to know each other better. In fact, the real star of the show is Bailey, a small-town boy bound to the future of the circus.
The historical setting was convincing without being overdone. I really liked the dual timelines which allowed the plot to unfurl on multiple fronts, though I can see why some readers find it confusing! And the ultimate denouement was clever, though it unfolds a little fast and it takes a bit of puzzling to realise what's actually happened!
Mild spoiler below!
My absolute favourite thing in the whole book was actually right at the end, when we see the business card that reads 'bailey@nightcircus.com' - such a clever way of implying the circus' long afterlife, and supernatural effects on its inhabitants. I can just imagine the circus in this day and age: reveurs with dedicated instagram accounts, tweets frantically announcing its arrival in a new city, folks booking spontaneous plane tickets to chase it around the world. And I would absolutely want to join in.
My rating: four stars out of five