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Location: Vero Beach, Florida, United States

My name is Pat and I live in Florida. My skin will never be smooth again and my hair will never see color. I enjoy collecting autographs and playing in Paint Shop Pro.,along with reading and writing. Sometimes, I enjoy myself by doing volunteer "work" helping celebrities at autograph shows. I love animals and at one time I did volunteer work for Tippi Hedren's Shambala Preserve.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

The Night Circus

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(This is book 5 for Once Upon A Time)

The Night Circus by Erin Mogenstern.

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Doubleday; (September 13, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0385534639

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Book Description

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Before I begin I will admit to you all… I am in the minority about this book.

I was feeling like it was taking me forever to read the book.  With each chapter I would tell myself “this is where it grabs me”.  But it never did.

Where in everyone who has written reviews simple love this book, I do not. I guess it’s one of those books where you either love it or dislike it.

I found it long. Dragged out. (very dragged out) and boring.

The two young magicians involved you really knew very little about. One a daughter of a magician the other an adopted boy by another magician. I never felt I knew either of them through the entire book.  You don’t even know what the competition really is about until near the end of the book.  I found I never got excited “wanting to know what it was really about or who would win”… I learned little of all the other side characters.  Probably the only character I even came close to feeling anything about is Bailey.

But as I said: I am definitely in the minority on this so if you think you are interested please read other reviews before making up your mind.

I find I actually dislike when I either love a book or dislike it because how “I” feel about it may well be way different than someone else.

10 Comments:

Blogger OldLady Of The Hills said...

f you don't like it, Pat...I trust your judgement. The description reads as if it's going to be quite wonderful...It sounds like the 'description' is better than the book itself!

4:32 AM  
Blogger DesLily said...

hi Naomi: we all don't like the same books and I feel like I might prevent someone from reading something they might like.. everyone seems to love this book. I think my biggest problem is that I am a character driven reader and I never felt like I knew the main characters much at all.

5:37 AM  
Blogger Cath said...

Just not into the circus so even all the positive reviews I've seen have not persuaded me to pick this up. Really sorry it was not your cup of tea though.

10:49 AM  
Blogger Gavin said...

I'm with you on this one, Pat. I gave it about 40 pages and then put it down. There are so many other great book to read!

10:26 AM  
Blogger DesLily said...

cath: yeah I hate paying 17.00 for a book and not enjoy it!

gavin: really? wow! I thought I was the only one!! I did read the whole thing though, it wasn't "horrible" it just didn't catch me in any way.

11:01 AM  
Blogger Debi said...

Heather was sweet enough to send me this book for Christmas, but I haven't picked it up yet. It's weird, despite how much gushy love I've heard about this book, I've been slightly hesitant. For some reason, I've worried that I would feel sort of how you feel--bored by it. But reading your review, silly as it sounds, gives me more courage. I don't have to worry anymore that if don't like it I'll be all alone anymore. :P

11:54 AM  
Blogger DesLily said...

debi: not sill at all.. when Gavin said she didn't care for it I sighed a sigh or relief! I am suprised you didn't hear it LOL. when everyone loves a book and you don't it feels sort of "odd". well I am glad I have Gavin lol and now you are safe to relax while you read.. who knows? you might very well like it! lol

11:57 AM  
Blogger Lynn said...

I really liked the look of this when it first came out and it has certainly been surrounded by hype but something has put me off buying it. I have read a few negative reviews who have also felt as though they were in the minority in disliking it. I think the negative reviews have put me off reading it more than all the positive reviews making me want to. I particularly get put off if I read a negative review by a blogger whose opinions I trust so I think I'm going to leave this one alone.
I did just read the Troupe, which seemed similar to this one but less hyped and I loved it and couldn't put it down.
Lynn :D

8:23 AM  
Blogger Andrea Johnson said...

I don't think our minority is as small as you think.

Night Circus was a massive let down for me too, and I think all the hype it got was part of that let down. I wasn't exactly bored by it, but similar to you it didn't really grab me or strike me as anything special.

my favorite thing about the book was the cover art.

10:08 PM  
Blogger Kathleen said...

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy this one. You are right that most have given it favorable reviews but I'm sure there are others who didn't love the story either. I have the book on my shelf and will get around to reading it one day. I think I've heard that they plan to make a movie from the book so maybe you will like that better?

11:30 PM  

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