The circus arrives without warning.
It certainly did arrive without a warning for me, because I really didn't expect this book to be so magical. When I was going to buy it, I was deciding between this and some another book. I don't judge a book by its cover or the blurb, so I just went to go see what the almighty Goodreads said. Things that have drawn me to this book? The various opinions on this book, my passion for Cirque du Soleil and the lack of romance that a lot of people complained about. Because I'm having a phase when I'm bothered by romance in books.
It certainly did arrive without a warning for me, because I really didn't expect this book to be so magical. When I was going to buy it, I was deciding between this and some another book. I don't judge a book by its cover or the blurb, so I just went to go see what the almighty Goodreads said. Things that have drawn me to this book? The various opinions on this book, my passion for Cirque du Soleil and the lack of romance that a lot of people complained about. Because I'm having a phase when I'm bothered by romance in books.
The first third took me a painfully long time to read. I liked it, but I just couldn't get into it, so I've read like four other books just before I dived into it again. And the second trywas way better than the first one. No idea if I needed time or if it was just my short attention span.
There is a thing that will fly across you on a trapeze and slap you. And that is a ton of details and a lack of story. While I can imagine that some might ind the latter, I can't really imagine anyone not liking the amount of details in this book. It's like it takes you into a net and carries gently to the circus tent. Where you just lie and watch the things happening around you. And it doesn't matter that there's not a clear direction as of where the story is going. Because it's not important when there's magic happening, is it?
The language of the book is a true work of art. While I'm an incredibly quick reader (sometimes more like a weakness really, but I cannot help it), I just kept noticing going back a lot of times just to read some sentences again and to make sure that the full image of the scene in the book is right inside my mind. And sometimes I forgot to go back to reading and I just stared into void for a couple of minutes, grinning. Which must have been a laugh for some, because I've read the biggest chunk of this book on my travels by train.
I've got one thing to point out and that's the timeline of the book. Yes, it is written in a retrospective and yes, I found it hard to follow. I generally find anything that is not chronological hard to follow, but I know that it's my own issue and I know the cause. So I had to concentrate and pay attention to the years on the beginning of each chapter. And it worked. The only problem solved and the rest of the book was a vigorious page turner that I could barely put down to go pee. Too much information? I'm sorry, trying to be honest here.
Where't the plot though? Oh, there is one. A great one. Just wait for it, you'll be surprised. And no romance? That didn't really bother me. It wasn't necessary there. Well, there was actually some. Although for me, the most powerful moments in the books were those between the children. Which really tells a lot about my mentality. I guess.
And lastly, this book has fulfilled my rather recent interest in circuses as I enjoy doing contortion and I would like to try acrobatics. Well, the magicians were just a cherry on the top, really. It was like watching a Cirque du Soleil performance. For me at least, I'm sorry if you are not into it.
Time for the final verdict! I can see how some people might not really enjoy it, since it is very different. I also don't understand the hype, because this shouldn't be a book surrounded with a veil of hype, this should be a book you'd find at the back of the shelf in the bookshop and wonder how did it get there (Someone hid it there, probably! Sorry for bursting your bubble, Anny).
You might like it and you might not. Does that sound mysterious enough?
P.S. Actually thinking about knitting a red scarf (since I've already started one...although I didn't even finish my Ravenclaw one...damn)
P.P.S. Poppet and Erin Morgenstern are something I would name my children right now if I were to have them.
“The most difficult thing to read is time. Maybe because it changes so many things.”
There is a thing that will fly across you on a trapeze and slap you. And that is a ton of details and a lack of story. While I can imagine that some might ind the latter, I can't really imagine anyone not liking the amount of details in this book. It's like it takes you into a net and carries gently to the circus tent. Where you just lie and watch the things happening around you. And it doesn't matter that there's not a clear direction as of where the story is going. Because it's not important when there's magic happening, is it?
The language of the book is a true work of art. While I'm an incredibly quick reader (sometimes more like a weakness really, but I cannot help it), I just kept noticing going back a lot of times just to read some sentences again and to make sure that the full image of the scene in the book is right inside my mind. And sometimes I forgot to go back to reading and I just stared into void for a couple of minutes, grinning. Which must have been a laugh for some, because I've read the biggest chunk of this book on my travels by train.
I've got one thing to point out and that's the timeline of the book. Yes, it is written in a retrospective and yes, I found it hard to follow. I generally find anything that is not chronological hard to follow, but I know that it's my own issue and I know the cause. So I had to concentrate and pay attention to the years on the beginning of each chapter. And it worked. The only problem solved and the rest of the book was a vigorious page turner that I could barely put down to go pee. Too much information? I'm sorry, trying to be honest here.
Where't the plot though? Oh, there is one. A great one. Just wait for it, you'll be surprised. And no romance? That didn't really bother me. It wasn't necessary there. Well, there was actually some. Although for me, the most powerful moments in the books were those between the children. Which really tells a lot about my mentality. I guess.
And lastly, this book has fulfilled my rather recent interest in circuses as I enjoy doing contortion and I would like to try acrobatics. Well, the magicians were just a cherry on the top, really. It was like watching a Cirque du Soleil performance. For me at least, I'm sorry if you are not into it.
Time for the final verdict! I can see how some people might not really enjoy it, since it is very different. I also don't understand the hype, because this shouldn't be a book surrounded with a veil of hype, this should be a book you'd find at the back of the shelf in the bookshop and wonder how did it get there (Someone hid it there, probably! Sorry for bursting your bubble, Anny).
You might like it and you might not. Does that sound mysterious enough?
P.S. Actually thinking about knitting a red scarf (since I've already started one...although I didn't even finish my Ravenclaw one...damn)
P.P.S. Poppet and Erin Morgenstern are something I would name my children right now if I were to have them.
“The most difficult thing to read is time. Maybe because it changes so many things.”