WEEK SEVEN: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (6)

 “The circus arrives without warning” this is the opening sentence of the book. It started with mysterious words that awoke my interest and triggered my imagination. However, the overall plot and the way the author exposed his thoughts through imagery was confusing because of non-linear storytelling. From the beginning till the end there are multiple storylines and jumps in time and space to reveal more and more about the characters which also makes it a slow read to take my time and understand what exactly is going on. This is done to make the atmosphere of the book more mysterious and I think Erin Morgenstern succeeds in it. The sudden appearance of the circus that is open only at night and closes at dawn and there is no way to track where it goes is definitely a unique hook. The Night Circus stands out with its exposition, costume and prop designs and worldbuilding overall. I liked all the magic and weirdness throughout but the romance kept distracting me and it was the least enjoyable “section” of the story. Manipulation and lack of freedom are the main subjects throughout the book. It was unusual to see a woman as a “great magician” because of the stereotypes but the story would not work if it was Hector’s son not a daughter. After being a horrible father he only starts paying attention when he notices that she has the same abilities. He uses her to continue the competition that was going on in the Night Circus. Celia becomes known because of the name of her father. I first paid attention to her character when everyone started talking about the daughter of Prospero Enchanter. Although I did not like Hector, I liked his character development and I understand that his moral values are just different. We notice that he is devoted to the cause, not the names we give to the objects, especially when he talks about his attitude towards the importance of names. The circus itself has different sections and the reader is taken there which makes one feel a part of the story and become one of the Circus visitors.