April 2013: Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

[Peder]

OK! Coming soon to a post near you. Shred away as you will.
Now I'll go find it and blow the dust off.

 

[Peder]

[The first half of this was posted upthread. It is repeated here for coherence with what follows, and for those who might have missed it.]​

​

Night Circus – Plot Outline and Dramatic Structure​

(with spoilers)​

​

This is how I see the overall story and structure for a book that I found enjoyable.

First of all, this is not a story about a circus, or the lives of performers in a circus. The Circus is a magical venue which frames the actions of the characters in the story.
Second, this is not a story about a contest. The contest eventually provides the key dramatic conflict for the story, and its details deliberately remain a mystery for much of the story.
Third, this is a love story, as Pontalba has pointed out above; that should be surmised as soon as a girl and a boy are introduced as the two protagonists in the very first pages of the book.

In short summary, this is a story about two people in love who are scheduled to be opponents in a magical contest set in the framework of a magical circus.

The major suspense is how that will all work out.

It should be noted that the author makes extensive use of her authorial prerogative to decide just how much information to reveal and withhold, and when and in what order, to build suspense and maintain interest throughout the book. The story, therefore, is overlaid with many of the elements of a mystery, as details are omitted, story gaps are left hanging, and deceptive red herrings are created, all until their resolution much later in the book. In addition, for added zest, the time frame floats back and forth occasionally.

I'll use theater terminology for more vivid description of the plot structure. It is easy for me to imagine this story taking place live on the stage of a theater –- even as an opera –- in separate scenes and acts, and that is perhaps a good way to try to read the book. Hint, hint.

Dramatic Structure. ​

(Italics indicate chapter headings.)​

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Anticipation and Primordium are preliminary notes to provide background and raise interest for the production to be seen/read, much as program notes, or a Playbill, are distributed to the audience before a play begins.

Act I - Introduction: Unexpected Post, through Truth or Dare.

The story begins in 1873 and four principal characters are introduced in short order: Prospero the Enchanter (Hector Bowen), Celia Bowen (Hector's Daughter), The Man in Grey (Alexander), and Marco (selected by Alexander to be educated as his protege and participate in the contest). By 1880, Celia and Marco are diligently pursuing their magic lessons.

Supporting characters are also introduced in cameo scenes from a selection of times and venues: Chandresh Lefebvre, well-known for producing elaborate spectacles, is shown throwing knives at a dart board (1884); Marco, out on a walk for a break from his studies, encounters Isobel, a Tarot fortune teller (1884). In a glimpse into the future (1897), a young lad, Bailey, on a truth-or-dare from his older nuisance of a sister, Caroline, sneaks into the nearby Night Circus and encounters a young girl (Poppet) from the troupe.

Act II - Rising Action: Associates and Conspirators, through Ailuromancy

Meanwhile, time reverts to 1885 and the story begins to move forward with the characters already introduced when Chandresh Lefebvre hosts one of his exclusive private dinners specifically for the purpose of starting a project to create a fabulous and unprecedented new Circus. A contortionist, Tsukiku, is enlisted as a member of the troupe after providing entertainment at one of the dinners. Celia is chosen as illusionist through a public audition where she blows away the competition. Marco, observing her performance, begins to suspect who his opponent will be. A clockmaker is contracted to build an elaborate clock, and so on.

Marco continues his intense study of stacks of books on all sorts of subjects, none seemingly related to magic, and it is not clear how his efforts are fitting him for a magic competition. But The Man in Grey assures him he is doing fine and his efforts are sufficient.

Eventually, Marco will become chief designer for the circus, again a seeming sideways step away from the competition, while Celia practices diligently and improves continually.

Finally Celia meets Marco at a party and they begin to fall in love.

Act III - Climax: Téte-a-Téte, through Stormy Seas

Here is the story of Celia and Marc growing ever closer together, despite all attempts of Prospero and Alexander to keep them apart and dissuade them from interest in one another. Celia and Marco, instead of moving into roles as adversaries, start to collaborate and work together on illusions for the Circus, all the while the reader knows that they are eventually headed for confrontation.

After the death of one of the members of the troupe, the suspicion grows that the accident is an omen that not all will continue well with the Circus itself, which introduces the subplot, late in the book, of the Circus itself as a participant in the life of the Circus.

The curtain falls as Celia and Marco declare their love, even as they have just realized they are to be the opponents in the magical contest, “no matter what the outcome.”

Act IV - Falling Action: An Entreaty, through Incendiary

Action begins with Poppet visiting Bailey. She implores him to leave home and join the Circus, because it is packing up and leaving that night and may not even exist anymore unless he comes with it.

Meanwhile, life at the circus does begin to turn chaotic and the circus begins a downward trajectory toward extinction. Poppet begins to doubt the efficacy of her charms, which has adverse consequences. Lefebvre tries to kill the Man in Grey but the knife misses and kills the clock maker instead. And Tsukiki decides to try to extinguish the cauldron to free herself from the circus and end all magical contests forever.

Marco and Celia, neither being able to imagine living without the other, each leap into the flames of the burning cauldron to save the other. Tsukiki succeeds in extinguishing the cauldron in a huge explosion. The flames burn out, withdrawing the life force from all in the Circus, and Celia and Marco are gone as the curtain comes down.

Act V: Denoument: Transmutation, through Bons Reves

Marco and Celia find that they are still “alive,” in a manner of speaking, but in a transformed and rather transcendant state, and that they will have each other and be part of the circus ambience or spirit for as long as it lives.

The Circus grounds, however, are desolate and lifeless and a sign on the main gate says the Circus is closed.

Bailey, having caught up with the circus solemnly agrees to devote his entire life to reviving and managing the circus, whereupon he relights the Cauldron flame and the Circus comes alive again. Ownership of the Circus passes from Lefebvre to Poppet for the price of a story and, one hundred years later, the Circus is still running, and all are alive and well in their respective roles.

Happiness prevails all around and the curtain comes down to thunderous applause.

At least, that is how the story seems to me.

 

[Meadow337]

I'm not going to shred your interpretation of events one bit because on the surface of things that is exactly how most people describe / summarize / experience the book. However if you dig even a fraction deeper and ask any questions about meaning or purpose to any one event and there is none, that is the frustration of the story. You are presented with a dream that appears to have a story, but as soon as you try to grasp any part of it, there is nothing.

Why is there is a clock for example? Such importance is placed on the creation of the clock, such flights of description of its function, and yet it is nothing more than a decorative item at the gate that serves no purpose to the story. Ditto for most of the characters, most of the actions - even this magical contest that is at the heart of the protagonists reason d'etre - its also nothing. Apart from merely sort of existing like a coat hanger from which the story precariously hangs there is no importance to it. It isn't explained or resolved.

It is a magical act consisting of smoke and mirrors and when the smoke clears there is no magic.

 

[Peder]

I think in mathematics that is called "proof by assertion."

Seriously though, I'm not sure whether you are dismissing what I said, or what I didn't say.

"Coat hanger," however, I think is dismissive of what I did say. And just a tad condescending.

 

[Meadow337]

I think in mathematics that is called "proof by assertion."

Actually 'proof by assertion' is a logic term applying to arguments rather than mathematics it offers no proof, just re-assertion of the assumption. I do believe I offered proof

The following questions are part of my proof? Can you 'disprove' them by answering the questions?

Why is there a clock? What part does the clock maker play?

Why is there a magical contest and what is its nature? How long has it being going on for? Why is it being fought through two proxies? Why don't they have any choice in the matter?

What are the two systems of magic and why are they opposed to each other?

How exactly do Celia and Marco fall in love - one or two chance meetings aren't enough in my book to fall so passionately in love you literally sacrifice life as you know it for the other person.

What happened to Celia's father? He turns semi-invisible but how? Why? What altered state / alternative reality does he exist in? Is this where Cecelia and Marco end up? If so, how? And why?

How does Bailey re-ignite the cauldron without Marco's magic?

And the biggie - why does no-one involved with the circus age?

 

[Peder]

Please keep your hair on, Meadow.

To review the bidding:
1. Your original assertions were that the books had no plot and therefore could have no structure.
2. I differed on both plot and structure.
3. You'll notice the title of my essay refers to plot and structure (only)
4. Now I see the ground shifted to talking about "deeper levels" "meaning" etc.
5. I still mantain my original position about plot and structure, and
6. I think you can level detailed questions such as yours against details of the setting of any novel written. You assert again that there are no answers. I'm not going to wade through and provide obvious answers, especially when I know they will be dismissed by your withering attack.
7.. We are too far apart for sensible discussion, as I see it; and as I suggested once before.

 

[Meadow337]

Plot is a literary term defined as the events that make up a story, particularly as they relate to one another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and effect

so I think discussing how the events relate to each other (or not) is relevant to a discussion of plot particularly if you assert there is one. If the aforementioned plot did exist then those things would have a demonstrable place within it. If none of the events have a demonstrable place within the plot, and do not contribute to it by their existence then ipso facto there is no plot and all is random.

7.. We are too far apart for sensible discussion, as I see it; and as I suggested once before.

not in my opinion - I'm enjoying the discussion. Don't bow out now

 

[Peder]

Too late. To me this has taken the tone of a debate among adversaries, not a discussion among friends.

 

[Polly Parrot]

I have abandoned the book about halfway through. It doesn't interest me at all and I find the prose lacking. To me, it is a little like Cirque du Soleil except in a book with some nonsensical contest going on that no-one, including the characters participating in the contest, seems to understand.

 

[Meadow337]

Too late. To me this has taken the tone of a debate among adversaries, not a discussion among friends.

I'm genuinely sorry you feel that way, debate is not adversarial if it doesn't get personal and neither of us have done that. We just have differing opinions which we are discussing rather nicely too I thought.

 

[Peder]

I'm genuinely sorry you feel that way, debate is not adversarial if it doesn't get personal and neither of us have done that. We just have differing opinions which we are discussing rather nicely too I thought.

I'm afraid Meadow that I disagree with you there also. Let's just live to talk another day.

 

[pontalba]

Here is a thread from Good Reads on Night Circus, I thought and hoped that some here might find interesting. Lots of POVs.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/list_book/9361589-the-night-circus

 

[Meadow337]

Here is a thread from Good Reads on Night Circus, I thought and hoped that some here might find interesting. Lots of POVs.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/list_book/9361589-the-night-circus