The Night Circus
The Night Circus Book Review by Erin Morgenstern
The Night Circus follows two young magicians, Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair, who are bound—without their consent—into a lifelong magical competition designed by their mentors.
The venue for this mysterious duel is Le Cirque des Rêves, a black-and-white, nocturnal circus that appears without warning and becomes a living showcase for their escalating feats of magic.
Celia, trained rigorously (and cruelly) by her father, masters illusions that blend seamlessly into the circus’s atmosphere, making her creations indistinguishable from reality.
Marco, tutored by a reclusive instructor, learns a more abstract, symbolic style of magic, building entire worlds through charms and sigils.
Neither competitor knows the other’s identity. Their “competition” is never explained to them—not its rules, not its purpose, not what “winning” even means. All they know is that they must continue creating new tents, new wonders, new displays of magic within the circus… until one of them can no longer continue.
The rest of the story follows a wide cast: the Murray twins, Poppet and Widget, born on the circus’s opening night; Bailey, an outsider who falls in love with the circus and becomes tied to its fate; and Herr Friedrick Thiessen, the clockmaker whose stunning timepiece becomes the heart of the circus and who unintentionally becomes the leader of the rêveurs, the circus’s devoted followers.
As Celia and Marco inevitably fall in love—because of course they do—the nature of the competition shifts, and they attempt to find a way to save the circus, each other, and the performers who are unknowingly bound to the game’s outcome.
What ultimately happens is a merging of sacrifice, transformation, and a passing of responsibility onto Bailey, who becomes the circus’s new caretaker and anchor.
Morgenstern’s writing shines brightest when she’s describing the circus itself. Those sections? Magical. Lush. Immersive. The circus is the beating heart of this novel and absolutely the strongest part of the book.
You can feel how much she loved writing those passages, and that passion carries through beautifully. I could read an entire book that’s just her describing tents for 300 pages.
But the narrative? Interesting in theory, frustrating in execution.
This supposed “competition” is so ambiguous that it stops being intriguing and becomes downright annoying. If two people are meant to be locked in a life-or-death battle of magical skill… maybe—bare minimum—they should know who they’re fighting? Or what the rules are? Or what the stakes specifically entail?
The mystery crosses the line into absurdity, to the point where I found myself rolling my eyes instead of leaning in.
Then there’s Bailey. I disliked his storyline so much. Every time the story cut away to him, it felt like being yanked out of the far more compelling circus plot.
I also felt the Murray twins were unnecessary; charming, sure, but ultimately doing nothing for me narratively. Honestly? I would have cut Bailey and the twins entirely and given Bailey’s ultimate role to Herr Friedrick Thiessen, who was infinitely more compelling and actually connected to the circus in a meaningful way.
I liked this book—honestly, I did. I can see why people adore it, why it’s on so many “favorite books of all time” lists, and why the aesthetic has taken on a life of its own. But for me… it wasn’t this flawless, life-changing masterpiece that everyone seems to insist it is.
Recommendation: Read The Night Circus for the vibes, for the atmosphere, for the absolute spectacle of Morgenstern’s imagination. Just don’t expect a tightly woven narrative or a perfectly executed plot. It’s beautiful—but beauty alone doesn’t make it a masterpiece.
Score: 7/10
