Monday, January 30, 2012

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

February's book is the The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, 387 pages.


After you've read it post your rating and, if you like, a review as a comment below.
If you want to discuss something go to the discussion page.


Here is a website for the author, Erin Morgenstern, and an NPR review.
2-7-2012 Here is an interview with the author as well.



SPOILER ALERT!
Timeline
Title & Summary
Page
Year
Month
Day
Unexpected Post:
Celia Bowen is brought to her father.  Prospero writes to Alexander.
9
1873
2

A Gentleman’s Wager:
Celia meets Alexander and is bound. 
12
1873
10

Shades Of Gray:
Alexander adopts Marco Alisdair
21
1874
1

Magic Lessons:
Celia and Marco’s training
24
1875-1880


Le Bateleur:
Marco meets Isobel
30
1884
5-6

False Pretenses:
Celia works as a spiritualist.  Marco learns of Isobel’s past.
Marco is  hired as Chandresh’s assistant.
Prospero begins his final project.
38
1884
7-11

Target Practice:
Meet Chandresh and his obsession with the audience
44
1884
12

Associates And Conspirators:
Midnight dinners at Lefevre mansion.  1st planning meeting for the circus.  Introduction of Mr. Barris, Mmme Padva, Tara and Lainie Burgess.
55
1885
2

Horology:
Meet Friedrick Thiessen, clockmaker.  Mr. Barris commissions a clock for the circus.
68
1885


Condolences:
Prospero “dies”.  Celia receives many sympathy cards and ‘your move’ card.
62
1885
3

The contortionist’s Tattoo:
We meet Tsukiko at a circus planning meeting/midnight dinner. 
64
1885
9

Auditory:
Illusionist auditions.  Celia and Marco meet.  Celia is hired for the circus. 
71
1886
4

Strategem:
Marco is rattled.  Isobel joins the circus.
78
1886
4

Opening Night I:  Inception:
6 minutes before midnight Winston Aidan Murray is born.  At midnight the bonfire is lit. Six minutes after midnight Penelope Aislin Murray is born. 
93
1886
10
13-14
Opening Night Ii:  Sparks:
How Marco prepares for the bonfire.  Celia’s performance.  She is rattled by the lighting of the bonfire and observed by Tsukiko.
97
1886
10
13-14
Opening Night III:  Smoke And Mirrors:
Chandresh and the Burgess sisters.  Tara Burgess begins to wonder about Marco. 
101
1886
10
13-14
Rules Of The Game:
Marco questions Alexander.
Celia questions Prospero.  Both offer vague, unhelpful responses.  Marco’s letters from Isobel.  Carousel by Celia and Mr. Barris. Ice Garden by Marco.  Isboel surprises Marco with a visit.
114
1887-1889







Tasting:
Friedrick Thiessen discovers the circus.
121
1889
9

Chaperoned:
Celia babysitting the Murray twins.  Widget sees stories on people.  Poppet sees things in the stars.  Poppet sees Tara’s burial.  Celia offers to teach them magic in a few years
124
1890
11

Wishes And Desires:
Marco visits Isobel.  Chess or balancing of scales.  Wishing Tree by Celia.
128
1891
5

Atmosphere:
Circus Train by Celia.
Midnight dinner at Lefevre mansion.   Tsukiko takes Celia.  Celia realized that Tara reminds her of her mother.  We learn more of the Burgess sisters’ talents.
131
1891
9

Reveurs:
Friedrick gets to visit the circus again, begins to write articles about it.  A society of circus lovers forms.  He receives letters from all over.  One from a Celia Bowen.  They begin a correspondence.
140
1891-1892


Collaborations:
Marco discusses the challenge with Mr. Barris and they build the labyrinth together.  Celia writes to ask if she may add to it.  Yes.
145
1893
9-12

The Ticking Of The Clock:
Tara visits Mr. Barris and questions him about the circus.  He gives her an address for Alexander.
150
1894
1

The Magician’s Umbrella:
Isobel and Celia become more friendly.  Celia discovers who her opponent is.
154
1894
3

The Wizard In The Tree:
Poppet’s predictions.  Widget’s story of the Wizard in the Tree.
171
1894
11

Temporary Places:
Tara talks to Alexander.  Goes to bus station.
176
1895
4

Movement:
Celia and Friedrick meet. 
180
1895
4

In Loving Memory Of Tara Burgess:
Tara’s funeral.  Isobel and Tsukiko discuss the circus and how Tara really died.
185
1895
4

Tete-A-Tete:
Midnight Dinner.  Celia goes back for her scarf and she and Marco finally really talk.
205
1896
8

Truth Or Dare:
We meet Bailey, dared to sneak into the circus.  Bailey meets Poppet.
48
1897
9

Thirteen:
13th anniversary of the circus.
Celia and Marco kiss.
226
1899
10
13
Three Cups Of Tea With Lainie Burgess:
Lainie talks to Mmme Padva, Mr. Barris and Celia about the circus.
250
1900


Bookkeeping:
Chandresh investigates Marco’s office.  Prospero strikes up a conversation with Chandresh. 
243
1900
3

Stormy Seas:
Celia and Marco discuss disappearing like  Prospero.
257
1901
6

Invitation:
Celia invites Alexander to the circus.
271
1901
10
30
Intersections I:  The Drop Of A Hat:
Marco tells Isobel he is in love with Celia.  Isobel undoes the balance charm.
272
1901
10-11
31-1
Intersections II:  Scarlet Furies And Red Destinies:
Chandresh goes a bit crazy.
Friedrick dies
278
1901
10-11
31-1
Retrospect:
Alexander and Prospero talk at the circus.
287
1901
11
1
Beautiful Pain:
Celia visit’s Marco and they discuss the impossibility of running away and how to save the circus.
290
1901
11
1
Technicalities:
Celia talks to Prospero and realizes that she or Marco will not survive.
299
1901
11
1
----:
Celia and Tsukiko talk about saving the circus.
303
1901
11
1
Impasse:
Celia tells Marco her plan to end the game and breaks his heart.
315
1902
8

Visitations:
Prospero visits Celia.  Marco talks to Alexander who confirms one must die.
319
1902
9

Hidden Things:
Bailey’s future debated.  His dream.   The circus returns.
85
1902
10

Oneiromancy:
Bailey goes  to the circus and watches the contortionist and visits the illusionist’s tent.  Sees ‘statue’ in memorium.
107
1902
10

Cartomancy:
Bailey visits Isobel, looks for Poppet.
164
1902
10

Ailuromancy:
Bailey finds Poppet, meets Widget.  They visit the Cloud Maze and give him a Silver Ticket.
191
1902
10

Bedtime Stories:
Bailey visits the Labyrinth and Widget’s tent of scents.
235
1902
10

An Entreaty:
Poppet asks Bailey to join the circus.
267
1902
10

Darkest Before The Dawn:
Widget and Poppet discuss Bailey and the circus and wonder what will happen
276
1902
10

Farewell:
Bailey leaves home, but misses the train.
284
1902
10

Precognition:
Poppet and Widget talk to Celia about what Poppet has seen. 
324
1902
10
31
Escapement:
Bailey runs to the train station and meets the reveurs.
309
1902
10

Old Ghosts:
Isobel goes to see Marco and sends him to the circus
334
1902
10
31
Incendiary:
Marco arrives at the circus and talks to Tsukiko.  The bonfire goes out.
342
1902
10
31
Transmutation:
Celia and Marco escape into the circus
348
1902
11
1
Pursuit:
Bailey arrives in New York to hear very bad news
330
1902
11
1
Aftermath:
Bailey gets into the circus and meets Tsukiko who takes him to Celia and Marco
338
1902
11
1
Suspended:
Bailey Meets Marco and Celia.  Bailey agrees to be caretaker and is bound.
354
1902
11
1
The Second Lighting Of The Bonfire:
Bailey lights the bonfire. 
364
1902
11
1
Blueprints:
Poppet visits Chandresh.  He signs over the circus and she helps him move forward
372
1902
12

Stories:
Widget makes a deal with Alexander
375
1903
1

Anticipation:
“The circus arrives without warning.”  Waiting for nightfall.
3
Present


Darkness And Stars:
In line with your ticket you step into a world of stars.
47
Present


Fire And Light:
White light of the bonfire. 
84
Present


The Hanged Man:
Acrobat act
105
Present


Reflections And Distortions:
Hall of Mirrors
163
Present


Labyrinth:
Maze
190
Present


The Lovers:
Bride and Groom ‘statues’
225
Present


The Pool Of Tears:
Drowning your sorrows.
282
Present


Playing With Fire:
Fire use throughout the circus
302
Present


Charming But Deadly:
Charmed Snakes
323
Present


Fates Foretold:
Fortuneteller
371
Present


Bon Reves:
The last patrons linger.  Bailey’s business card.  Which side of the fence is the dream?
385
Present


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7 comments:

  1. Heather WeirJanuary 31, 2012 at 11:39 AM

    I finished this book last night at 12:30. As in other email comments. My house doesn't become Lord of the flies, My kids become TV Zombies as thats all I can do to get them to leave me alone to READ. I really liked this book. THe time line was a little awkward but not to much to distract from the story.

    ReplyDelete
  2. brookieJanuary 31, 2012 at 2:49 PM

    I never do well with dates. I'm always going back and looking at dates so that is one thing I don't like. Otherwise I did like the book. I'm not very good at expressing what I liked or didn't like but I did like this book. Thanks, again, for setting up this site. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Stephanie PillingFebruary 1, 2012 at 10:22 PM

    I loved all the rich imagery in The Night Circus. The author really did a nice job letting the reader ENJOY the senses of the circus as though they were there. I thought the intermittent chapters written in the "you" perspective were really neat. It made me feel like I was a part of the whole event.

    That being said, I think the book could have bee another 300 pages. Right when things were starting to get going, she shuts it down with Tsukuki's interventions and some convenient magical loop holes. I would have enjoyed a more thorough play out of the "game." Like if Celia and Marco decided they hated each other, duked it out, and then regretted it in the final chapter when they realized they did love each other after all but they had already destroyed each other.....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mary AnneFebruary 7, 2012 at 10:32 AM

    I added one more link at the end of the post that will take you to a brief interview with the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mary AnneFebruary 7, 2012 at 4:08 PM

    I obsessively made a timeline for the book and added it to this post as well. Take a look.

    ReplyDelete
  6. bookwormFebruary 7, 2012 at 9:47 PM

    Okay, I have been hesitant to post on here because I read this back in Nov. and it is no longer fresh in my mind. So I have to refer to my post on goodreads. This book was well written and had interesting characters, but I have a hard time reading books that constantly switch between character narration as this book did. Just as you start to get into the events that are occurring with a character, it switches to another one.

    I also had a hard time with the timeline. It was a little confusing and seemed to detract from the story when I was constantly having to flip back and forth to see what happened when.

    I liked the description of the circus, and how original the story was, but the plot needed something more. I have to admit that I had a hard time getting into this book and kept waiting for the story to take off. To pull me in. It was just too easy to put this book down even at the very end. And right when it seemed like the climax was finally going to get exciting. She ends the book. It seemed very anti-climatic at the end.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary AnneFebruary 8, 2012 at 12:13 AM

      I agree to an extent about the timeline. It was distracting. I was caught up in the story and didn't want to take time out to read detailed descriptions of the circus and such and sort of skimmed those parts.
      However, I picked it up and reread a lot of it over the last couple days and since I already know the story line I found myself enjoying those descriptions and the whole book much more.

      I did realize too that she really could not just tell the story chronologically because Bailey, who comes in and saves the day at the end would have made a brief appearance in the middle of the book and then not again until the very end. Plus there's all sorts of talk about how timing is hard to figure out and complex clocks everywhere. So disjointed time is a theme of the book. So, having said all that I think if you reread it it would probably bother you less than it did this first time. And also I found that I liked the characters better the second time around. And I noticed a lot more literary connections and foreshadowing and such that I didn't notice the first time around because I was focused on the plot alone.

      It is weird because I wasn't all that impressed with the book the first time around (although I did like it), but it has really grown on me. It is interesting to read and offers a lot of discussion ponts.

      Delete

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