So many thoughts filled my mind after listening to The Night Circus - surely this couldn’t be the work of a debut author. It’s too fine, precise, imaginative, a heady mix of magic and suspense. But, here it is and kudos to Erin Morgenstern for one of the most intriguing stories to come down the pike in some time.
Her tale opens with, “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not."
The story engages you without warning, full of wondrous descriptions such as an amazing garden made entirely of ice that does not melt, a house of mirrors unlike any you have ever seen. And the characters intrigue - Lefevre, a showman who only demands perfection, and, of course, Celia and Marco. They are illusionists, magicians if you will. Each has been trained from early on to be prepared for a competition. Celia has been tutored by her adoptive father, Prospero, and Marco by guided by one known only as a “man in a grey suit.”
When the time for the competition arrives they enter it almost lightheartedly, and fall in love. They have no idea what the consequences of their love will be nor does the reader as Morgenstern skillfully reveals information a bit at a time.
The task of giving this tale voice is given to Jim Dale, one of the most able narrators to be found. He’s taken home ten Audie Awards, two Grammy Awards, and has received seven Grammy nominations. Another award or three is surely coming his way with this voice performance.
Enjoy.
- Gail Cooke
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