Darlings, I am telling you, from the moment it first appeared on the shelves, Erin Morgenstern's first novel, "The Night Circus" was hyped and heralded as one of this Season's Literary Events. You know I put it on my list of such, several weeks back, and, when the Times posted its 100 Most Notable Books Of 2011 the week before, I was shocked to discover this had not even made the list.
Well, now I have read the book, and I know why!!!!!!!!!
Professional book, film and theater critics always argue that their function is to save time and effort for the non-professional reader/viewer. In other words, save them the trouble of experiencing what the critic had to go through, especially if said experience is so disastrous or excruciating.
It isn't that "The Night Circus" is that extreme in its defects. It is just that the results do not live up to the expectation.
Miss Morgenstern is a graduate of Smith College (alma mater of such other noteworthys as Betty Friedan and Sylvia Plath), and is a performance artist. I am sure Miss Morgenstern is capable of construcitng some jewelry based on some of the descriptions in her book, or doing a performance piece with a circus setting akin to the one she writes about. This is all to the good. But it might have helped if Miss Morgenstern had taken (or, if taken, paid closer attention) some creative writing classes at Smith, for "The Night Circus" peters out of narrative drive.
The world and the structures she creates--the Ice Garden and Cloud Room being my favorites--are spellbinding and well laid out, but all this description cannot mask an ineffective story. Which is even more disappointing, as things start out so promisingly; its almost lyrical prose style suggests a modern riff on Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes." Except the Bradbury work is a tightly constructed story. Morgenstern starts out strong, but by page 240 or so, things begin to bog down--characters, situations (the importance of Bailey Clark to the overall scheme of things does not become clear till the very end), all over the place, with no cohesiveness; added to which the story jumps back and forth in time so much one loses any perspective. Proust can pull this time frame off; Miss Morgenstern, you are no Proust, honey!!!!!!!!!!!! For its last 140 or so pages, "The Night Circus" becomes an increasingly frustrating reading experience; one that I had to force myself to finish, and gave a loud cheer, when I did. And having had some very satisfying reading experiences, what with "The Art Of Fielding" and "The Marriage Plot," just recently, I know when something fails to satisfy. And Morgenstern's book does.
This is a shame, because, while she can write, the deficiencies of her book have to do with structure. Would "The Night Circus" have been better, if it had been written in a more conventional style, like, say, "Water For Elephants?" I cannot be sure, until I read more from her, but, on the basis of this book, I do not necessarily want to.
But I hold out hope to Miss Morgenstern and you, readers. Perhaps she falls into what I call the Julia Glass Principle!!!!!!! Glass' first novel, "Three Junes" was deluged with plaudits; it even won the National Book Award that year. I even gave it the benefit of two readings (one for my book group) and it still did not work for me. And, like this book, Glass' flaws had more to do with narrative scheme, rather than an ability to write. So when her second book came out, "The Whole World's Watching," I picked it up cautiously--and it blew me away!!!!! Same with "I See You Everywhere," which was achingly poignant, due to its being a meditation, albeit fictionally, on the death of her sister. And I look forward to her latest book, now out in paper, "The Widower's Tale."
So, I don't think I, or we, should be through with Erin Morgenstern quite just yet. She may get a chance to redeem herself. But, girls, I am sorry; I cannot hop on the Bandwagon Of Adulation for "The Night Circus." After finishing it, it makes sense the Times did not put it on any of their lists.
Stick to Ray Bradbury, girls!!!!!!!!!! Or Barnum and Bailey!!!!!!!!!
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