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  • The Night Circus

  • By: Erin Morgenstern
  • Narrated by: Jim Dale
  • Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (2,301 ratings)

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The Night Circus

By: Erin Morgenstern
Narrated by: Jim Dale
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Summary

Telling her tale with all the attention to detail that has led fans to compare her to such literary greats as H. G. Wells, Erin Morgenstern's world is as dark and thrilling as it is monochromatic.

Longlisted for the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction.

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Rêves delights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire. Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers, and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs - the dreamers.

At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter’s daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer’s apprentice. At the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of the imagination, and of their love....

A fabulous, fin-de-siècle feast for the senses and a life-affirming love story, The Night Circus is a captivating novel that will make the real world seem fantastical and a fantasy world real.

©2011 Erin Morgenstern (P)2011 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about The Night Circus

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
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  • 1 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Magical imagery and vivid characters

This was a great book with a really good narration. I thoroughly enjoyed the black and white world of the Night Circus. The imagery was very well described and it is well written - i found it mysterious and utterly compelling!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gothic Fairytale Gem

Would you listen to The Night Circus again? Why?

Beautifully written story with an outstanding performance from the narrator.

What other book might you compare The Night Circus to, and why?

Tully unique story.

Have you listened to any of Jim Dale’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I hope to come across more of Jim Dale's performances. One of the best comparing to other narrators.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It would be almost unfair to choose one part of the book, as there were just so many breathtaking scenes and events. Still, the ending was astonishing. I wished the book never came to an end...

Any additional comments?

I could not put down the Night Circus since the first chapter. Beautifully and cleverly written story about two kindred souls bound to the magical night circus and its fantastical world.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mesmerising and beautiful

Not normally the kind of book I'd go for and this was my first audible book. Loved it! It was beautifully written and performed.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

enchanting story, poor narration

The plotline and atmosphere of the book are fantastic - a beautifully written imaginative story. The characters lack a certain depth which for me wasn't problematic for most of the story as it was carried by the intriguing plot and magical descriptions, however I found that the insipid nature of the characters made the romance between them a little cringeworthy. My biggest criticism is the narration which was quite frankly terrible, though some of his poor attempts at accents did give me a chuckle!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enchanting story of magic and love

Will recommend this book to lovers of 'of bees and mist'. Beautifully written and read

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

really original

This was an unusual and magical book, that was very absorbing. Beautifully written, often funny and moving. I think at times it was rather whimsical and I sometimes got a bit sidetracked by the huge amount of magic and sometimes rather predictable coincidences. Jim Dale's narration was good and I liked all his accents, although his higher pitched attempt to reflect young girls' talking was rather disturbing! If you like books by magical realists such as Angela Carter and Susannah Clarke, or books like Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake, then you will definitely like this.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

not bad

it was pretty good very enjoyable good to waste some time on. the characters are well written

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully read

I loved this story, truly a head full of dreams made entirely believable by the way it was told. I highly recommend this as an escape for a while from these troubled times in the wake of Covid 19.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved the book

The story is terrific, and I tried hard to like the audiobook. The narrator tries hard and it is a difficult book to narrate but there are some dicey accents and odd bits inflection that can jar and create dissonance that gets in the way of the story. I’ll be sticking with the book on this one!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Open your imagination

Never read (listened to) such a detailed and imaginative story. I wish I could visit this circus.

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