12 October 2011

I feel compelled to share...

Okay, so, by now you know that I am not a big contributor to this blog! I like to read. I always have a book "going," and I usually like the books I read. My weakness lies in talking about the book afterwards. So, here goes nothing.

It was my turn to host book club and so I had to come up with a book. We tend to lean toward books that are in paperback format, just because they are less expensive. I have recently, however, also sought books that are available in the Kindle format! (You can read about my Kindle obsession at a previous post!)So with those limitations in mind, I embark.

I can generally find a book in Amazon because they helpfully suggest that readers who chose this book also liked this one. And I carefully study the reviews and the story lines deciding what will appeal to the ladies in my group. We are all very varied in our interests, so this can sometimes be daunting. More often than not, I just close my eyes and point once I have the selections narrowed down. This blog is not about my book club book!

This particular book didn't meet any of the necessary criteria. It was a hardcover, and at the time when I "assigned" the book, this one had not yet been published. I added it to my pre-order list and for the most part forgot about it. It downloaded on the day it was promised and I held it in reserve until I finished reading my book club book. (Duty before pleasure!) At last I could start.

The book is called The Night Circus and it is written by Erin Morgenstern. It is not a book I would normally pick up. And far from a book I would traditionally read. I am a bodice ripper fan from way back. I atone by reading my book club books! There was something about the reviews that drew me to this book, and I can't tell you what it was. Once you have read the book, you may believe that I can speculate it was probably magic. In the meantime, you will have to take me at my word.

"The circus arrives without warning." This is the opening line of the book. And you are drawn into a world that is pure imagination. There are descriptions that make you feel as if you are at the circus, smelling the foods, tasting the cocoa, hearing the noises, thrilling in the anticipation, and walking amongst the artists and the patrons of the circus. I think I can safely say that I have never read a book that drew me into it so readily with narratives that almost overwhelm the senses. Colors, costumes, characters, rooms, meals, and ideas so specifically portrayed that you feel as if you are there in the very same place that the story occurs.

To say that this is a book about the circus is to do it a grave injustice. Erin Morgenstern makes you believe in magic. The book would not exist without it. The main thrust of the story pits two individuals with magical abilities against each other. The competition they are forced to take part in is not voluntary, and they are never certain, until close to the end, of the ultimate goal or of the rules of the contest. They are given the circus as a venue to display their talents and they work wonders with our imaginations as they create tents and displays that defy all we can dream of. It is not coincidental that the circus is called "Le Cirque des Reves" The Circus of Dreams. And it opens at nightfall and closes at dawn - when all of the best dreams occur.

There are elements of good vs evil, romance, fear, innocence, wonder, death and heartache. I am still absorbing the impact The Night Circus has had on me. I will continue to think about it for quite some time. And while I have not given you much to go on - I cannot recommend this book enough. I am happy to report that while it was nothing I ever would have picked up at random, it turns out that is exactly what I did. And I will read it again and look forward to learning what I may have missed in the first go-round. The ending satisfied me, if for no other reason than there was no other acceptable ending.

Coincidentally, my mother read this book and finished it a few days before I did. We had a lengthy discussion about it last night on the phone. She was still taking in the magic, herself. We both agreed that we REALLY liked it! Can't wait to hear what YOU think!