6.15.2012

Book Beginnings - The Night Circus



Book Beginnings is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader. Share the first sentence (or so) of a book you are currently reading, along with your initial thoughts and impressions about the sentence or book. Remember to include the title of the book and the author AND link up at the Rose City Reader


Book Beginning(s):
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers, It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. 
*** 
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. --Oscar Wilde, 1888 
*** 
The man billed as Prospero the Enchanter receives a fair amount of correspondence via the theater office, but this the first envelope addressed to him that contains a suicide note, and it is also the first to arrive carefully pinned to the coat of a five-year-old. 

This book is organized in a very interesting way. The beginning starts with what I'm going to call a 'thematic mini-passage' (titled Anticipation), followed by an epigraph, which is then followed by the actual narration. So I included a bit of each. This would be annoying if they were all boring, but as it turns out, I think they're all fantastic. These 'thematic mini-passages' continue throughout the book. I'm only 50 pages in, so I've only encountered two.

Although nothing extraordinary has happened, there are some sinister undertones and interesting character dynamics that lead me to believe something potentially amazing will happen. This is good.


20 comments:

  1. I have been wanting to read this one since it came out. I know that it's supposed to be amazing, so enjoy! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Will you be posting your thoughts on it? Because I'd like to know what you think of it when you've finished.

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    1. I will most definitely post my thoughts on it when I finish reading it (hopefully by this weekend). Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend!

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  2. I have seen this on before and keep meaning to look it up. Here is my post: Book Beginnings

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    1. I was doing the same thing (meaning to look it up, but always forgetting) and eventually just bought it, even though I didn't know much about it.

      Thanks for visiting. Have a good weekend.

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  3. I like the cover. I think the only problem with the way the circus arrives is lack of advertising. What if nobody goes because they don't know about it? I'm looking forward to your review on this!

    Here's my Book Beginning.

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    1. Yeah, the cover is pretty cool. The inside is black and white pinstripes and a bit mesmerizing--the desired effect, I'm sure.

      Hopefully, I finish it by this weekend and I'll post my thoughts. Thanks for stopping by, Chris. Have a good weekend.

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  4. I have seen this book all over the place. It got a lot of hype. While I am curious about it, I doubt I will ever read it. I don't think I would be able to connect to the style. I am glad you are enjoying it. Happy reading!

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    1. Haha--I didn't think I would read it either. It's part of a little project I've deemed, 'Following the herd'- a minor attempt to reverse my 'anti' attitude to all things uber popular.

      Thanks for visiting!

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  5. I've heard a lot about this one. I'm not sure if it's my kind of book or not, but I may have to find out. Good beginning!

    Here's my Friday Meme Post.

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    1. It's not something I would normally read, but I figured I'd give it a try...there is a certain mystique surrounding some characters that keeps me reading.

      We'll see.

      Thanks for stopping by. Have a good weekend.

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  6. New follower. Welcome to the book blogging world.
    http://sidnereading.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you! And thanks for visiting my blog.

      Have a great weekend.

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  7. Wow! Looks very intriguiging.

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  8. One of my friends loved this book and raved about it so much I feel like I have already read it! Hope you enjoy it as much as she did :-)

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    1. Wow--it was that good? ...I hope I enjoy it too.

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  9. I have been wanting to read this for awhile now! (mental note: borrow at library). So many raves about it!

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    1. Yeah, that's what I've heard. I'm only a third of the way, but I like it so far.

      Thanks for visiting!

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  10. Even though this doesn't appear to be the type of book I would read, I have been intrigued by the cover and the good reviews. And the first lines above sound good. Who knows, maybe I will read it someday. I will come back to check out your thoughts on it.

    Here is my Book Beginning post.

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    1. The opening lines to the actual narration are my favorite, but they're all good, so I had to put all three.

      Thanks for visiting my blog.

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