The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
Harvill

Le Cirque des Rêves arrives unexpectedly one day. Behind the black & white striped canvas tents lays an enchanting world of beauty and unexplainable illusions. A sumptuously rich and textured tale, The Night Circus is dark as it is dazzling.

At the centre of the tale is the rivalry between two magicians and their pupils, trained from an early age for a single purpose. Celia and Marco unbeknown to one another have been hand picked to compete in a game where only one will be left standing.

The circus is the venue by which the opponents display their skills and set challenges for the other to follow. But this time, the opponents are too well matched, and what begins as a show of talent grows into something deeper. And darker. Something that could effect the fate of the circus and those involved with it.

The Night Circus is a tale of love, rivalry and wondrous illusions. The plot is cleverly played out, and tucked between chapters are small invitations for the reader to experience the circus firsthand. Highly original and artistic, The Night Circus is sensuous and ultimately satisfying.

4.5 Stars.

For The Term Of His Natural life - Marcus Clarke

For The Term Of His Natural Life

Marcus Clarke

Penguin

Accused of a crime he did not commit, Richard Devine- an English aristocrat, is sentenced to life imprisonment at the penal colony of Tasmania. Taking on a new identity (to save his mother grief and shame), the now Rufus Dawes sails to Van Diemen's Land on board a convict ship. What he discovers upon arrival, he encounters a penal system entrenched in treachery, savagery and cruelty.

This book polarised our small book group. Whilst some debated the circumstances which conspired to convict Dawes, I argued in favour of Clarke's writing. Whilst the dense layout of text irritated some of our readers, I applauded the content and prose. And whilst they thought the relationships were highly improbable, I again stood my ground and pointed out its merits.

In truth, I forgive the book's follies because I enjoyed the imagery and took great pleasure in the structure of the sentences. I sighed longingly at my inability to match Clark's skill. Had Clarke been a lesser writer, then I may have been less forgiving. But since he's not, I continue to argue in his favour.

4 Stars

Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht

The Tiger's Wife
Tea Obreht
W&N

There appears to be a new trend amongst the up and coming literary giants. Beautifully composed and artfully layed out novels, this new breed of young authors are telling stories steeped part in legend and part in reality. The Tiger's Wife is one such book. An amalgamation of interwining stories, it encapsulates the purity, mystery and darkness of the human spirit.

The book opens with the protaganist Natalia hearing the news of her beloved grandfather's passing. A shroud of mystery surrounds his death and his decision to travel to the remote village just before he passes away. Deciding to investigate, Natalia heads out to the village to unravel the mystery. As the story unfolds we come to realise the key to her grandfather's life and death "lies between two stories: the story of the tiger's wife, and the story of the deathless man".

Mistaking the style at first glance as YA, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a tale that effortlessly transcends genres to knit a mystery shrouded in darkness and Balkan folklore. Unravelling each piece of the puzzle presented new joy and my delight in Obreht prose was endless.

The Tiger's Wife is extravagant, folkish, bizarre and ultimately a joy to read.

4 Stars

Fall of Giants - Ken Follet

Fall Of Giants
Ken Follet
MacMillan

Fall Of Giants is both wonderful and disappointing at the same time. An epic novel, it has a cast of characters with intertwining lives, whose stories traverse across a sweeping world stage.

What makes 'Fall Of Giants' wonderful is its vast historic content. With an army of historians at his disposal, Follet weaves a tale on a massive scale, taking care to illustrate all view points. I particularly enjoyed the Russian revolution and Follet's close attention to detail which had me absorbed throughout the second half of the book.

What let the book down for me is Follet's writing. Historical facts are drummed in with patronizing regularity. Follet has a habit of drawing the readers' attention to obvious points. As the result the narrative comes across coerced and details that may have been better served left subtly for the reader to decipher are force fed.

Another issue I have with this book is the two main characters Ethel and her brother Billy. Despite their very limited schooling, both possess superior oratory talents. Follet explains this rather unlikely skill (several times as if trying to convince not just the reader but also himself) by the family's minister father's habit of encouraging his children to debate around the dinner table.

Overall, Fall Of Giants is an ambitious and enjoyable read. Heavily researched, it makes for an entertaining saga filled with war, love, betrayal and intrigue. 3 stars