THE NIGHT CIRCUS...
Time for some TALK about what you thought...
1. The Night Circus is not written in a linear timeline..
Did you find the structure of the book disorienting?
Do you think it was effective in mirroring the nature of the circus
or did it just annoy you?
2. The novel frequently changes narrative perspective.
How does this transition shape your reading of the novel
and your connection to the characters?
Why do you think the author chose to tell the story
from varied perspectives?
3. The novel opens with a quote from Oscar Wilde...
A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight,
and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.
What are your thoughts on this quote and why the author chose it?
Who was a dreamer in this story?
and what is their punishment for being so?
2 comments:
Oh wow...we are jumping right in there with the hard questions, aren't we?? Hehe!
1. I had a really hard time with the timeline at first, but about a 1/4 of the way through, I really started to love it. It kept it really interesting to see glimpses of the future.
2. I think that the different narratives helped to keep all the characters straight. There are a TON of people in this novel, but I hardly had any issues keeping clear on who was who. I think that it worked.
3. Seriously, deep thinking here for this early in the morning. I think that the dreamers were Celia and Marco, and their punishment is that they know all the tricks to the circus. They could only find the "magic" in each other's creations. But the flip side of this too is that they see all the repercussions of the effects of the magic and are too closely tied to the running of the circus.
I loved that the circus ran only during the dark...the dark is a more magical time...you can hide more in the dark, so it is more easy to become mystified. I also think that the whole black & white theme tied into this too.
1. Like you said, Christi... in the beginning I was slightly confused with the timeline, but then became just fine with it as I moved through the book.
2. I enjoyed the story being told from different perspectives. I definitely felt more of a connection or that I knew the characters better than if it had been written with one point of view. I think that the author wanted to make sure the reader saw how each character was individually affected by their connection to the circus.
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