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

I predict that this book will be a smash hit. I was hooked from the first chapter and kept trying to find excuses to run away from other duties so I could snuggle up and drift away into this magic dreamworld. It is outstandingly visual and will translate wonderfully into film.Fans of Harry Potter should really adore the incredible cast of characters on a more sophisticated plane. The only downside is that I had to keep referring back to the previous chapters for dates as each chapter often skipped around in time..

I find myself staring into space remembering parts of this wonderful book and not wanting to come back--I am far from young but I have never been to a circus, for one reason or another but have always been fascinated by all aspects-smells sights, sounds performers and audience-this book certainly whetted my desire to physically go. Ahhhh but is this about a circus--I think not--The Night Circus is just the wonderful vehicle provided for this splendid ride to a dimension not all can see.
This is a wonderful read- beautifully written with just the right amount of childlike wonder and adult emotion to keep the reader wanting more- Miss Morgenstern is truly a gifted author-as the Mad Hatter would say "Never lose your Muchness" Looking forward to the audio and movie version but even more so her future books.

Simply put, you couldn't possibly not want to visit the Night Circus. I was utterly besotted by this book. It twists. It turns. It demands attention be paid to the timeline. I felt aggrieved at having to close "The Night Circus" and periodically return to my everyday world. It is now the top title on my gift-giving list.

This book will be a hit! It contains everything that could be imagined to carry it on a magical, fantastic journey including a love interest, a fantastic competition, beautiful women and mysterious men. Altho it is not my favorite genre, I loved the story of the competition and the author created many beautiful, magical tents that I wanted to visit. The only problem that I had was the jumping around of dates - I had to keep returning to the chapter pages to see where we were in time. The fantasy tents were certainly wonders to behold and the author found the right words to convey the aura and magic of the Night Curcus. I'd visit in a minute!

Too much icing; not enough cake

I was looking forward to this book so perhaps my expectations were too high. No question about it, the story is unusual and the author has done a magnificent job of building an atmosphere full of nuance, allusions and magic yet although the imagery is exquisitely poetic, for me the plot upon which it hangs wasn’t muscular enough to support it. The characters never engaged me and the story line, although intriguingly packaged, was ultimately disappointing. This might be of interest for a book club because the story is unusual but beyond that I see little fodder for discussion.

The bulk of this book has delightful descriptions full of rich and delicious prose. I was one of those readers that didn't want the book to end...alas it did end and the ending was perfectly awful. It was as if the author ran out of steam and just wanted the story to be over. She apparently had nothing left to give. I would not recommend this book. The trip isn't worth the destination....too bad. You can see the potential.

I really didn't like this book. Yes, the descriptive prose is beautiful (would it surprise you to know the author is first and foremost a painter?). But there is no story, little plot, no character development and an unnecessarily confusing timeline. I don't believe there is ever a true duel between the two illusionists, their love doesn't hold up to scrutiny (why does he continue an affair for years?), and the kernel of a story - whether illusionists are born or made (think 'We Need to Talk about Kevin' but magician not murderous) is never properly developed. I finished feeling completely dissatisfied and I'm donating my copy to the library - it's not a keeper.