The Night Circus

Page numbers refer to the 2012 edition of the novel from Anchor Books.

Part I

Reading Check

1. Miranda (Part I, Page 11)

2. A tree (Part I, Page 37)

3. The Lovers (Part I, Page 103)

4. Harvard (Part I, Page 110)

Short Answer

1. Prospero is a powerful, cruel magician who practices illusion magic. He is also Celia’s father, though he does not make this discovery until she is five years old. (Part I)

2. She is a fashionable old friend of Chandresh’s mother and a famous Romanian ballerina. (Part I, Page 72)

3. He supposedly dies of heart failure, but he actually splits his atoms in order to be in multiple places at once. This trick renders him ghostlike, as he is unable to recombine them to become whole again. (Part I, Page 80)

4. Chandresh and his guests discuss forming the Night Circus. This occurs in a narrative flashback to 1895. (Part I, Page 81)

Part II

Reading Check

1. Midnight (Part II, Page 124)

2. The Ice Garden (Part II, Page 152)

3. A Midnight Dinner (Part II, Page 171)

4. It is missing a card (Part II, Page 203)

Short Answer

1. Winston Alden Murray (Widget) was born at six minutes to midnight, and Penelope Aislin Murray (Poppet) was born seven minutes after midnight. They both have bright red hair, but they are not identical twins, which Chandresh finds upsetting because he believes it will be more difficult to find an appropriate act for fraternal twins. (Part II, Page 122)

2. Mr. Barris is an engineer who designs many of the circus tents. He is also aware of the competition between Celia and Marco. (Part II, Page 188)

3. Their interaction is polite but full of uncertainty; Tara points out the difficulty in discerning the difference between old friends and business associates, like themselves. They discuss the peculiarities of the circus, specifically the anti-aging effect it seems to have on them, and he tells her that he left London because of the curious looks, backhanded compliments, and scrutiny that comes with “being somewhat closer to ordinary.” Tara is concerned that moving from city to city will not be a long-term solution and wishes to deceive no longer. (Part II, Page 196)

4. Celia visits Herr Thiessen, revealing that not only is she the illusionist at the Night Circus but also the rêveur who has been corresponding with him for years. (Part II, Page 237)

Part III

Reading Check

1. A romantic embrace between Celia and Marco (Part III, Page 301)

2. Signatures and locks of hair (Part III, Page 327)

3. To leave with the circus (Part III, Page 356)

4. Mr. AH (Part III, Page 374)

5. In his apartment (Part III, Page 384)

Short Answer

1. Part III begins on Friday, October 13, 1899, during an exclusive party at Chandresh’s house in which he and his guests celebrate the 13th anniversary of the Night Circus’s formation. The celebration is of particular importance because the 10th anniversary was not celebrated, and the event is quite colorful, despite the circus’s tendency to lean towards black-and-white. (Part III, Page 299)

2. Bailey discovers a tent full of jars that contain powerful and specific scents. These scents create different hallucinatory experiences. (Part III, Page 315)

3. Lanie’s sister, Tara, was killed because she learned more than she was supposed to know. Tara wants Celia to explain what is going on at the Night Circus, specifically regarding the competition between Celia and Marco. (Part III, Page 339)

4. Several strange coincidences occur that suggest the Night Circus is no longer protected, including an acrobat nearly falling to her death, the sputtering of the bonfire, and a cat that lands on its back after jumping from Poppet’s arms. (Part III, Page 373)

5. Marco confesses that he does not love her, but Celia. (Part III, Page 386)

Part IV

Reading Check

1. Her ring (Part IV, Page 395)

2. A red rose (Part IV, Page 414)

3. Celia (Part IV, Page 444)

4. Tsukiko’s opponent, Hinata, set herself on fire. (Part IV, Page 459)

Short Answer

1. Celia stole Marco’s notebook in order to make the circus more independent by learning his system. (Part IV, Page 418)

2. She tells him she came to apologize, but she uses magic crystals to make Marco vanish. (Part IV, Page 448)

3. As Tsukiko sets Marco and the bonfire aflame, Celia jumps into his arms binding them and their fates together. (Part IV, Page 462)

4. They discuss how the three of them will ensure the upkeep and protection of the circus. (Part IV, Page 481)

Part V

Reading Check

1. Chandresh dismisses them, except for the cooks (Part V, Page 495)

2. Poppet (Part V, Page 495)

Short Answer

1. Prospero was one of the Man in Grey’s students a long time ago. (Part V, Page 501)

2. The novel concludes with Widget agreeing to tell the Man in Grey a story, which begins with the same line that the novel opens with: “The circus arrives without warning….” (Part V, Page 502)