Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

What readers think of The Night Circus, plus links to write your own review.

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Beyond the book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus

A Novel

by Erin Morgenstern
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Sep 13, 2011, 400 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jul 2012, 400 pages
  • Rate this book

  • Buy This Book

About This Book

Reviews

Page 3 of 4
There are currently 31 reader reviews for The Night Circus
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Kathy W. (Appleton, WI)

The Night Circus
This is the most incredible book that I have read in years! It is in a league of its own and I predict that it will be a huge success. This is THE book that I plan to buy for family and friends.
Maureen C. (Ardsley-on-Hudson, NY)

A Gem of a Story
I did not want the story to end! Celia and Marco are sympathetic characters manipulated by two men to compete in a show of magic. From the tents of the performers to the smell of caramel, Morgenstern brings the Circus alive as a separate, unique character. Wound through the story is a feeling of subtle menace that kept me reading. I was reminded of Peter Straub’s novel Shadowland, Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, and the magical realism of Latin American literature. Older teens and adults will find this a fascinating read. A possible book club selection, too.
Patricia S. (Yankton, SD)

Do I have to come back?
Wow! Just finished The Night Circus and want to return immediately. This is a first novel which reveals an extremely talented and imaginative author, along with a mystical, magical world of love, conflict, and courage. I will carry this story and these characters with me for some time, and intend to highly recommend it to my book club. Oh, and I'm going to rush out and get a marmalade kitten to teach.
Paulette G. (Washington, GA)

The Night Circus
This is a very intriguing book! I am excitedly turning pages and enjoying the magical (no pun implied) language that prefaces each movement of the characters.....What a joy it would be to see this book adopted for a movie....there is enough suspense that accompanies the personality quirks of each character...a nightly joy to read!!! Thank you.
Stephanie W. (Hudson, OH)

Magical!
I loved this book! It drew me into its world from the beginning and has not let me go, even though I am finished. I feel like starting again at the beginning, just to remain in the world of the circus. Morgenstern has created a feast for the senses in her characters and their story. The two ongoing plotlines are not parallel and cause the reader to have to make jumps back and forth in time. (Keep track of the dates at the beginning of each chapter!) But even though it is confusing at first, it makes perfect sense overall. The insertion of descriptions of individual circus tents and acts told from the point of view of the reader help to make you feel as if you are visiting the Night Circus as well.
Darlene M. (Rancho Mirage, CA)

The Night Circus
I loved this book!!! It is mystical, magical and illusionary. The characters are well-defined. The plot keeps us guessing and is a real page turner.
This is a first book for Erin Morganstern and hopefully a best seller!
Ilyse B. (Howell, NJ)

An Enchanting Story
I absolutely adored this book! "The Night Circus" is an enchanting, magical fairy tale. From the beginning you are transported to another time and place, and you will not want to leave. This is a story about love, destiny and magic and it is so beautifully written that I had to force myself to slow down and enjoy the writing instead of rushing ahead so that more of the story was revealed. All of the characters are wonderfully written, including the character of the circus itself. This is a story that you will not soon forget. An absolute pleasure to read.
Loren B. (Appleton, WI)

surreal
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time! I wanted to read something different from my usual since I don't read much fantasy. I wasn't sure if this would hold my interest.

This book was beyond fantasy-it was more like a surreal dream that draws one deeper into its world with each chapter.

Highly recommended!

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Graveyard Shift
    Graveyard Shift
    by M. L. Rio
    Following the success of her debut novel, If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio's latest book is the quasi-...
  • Book Jacket: The Sisters K
    The Sisters K
    by Maureen Sun
    The Kim sisters—Minah, Sarah, and Esther—have just learned their father is dying of ...
  • Book Jacket: Linguaphile
    Linguaphile
    by Julie Sedivy
    From an infant's first attempts to connect with the world around them to the final words shared with...
  • Book Jacket
    The Rest of You
    by Maame Blue
    At the start of Maame Blue's The Rest of You, Whitney Appiah, a Ghanaian Londoner, is ringing in her...

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Pony Confidential
    by Christina Lynch

    In this whimsical mystery, a grumpy pony must clear his beloved human's name from a murder accusation.

Who Said...

A few books well chosen, and well made use of, will be more profitable than a great confused Alexandrian library.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

F the M

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.