“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

I just finished reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and let me tell you, it flabbergasted me.  I didn’t think that someone would be able to write about magic in a way that would rival Jo Rowling’s creativity, but Morgenstern is such a worthy contender!  The imagery in this book completely walloped me.

This is the story of two young magicians who are opponents in a game for which the circus is the venue.  It was not their idea or their decision, but they are the players, and they must play until the game is concluded.  Both Celia and Marco are creative geniuses, one-upping each other for years before they eventually fall in love.  But falling in love doesn’t work so well with the rules of the game.

There are really two stories in this novel, two stories that come together at the end.  The writing was masterful, utterly brilliant.  Morgenstern is not only a writer but also an artist, and that was very evident in her writing.  I just feel slack-jawed at the creativity of this story.  Each little scene was like a gorgeous vignette.

I still need to mull over the ending.

Please read this one.