Night Circus

Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus was probably my favorite read of the semester thus far. As I mentioned in class, what attracted me the most to this novel was its vivid descriptions. Although Morgenstern’s youth as an author is apparent in some of her writing, I don’t find it to discredit the novel at all. I personally find novels that are able to paint vivid sensory experiences in my mind are the ones that create a lasting impact, which is exactly why, even though I wasn’t able to finish the whole book in one week, I plan to make the time to finish it.

What made the imagery so memorable was Morgenstern’s ability to take recognizable events, characters, and situations and twist them slightly to create a new environment. The most obvious example is the circus itself. Many of us (hopefully) recall how big of a deal going to the circus was as a kid and have distinct associations with that experience: popcorn, animals, interesting characters, big tents, bright colors, and some sense of mystery. In night circus, Morgenstern changes the rules. The circus only opens at night, the tent is black and white, and the layout is much more complex than that of a regular circus. I found myself wanting to go to the night circus much more than I would want to attend a regular circus, which signifies a job well done on the author’s part.

On a more personal note, I think that imagery is so important to me as a reader because of my creative background. I find that I am (like so many others at this school especially) a “visual person,” and respond most readily to things that I can either physically see or clearly imagine. With all of the novels that I have enjoyed the most over the course of my life, I develop a clear sense of what I envision the setting to be, the direction that objects are oriented, and the mannerisms of the characters. Night Circus got me to start creating a mental map of its contents, and I became an active reader, which is the reading experience I enjoy the most.