The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

  I actually started “reading” this book and then it got packed because I was moving.  Then I was loaned a copy of the audio version of the book which is read by Jim Dale. The Night Circus is another one of those books that gets very mixed reviews from people.  Its to be expected, as it is not a little step, but a huge step outside of the norm.  Its not full of action.  There are no true antagonists or protagonists. All there is is the game.  And the game is begun in the beginning with the choosing of the players.  Two children.  One boy and one girl.  Trained for years by a master and knowing that only one can win.  Then given the arena.  The Night Circus. Everything is either black or white in the circus.  The players, the tents, the exhibitions.  It opens at nightfall and closes at dawn. The Night Circus is a dream within a dream within a dream within a dream.  Its a rich tapestry set in monochrome.  Its like falling asleep in a thousand petaled flower with a new layer of dream opening with each petal.  The prose is exquisite, the characters enigmatic. The advantage I found when I switched to the audio is the ability to be carried off by the words of the story by an amazing reader.  Jim Dale did an amazing job of bringing Erin’s story to life.  My biggest problem was in not getting to carried away with the story that it distracted me from driving.  Truth is, there were a few times I stopped it because I wanted to finish listening to a section where I didn’t have the distraction. If you are old enough to remember the circus coming to town, the carnivale, and the wonder it instilled as you slipped through all the tents and discovered the wonders within, you will enjoy this book.  Erin is a master storyteller and I am amazed at how young she is.  I can only imagine what her mature voice will be like.