The Night Circus
By: Erin Morgenstern / Narrated By: Jim Dale
Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
Not meaty but indeed magical
There’s nothing like adding Jim Dale to any mix to make ANYthing quite magical. And The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern starts off quite magically indeed with a circus suddenly appearing, as always, without previous notice, simply sitting there with black and white striped tents, waiting for goers to come and be captivated.
There are acrobats who soar through the air, all without nets. You’ll find a labyrinth unlike no other, and there’s a garden/conservatory all white and made of ice, where ice flowers bloom and thrive. There are kittens that perform tricks, and there’s a contortionist, enigmatic beyond belief.
Morgenstern writes with some really, really rich prose, and the listener is almost immediately caught up in her world. Illusionists aren’t exactly that—rather, they actually CAN do what people only assume they’re doing. They use misdirection only because that’s what their audiences expect. And two fraternal twins aren’t only that—rather, one can see the past written as plain as day on a person, and the other can look to the stars, look through her mind’s eye and see what is to come.
The circus is the main character of the book, I felt. It’s richly detailed, imaginatively crafted; the other characters wind up coming off as merely devices for the development of the circus. Which is disappointing because the tension that rises from the book only comes when the circus is threatened and not when the two main characters realize the truth of their contest. One never really feels their jeopardy.
Expect fine writing, and richly-worded phrases, and incredibly imaginative “acts” within the circus itself. But don’t expect too much in the way of developed characters. Though I liked each and every one of them, I never felt too invested in their outcomes. It was the circus I worried about, that vast wondrous spectacle which harbored many secrets of its own.
So I suppose the book is aptly dubbed. For the circus and not for the characters or their duels or lives. If you’re willing to give the Big Top a go, also expect masterful narration from Jim Dale. He truly excels at conveying emotion, conveying surprise, conveying suspense. He delivers a top-notch performance here, absolutely unforgettable.
Indeed, the Cirque is absolutely unforgettable, charming indeed.
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