 | Natalie reserved us a table at Nosh Bistro tonight. The food was fancy and up to standards, but it wasn't exceptional. They were out of their famous tuna tartar, and I wasn't about to order fried brussels sprouts, no matter how talked-up they were. The service however, was excellent. We were treated like Book Club royalty, and the atmosphere was altogether pleasing.  11910 Preston Rd #209, Dallas, TX 75230 (The place is not black and white, by the way. I just edited the photo the way Erin Morgenstern would have.) |
Book Review
Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus is less a story than a panoply of monochromatic tents, vague magic, and unmemorable characters. As the cover art should lead you to suspect, this novel is nothing more than mass market book club pandering, and, alas, here we are to discuss it (Thanks, Natalie).
Our two romantic leads are magicians who have been pitted against each other since childhood in a mysterious, albeit pointless competition. But unfortunately for their cruel sponsors, they become smitten with each other with the ease of fairy tale lovers, and in an anticlimactic finale, having suffered less than most fairy tale lovers, they manage to achieve a happily ever after.
After reading the author's lukewarm attempt at writing romance, it becomes apparent that Morgenstern is only really interested in creating the circus of her dreams. In this circus, it is extremely important that everything be black and white. The aesthetics of this and the clothing worn by everyone are meticulously described, just in case we were worried that someone would throw off the color scheme.
This novel is so tremendously mediocre in character and plot that the writing has no choice but to follow suit. We're treated to a multitude of insipid errors from the dangling modifier in "[People] stare at the clock that sits just inside the gates that no one can properly describe" to lazy descriptions like "She is small, but not tiny." Additionally, the word "lascivious" is completely misused on page 217.
You have been duly warned.
Our two romantic leads are magicians who have been pitted against each other since childhood in a mysterious, albeit pointless competition. But unfortunately for their cruel sponsors, they become smitten with each other with the ease of fairy tale lovers, and in an anticlimactic finale, having suffered less than most fairy tale lovers, they manage to achieve a happily ever after.
After reading the author's lukewarm attempt at writing romance, it becomes apparent that Morgenstern is only really interested in creating the circus of her dreams. In this circus, it is extremely important that everything be black and white. The aesthetics of this and the clothing worn by everyone are meticulously described, just in case we were worried that someone would throw off the color scheme.
This novel is so tremendously mediocre in character and plot that the writing has no choice but to follow suit. We're treated to a multitude of insipid errors from the dangling modifier in "[People] stare at the clock that sits just inside the gates that no one can properly describe" to lazy descriptions like "She is small, but not tiny." Additionally, the word "lascivious" is completely misused on page 217.
You have been duly warned.
Star Count
 | Robert--1 Kim--1 Megan--2 Natalie--4.5 |
