It is a wonderfully told tale in the magical realism genre.
A lot of people don't know the difference between fantasy and magical realism... one enters a different world, and the other brings the impossible into our world. The Night Circus is the latter.
It is also historical fiction (broadly). It is also a love story.
Those who know me (including the book group :)) know that I love fantasy and magical realism. I am more hesitant with historical fiction and love stories because they are often written without complexity or grace.
It is not the type of historical fiction that draws on real life historical events (which is why it's "broadly" in the genre), but it occurs in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Morgenstern interweaves the characters, the story, the planning of the circus, the drama, the anger, the love, etc., effortlessly to a final conclusion.
Compliments made at group:
It is fun!
It is interesting.
It was impressive that someone so young writing a debut novel wrote with such maturity.
She did, with the weaving, what many attempt and fail at.
Criticisms & Comments made at group:
The ending seemed a little bit of a leg down after the effort that went into the rest of the book -- almost as if she became tired and just finished it a bit in a rush.
And of course, it's not everyone's top genre -- but even those people thought it was fun.
It is a little dark in the beginning, but works itself out in a satisfying way.
Please add your thoughts!
Aletheia, have you read Haruki Murakami? He writes Japanese magical realism and I like a lot of his short stories. That being said, I'm not a huge fan of the genre (and am most familiar with it in Latin American literature) and I couldn't really get into the Night Circus enough to keep reading it. :-/
ReplyDeleteNot yet! I've been meaning to read something of his.
ReplyDeleteBummer that you couldn't get through the Night Circus! Every time I even spot the cover it makes me happy.. :)