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A review by pocketbard
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
5.0
January 2024 review:
I had no idea that Morgenstern had written a book after my beloved Night Circus, and I devoured this one in about two days. The plot is similar to Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere (though with less menace and more whimsy), following an everyman protagonist into a magical world that abuts our own and can be accessed through hidden doorways. In between the main narrative sections are short fables that interweave with each other and the main plot, sometimes in ways you don’t realize until the very end. It is, in a very real sense, a love letter to storytelling, with beautiful writing and intricate imagery. Fair warning: this book can be challenging to read – the storytelling is non-linear, and sometimes it can be hard to keep track of how everything fits together. It might be more worthwhile to sit back and let the sea of words wash over you instead of trying to be too analytical about it. That said, if you liked The Night Circus, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well. (That said: content warnings for physical mutilation, kidnapping, and the mention of suicide ideation and animal death.)
February 2024 review:
Some of you might be experiencing déjà vu right now, because I read this book in January too. But I liked it so much that while I was in the middle of my first read-through, I started a second read-through with a friend of mine (reading out loud this time), and we finished it toward the end of February. I must say, it was fascinating to read through the book a second time, knowing the plot twists in advance and seeing how the seeds of resolution were planted as the story progressed. I don’t think I have it in me to read it a THIRD time in quick succession, but I don’t regret having read it twice.
I had no idea that Morgenstern had written a book after my beloved Night Circus, and I devoured this one in about two days. The plot is similar to Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere (though with less menace and more whimsy), following an everyman protagonist into a magical world that abuts our own and can be accessed through hidden doorways. In between the main narrative sections are short fables that interweave with each other and the main plot, sometimes in ways you don’t realize until the very end. It is, in a very real sense, a love letter to storytelling, with beautiful writing and intricate imagery. Fair warning: this book can be challenging to read – the storytelling is non-linear, and sometimes it can be hard to keep track of how everything fits together. It might be more worthwhile to sit back and let the sea of words wash over you instead of trying to be too analytical about it. That said, if you liked The Night Circus, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well. (That said: content warnings for physical mutilation, kidnapping, and the mention of suicide ideation and animal death.)
February 2024 review:
Some of you might be experiencing déjà vu right now, because I read this book in January too. But I liked it so much that while I was in the middle of my first read-through, I started a second read-through with a friend of mine (reading out loud this time), and we finished it toward the end of February. I must say, it was fascinating to read through the book a second time, knowing the plot twists in advance and seeing how the seeds of resolution were planted as the story progressed. I don’t think I have it in me to read it a THIRD time in quick succession, but I don’t regret having read it twice.