Hi Everybody!
The holiday season has now begun! I hope everyone is not getting too stressed out with Thanksgiving and Christmas planning! As for me, reading is a way to relax whenever I do feel overwhelmed. I finished the books from the last chapter and have been immersed in a new title that I want to show all of you!
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is about many things. First and foremost, it centers on the titular object that arrives without warning. Called Le Cirque des Rêves (or The Circus of Dreams), it contains black-and-white canvas tents and breathtaking amazements, yet it’s only open at night. Behind the scenes, there’s a fierce competition between two young magicians named Celia and Marco. They’ve been training for this purpose since they were young and by their mercurial instructors, but unbeknownst to them, only one can be left standing. Things get complicated when they fall in love. However, the game must play out, and everyones’ fates from the performers to the patrons hang in the balance.
Morgenstern apparently wrote this novel during National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo), and I can tell. This book has a non-linear structure, for it tends to jump around in the timeline. Some people may be irritated by this, but so far, I’m fine with it since the novel’s subject is about something that’s unique and follows its own set of rules. Hence, its structure does the same.
I like the characters so far. All of them have their own backstories and defined personalities. On the other hand, much like the movie Dunkirk, the book doesn’t spend much time with each character before moving on to another, yet it comes back to them eventually.
Jim Dale narrates the audiobook. For those who don’t know him and/or haven’t read the Harry Potter audiobooks, Dale is a world renown actor, composer, director, and singer, songwriter, narrator. He’s won a Tony for his role in the musical Barnum and several Audie awards for various audiobooks like Peter and the Star Catchers and the aforementioned Harry Potter series. He’s even been nominated for an Oscar for the title song for the movie Georgy Girl (he wrote the lyrics). In other words, he’s a big deal.
Now, you’re probably wondering how’s he doing narrating The Night Circus. He’s good so far. He makes his characters distinct with little touches. For example, Celia’s instructor and father Hector Bowen is voiced with eccentricity and a slight Northern English accent, while Chandresh Christopher Lefèvre – the owner of Le Cirque des Rêves has a similar vibe but with a more posh voice. I can’t wait to hear more of his narration!
We have now come to the end of the twenty-second chapter of “What Am I Reading?”
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Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything 