Night Circus

We had a sizeable group today for the discussion.  Darlene and Carolyn read it for a second time and Jennifer said she really liked it.  This was the first fantasy we've read as a book group and the rest of us admitted that we wouldn't have read it, had it not been for book club.

We found the author's shuffling of years from chapter to chapter a little confusing.  Carolyn decided that since she had read it before, she'd go back and put the events in sequence.  She decided that actually diminished the fantasy - author created part of the illusion.

We all enjoyed the circus and the characters.  Jennifer really liked the early part with the dinners during the planning stages of the circus, but said she found the writing spotty with sections she liked much better than others.  We agreed.  We liked the world Morganstern created but would have like a more defined plot, and perhaps that's because we aren't accustomed to reading this genre.

Maureen had found and printed an interview with the author.  Darlene had watched several YouTube interviews, so both of them provided interesting elements that helped us understand the "why" of the book.  Morgenstern had developed the venue and characters before she had a plot.   Darlene said she admired the incarnations the author endured to achieve the final story.  We talked about the stories in us for a bit.  Claudia said she had always thought she had a story in her but was just too lazy to write it.  Isn't that the truth! 

 Darlene said the author does not have a sequel but the book is being made into a movie.  I think the biggest question we came away with was why, when this book has been so popular, did we not read it with the same enthusiasm.  I was finishing it on the airplane on our flight home yesterday.  My daughter flipped through it and asked to read it when I'm done. The book was reviewed as young adult by the School Library Journal.  Perhaps we were not the target audience, however I know it's not a book I'll forget.  So we have another reading adventure from the Tuesday Book Club~