About the BookThe Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern was published in 2011 and won the 2012 Alex Awards, an award given to books that were written for adults but have a special appeal to young adults. This book was also a candidate for the Guardian First Book Awards. The Night Circus is a book about these two illusionists, Celia and Marco, that have been bound together in this "game" where only one will come out alive. Le Cirque des Rêves, The Circus of Dreams, is the venue for this "game" of theirs. The circus and all the characters in it have a big part in this game too. When the two competitors meet, the story turns into a love story that will harm all those around them as the illusionists are still being controlled by their masters.About The AuthorErin Morgenstern was raised in Marshfields, Massachusetts and studied theater and studio arts at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Other than writing, Morgenstern likes to paint, mostly in acrylics. She signed with Inkwell Managment in May 2010, after she was rejected by thirty literary agents, and sold her debut novel The Night Circusto Doubleday. Now, she is viewed as on of today's most eloquent and impressive talents. This proves true as The Night Circus is going to be turned into a movie and also has an online game dedicated to it. She has a blog called Flax-Golden Tales where she writes flash fiction based on pictures. Morgenstern still lives in Massachusetts.
Erin Morgenstern
Characters and ConflictA. Hector Bowen-A.k.a Prospero the Enchanter, stage magician, daughter is Celia Bowen and he eventually dies and becomes a ghost and talks with Celia and Mr. A. H-.
B. Mr. A. H--Sometimes referred to as the man in the grey suit or Alexander, adopted Marco and trained him, he helps with the circus when they were planning it.
C. Celia Bowen-Magician, has been forced into this magician game by her father, circus illusionist.
D. Marco Alisdair-Magician, orphan who was adopted by Mr. A. H- one day and was put into the game as Celia’s opponent.
E. Chandresh Christophe Lefèvre-Proprietor and theatrical producer, he starts to become a little bit crazy and and alcoholic later on in the story. F. Mme. Anna Padva-Costume designer and retired prima ballerina
G. Ethan W. Barris-Architect and engineer, he helps Celia and Marco with adding new tents to the circus.
H. The Sisters Burgess, Tara & Lainie-Atmosphere specialists, become good friends with Ethan Barris.
I. Herr Friedrick Thiessen-Master clock-maker, writer, and lover of wine J. Isobel Martin-Fortune teller, lived with Marco for a while until she went with the circus and he went with Chandresh, she becomes friends with Celia.
K. Tsukiko-Contortionist, becomes good friends with Isobel and Celia.
L. Penelope “Poppet” Murray and Winston “Widget” Murray-Twins born on Opening Night who teach impressive tricks to small cats. They can also read things, Poppet can read into the future by looking at the stars and Widget can see into a person's past by looking at them.
M. Bailey Alden Clarke-A boy who had a dare to steal something from the circus during the day and met Poppet. He later on visited the circus again and met up with Poppet again and met Widget for the first time. The three become great friends.
N. Conflict-Two magicians are put into this game not knowing who the other is until they figure it out themselves and soon after fall into a forbidden love.
ThemeThe Night Circus theme is similar to the theme of Romeo and Juliet, with the idea of star-crossed lovers and how they will never be together because fate will constantly try to keep pulling them apart.My ReviewThe Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a novel about a circus that is only open from dusk to dawn and all the things that happen in the night circus. The story switches back and forth between different characters' stories and how they tie into the night circus and the two magicians that play a game that greatly affect the lives of the circus performers and anyone involved in the circus. This is a great book that can be very confusing at first because it switches around so much but it gets better. It is also one of those books where you have to figure everything out for yourself. My favorite character story in the book personally is Bailey’s story. I like his story because it is a short time in the future and helps you figure out things that just happened or foreshadows things that are going to happen. It is also just a cute story about a boy who has a crush on the circus girl, Poppet.Style AnalysisMorgenstern jumps back and forth between the years from 1837 to 1903 telling the different stories of the characters and developing the plot and characters through doing this. Neal Wyatt says that "The weaving creates a lovely, restrained pacing, allowing readers to stroll through the story the way they would through the circus itself." Morgenstern also has her work related to the theme in Romeo and Juliet which is the star-crossed lovers theme. Kirkus Reviews calls it "Romeo and Juliet for the Gilded Age." This is known to the readers when Hector Bowen says to Celia, his daughter, that, "'A game is completed only when there is a single player left. There is no other way to end it'" (Morgenstern 301). Kirkus Reviews also says that "Morgenstern treads into Harry Potter territory, but though the chief audience for both Rowling and this tale will probably comprise of teenage girls, there are only superficial genre similarities." Works CitedMorgenstern, Erin. The Night Circus. New York: Doubleday, 2011. Print. “The Night Circus.” Rev. of The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. Kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2011. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/erin-morgenstern/night-circus/#review>.
B. Mr. A. H--Sometimes referred to as the man in the grey suit or Alexander, adopted Marco and trained him, he helps with the circus when they were planning it.
C. Celia Bowen-Magician, has been forced into this magician game by her father, circus illusionist.
D. Marco Alisdair-Magician, orphan who was adopted by Mr. A. H- one day and was put into the game as Celia’s opponent.
E. Chandresh Christophe Lefèvre-Proprietor and theatrical producer, he starts to become a little bit crazy and and alcoholic later on in the story.
F. Mme. Anna Padva-Costume designer and retired prima ballerina
G. Ethan W. Barris-Architect and engineer, he helps Celia and Marco with adding new tents to the circus.
H. The Sisters Burgess, Tara & Lainie-Atmosphere specialists, become good friends with Ethan Barris.
I. Herr Friedrick Thiessen-Master clock-maker, writer, and lover of wine
J. Isobel Martin-Fortune teller, lived with Marco for a while until she went with the circus and he went with Chandresh, she becomes friends with Celia.
K. Tsukiko-Contortionist, becomes good friends with Isobel and Celia.
L. Penelope “Poppet” Murray and Winston “Widget” Murray-Twins born on Opening Night who teach impressive tricks to small cats. They can also read things, Poppet can read into the future by looking at the stars and Widget can see into a person's past by looking at them.
M. Bailey Alden Clarke-A boy who had a dare to steal something from the circus during the day and met Poppet. He later on visited the circus again and met up with Poppet again and met Widget for the first time. The three become great friends.
N. Conflict-Two magicians are put into this game not knowing who the other is until they figure it out themselves and soon after fall into a forbidden love.
ThemeThe Night Circus theme is similar to the theme of Romeo and Juliet, with the idea of star-crossed lovers and how they will never be together because fate will constantly try to keep pulling them apart.My ReviewThe Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a novel about a circus that is only open from dusk to dawn and all the things that happen in the night circus. The story switches back and forth between different characters' stories and how they tie into the night circus and the two magicians that play a game that greatly affect the lives of the circus performers and anyone involved in the circus. This is a great book that can be very confusing at first because it switches around so much but it gets better. It is also one of those books where you have to figure everything out for yourself. My favorite character story in the book personally is Bailey’s story. I like his story because it is a short time in the future and helps you figure out things that just happened or foreshadows things that are going to happen. It is also just a cute story about a boy who has a crush on the circus girl, Poppet.Style AnalysisMorgenstern jumps back and forth between the years from 1837 to 1903 telling the different stories of the characters and developing the plot and characters through doing this. Neal Wyatt says that "The weaving creates a lovely, restrained pacing, allowing readers to stroll through the story the way they would through the circus itself." Morgenstern also has her work related to the theme in Romeo and Juliet which is the star-crossed lovers theme. Kirkus Reviews calls it "Romeo and Juliet for the Gilded Age." This is known to the readers when Hector Bowen says to Celia, his daughter, that, "'A game is completed only when there is a single player left. There is no other way to end it'" (Morgenstern 301). Kirkus Reviews also says that "Morgenstern treads into Harry Potter territory, but though the chief audience for both Rowling and this tale will probably comprise of teenage girls, there are only superficial genre similarities."
Works CitedMorgenstern, Erin. The Night Circus. New York: Doubleday, 2011. Print.
“The Night Circus.” Rev. of The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. Kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2011. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/erin-morgenstern/night-circus/#review>.
Wyatt, Neal. “RA Crossroads: What To Read After Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus.” Rev. of The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. Libraryjournal.com. Media Source, 6 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/newsletters/newsletterbucketbooksmack/892222-439/ra_crossroads_what_to_read.html.csp>.