Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

There's a passage towards the end of The Night Circus (don't worry, it's not a spoiler) that encapsulates what I love about books:

"There's magic in [storytelling]. It's in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift."

Now, The Night Circus wasn't a life-changing read by any means, but it does do exactly what a story should: creates magic. And that's not just because it's about magic (although that's certainly part of it); there's also a sense of wonder, delight and whimsy in the way it's told, in its language and construction, and in the quirky cast of characters that inhabit its pages. It's entertaining, it's mysterious and it's just plain fun.

The story itself centres around a competition between two young students of magic, for which the circus is the venue. Celia and Marco have been raised with the express purpose of defeating one another, but things get extremely complicated when their feelings - for each other, and for their circus family - come into play. They're likable enough protagonists, but I have to admit, as the book progressed I found myself less interested in their starcrossed love story and more invested in the secondary characters and the circus itself. It really is the star of the show.

I know some readers have had problems with the pacing and style of The Night Circus, and while it can be a little slow in places, I really enjoyed the winding path the plot took to get to the end. I was intrigued by the mystery of the "game" and loved the way it all slowly unravelled. But the highlight was definitely Morgenstern's descriptive language - she paints the circus in such a vivid and sensual way, you can practically smell the caramel on the air and see the stark black and white tents before you. She draws you in and makes you never want to leave. It truly is magical.

Rating: 4/5

Eye candy
I imagined Celia to look like Lily Collins, and Marco to look kinda like Lee Williams.

Fine Print
Published: 2011, Doubleday
Get it: Book Depository

Top Five: Underrated Classics

Everyone has heard of (and many have read) the likes of Dickens, Austen and the Brontes. But there are a lot more amazing classics out there that just don't get the same level of attention. So I've decided to give them a little more. Obviously, this list is limited to my personal reading experience, so if I've missed any (and I'm sure there are many), feel free to rant about it in the comments. 

Meme created by Hyperbole and a Half

1. Anything by Elizabeth Gaskell
If Dickens and Austen’s books had a baby, this would be it. Meshing romance and strong female characters with social commentary and serious issues (even death!), Gaskell’s stories are often heart-wrenching, frequently hilarious and always awesome. Definitely worth a read – and a viewing, if you haven’t already seen the amazing BBC adaptations of North and South, Wives and Daughters and Cranford. 

2. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
OK, I know The Moonstone is his most beloved work, and here I am writing a list of underrated classics without having read that one. Awkward. But I HAVE read The Woman in White, so I’m going to rave about that instead. I originally picked it up after reading the blurb on the back about Dickens mentoring Collins – and I was completely blown away by the contents. It’s a beautifully constructed mystery that was hard to put down (not always the case with the classics!). 

3. Evelina by Frances Burney
Written and published at a time when it was unthinkable for a young woman to read much, let alone write, Burney’s epistolary novel is a charming, funny and touching account of life in 18^th century aristocracy. Evelina gets herself into so many awkward situations, she's easy to relate to - even 200+ years on! Plus, her love interest, Lord Orville, is totes book boyfriend material.
 
4. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
There's been a bunch of adaptations of The Forsyte Saga, so I'm always surprised at the number of people I speak to who haven't read it or even heard of it. Spanning three novels, and multiple decades and generations, Galsworthy's masterpiece both satirises and humanises the British middle-class with the money-obsessed, eccentric Forsytes. There are so many amazing characters to love - and love-to-hate.
 
5. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Thanks to the musical, everybody has heard of The Phantom of the Opera. Plenty have seen it. But not too many seem to have read it. Which is a shame, coz it's an awesome book! And way creepier and more heartbreaking than anything the musical has to offer (and I LOVE the musical).


Which classics do you think get neglected?

Top 5: Characters I Love To Hate

For TGIF this week, Ginger at GReads asks: "Love-hate relationships: Which characters do you love to hate?"
 

1. Voldemort from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: Voldemort is one sexy villain. Not literally, of course. He's pretty scary-ugly, in that case. But he's got charm, charisma, intelligence and power that are totally attractive. Shame he's crazy.

2. Soames Forsyte from The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy: Soames is such an interesting character. Brought up to believe in the value of possessions in an era when women were seen as exactly that, he just doesn't understand how to treat his forward-thinking, freedom-seeking wife. He loves her dearly, but he can't express that love in healthy ways, driving him to some pretty horrible acts. Still, you can't help but feel for him.

3. Uriah Heep from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens: Ugh, Uriah Heep makes my skin crawl. He is so disgusting and devious, with his "'umbleness". But he's so wonderfully constructed, I really love his character, even though I really, really hate him.

4. Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: Pretty much every single character in this book is horrible, but Heathcliff is the worst. He's the "hero" of the novel and yet he's quite evil, using and abusing those around him to suit his own sick schemes. The love that exists between him and Cathy is so twisted, it hurts everyone that comes into contact with them. He's by no means heroic, but he sure is compelling.

5. Captain Hook from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie: He may be a murdering, thieving pirate, but hey, he's a gentlemen about it. He's a stickler for "form" and enjoys the finer things in life. And really, who could blame the guy for having it in for Peter Pan, the boy who leaves a trail of fairy dust and mischief wherever he flies... not to mention the little incident with Hook's hand. 



Which characters do you love to hate?

Top 5: Books I Want To See On The Big Screen (TGIF!)

This is my first time participating in TGIF, a recap/networking meme hosted by Ginger at GReads. I've seen it bouncing around the blogosphere and thought I'd finally join in this week - especially coz it's such a fun question. Ginger asks: Which books would you love to see made into a TV series or movie? As regular readers of my blog would know, I love me an adaptation, so I couldn't not participate with this question. Here is my top five books, in no particular order, that I want to see adapted for the big (or small) screen (because I love me a list, too):

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I'd love to see this as either a movie or a TV show. The sexual tension between Anna and St. Clair and the development of their relationship would make for a steamy and super-cute teen flick, but there's also some awesome secondary characters that could be fleshed out for an ensemble TV show. The location enough would be enough to make me swoon (though St. Clair ain't bad either).

2. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. OK, so the vampire thing has kinda been sucked dry and I'm not gonna lie, I'm getting a bit over the trend myself. But that being said, the Vampire Academy series is a truly great set of teen books, with some awesome characters and plenty of action (of the violent and, er, less violent kind). There's a lot going on which I think would make it perfect for a TV drama series.

3. A Modern Comedy by John Galsworthy. This is the sequel to The Forsyte Saga, which has already been turned into an awesome mini-series in the not-too-distant past. I was so disappointed when they didn't continue the story - I'm still hoping they will one day!

4. Evelina by Frances Burney. This is another classic that I would love to see turned into a mini-series. Evelina's somewhat awkward entrance into society and her relationships with the rakish Sir Clement and the dashing Lord Orville, not to mention her crazy relatives, would make for fun viewing. Plus, it hasn't been done to death like, well, anything by Jane Austen (not that I'm complaining).

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This is one of those books that I'd be really, really excited and at the same time really, really terrified if they decided to make a movie based on it. It's such a wonderful book and I think it could make an amazing film - but only if it's done right. There's a lot of potential to screw it up and I love it so much that I couldn't bear to see it hurt by Hollywood. So, to sum up, I'd like to see this as a movie - but I also really don't want to.

This week on Belle's Bookshelf...
Mag Monday - Lily, Ita and Donald
Pash, Pick or Pass - The Mortal Instruments Edition
My Book Boyfriend - Lord Orville
Young Adult, The Movie
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare Book Review
Bookish Buys - Cute Bookends
Book/Movie Comparison - The Last Unicorn

Top Five: Mini-series Adaptations

As promised, here is my top five book-to-mini-series adaptations! There are so many amazing mini-series out there (especially by the BBC!), so it's hard to pick favourites, but these are the ones I enjoy - and rewatch - the most...

1. Pride and Prejudice BBC (1995)
This one is a given. No mini-series list would be complete without it. It's the first one I remember watching, and, like the book, it never fails to make me happy. It's so comforting, so fun and just such a great adaptation. Of course, it's not perfect, but it's pretty damn close. While Jennifer Ehle is good as Lizzie, her portrayal is not how I see the character in looks or personality. But Colin Firth as Mr Darcy - I don't really need to say how spectacular that is, do I? He IS Mr Darcy.

2. North and South BBC 2004
Elizabeth Gaskell's hate-at-first-sight-turned-love story has a lot in common with Pride and Prejudice, but unlike Jane Austen, Gaskell doesn't shy away from the, er, grittier aspects of life, such as extreme poverty and death. While this means watching this adaptation is perhaps less "fun", it's definitely not less enjoyable. Emotions such as grief are portrayed in a completely raw and real way, making for a rich viewing experience that is enhanced by the amazing acting and stunning visuals. But I'm making it sound kinda morbid, aren't I? It's actually not - sure, there are heaps of sad parts, but there's also plenty to smile about and a super romantic love story. Plus, Richard Armitage as Mr Thornton definitely gives Mr Darcy a run for his money.

3. The Forsyte Saga ITV 2002

Spanning decades and generations of the massive Forsyte family, The Forsyte Saga, based on the series by John Galsworthy, is dramatic, beautiful and completely addictive. I know the original mini-series from 1967 is supposed to be fantastic, but I've never seen it, mainly because I've got such a soft spot for the 2002 version. It aired here when I was in the middle of one helluva hectic semester of uni. Loser Nerd that I was, I'd spend many a Saturday night studying until 11.30pm, when I gave myself a break and treated myself to The Forsyte Saga. Yep. But even post-uni, I still love it, and still find it gripping to watch, even though I've seen it a bajillion times.

4. Wives and Daughters BBC 1999

Telling the story of Molly, a doctor's daughter, and her relationships with her new step-mother and -sister as well as the rich Hamley family, Wives and Daughters is another adaptation based on an Elizabeth Gaskell novel. Although it's much lighter and frothier than North and South, it's not without its sadness - in fact, one of my favourite scenes involves a character's death. Sounds strange, I know, but it's so powerful and wonderfully acted, it's hard not to love it, even though it's totally heartbreaking. While I think one or two characters are perhaps slightly miscast, mainly for superficial reasons (Tom Hollander isn't my idea of the "beautiful" Osbourne, for instance), overall the cast is excellent, and Michael Gambon's performance is a particular standout.

5. Jane Eyre BBC 2006

I adored the new movie version of Jane Eyre, but you can't really beat the mini-series - if only for its ability to explore the full story and characters in a way a time-restricted movie can't. Still, that doesn't mean it keeps everything from the book, and actually, there are a couple of changes that I know many fans don't like. But I don't really have any complaints on that front - I quite like the scenes that are added/altered. The acting is, once again, awesome, and Toby Stephens as Mr Rochester puts the swoon in swoon-worthy.

Do you agree with my list? What's your fave mini-series?