First thoughts

The Night Circus , Erin Morgenstern. Harvill Secker, £12.99

EVEN readers who do not consider themselves to be fans of magic and fantasy are likely to be impressed by this exciting debut from Erin Morgernstern.

The Night Circus is an enchanting tale of forbidden love, set against the spectacular backdrop of a circus which, as the title suggests, only opens when the sun goes down.

As the story develops, it is impossible not to feel a sense of empathy for the two main characters, Celia and Marco, a pair of illusionists who appear destined to be kept apart.

Morgernstern, a writer and artist from Massachusetts, considers her work to be ‘location driven’ and the detail she uses in describing the setting adds to the plentiful drama of the plot, making you feel as if you are actually within the circus.

The book’s cover hints at the beauty hidden within the pages. If you are drawn into picking it up, you may find it hard to put down.

Is That A Fish In Your Ear? David Bellos. Particular Books, £20; Kindle £11.99

Review: Sappho Lauder

ON first impression David Bellos’s book appears to be a dense, academic read, suitable only for hard-core etymology enthusiasts.

But give it a chance. Is That A Fish In Your Ear? offers readers an insight into how humans co-exist, while proffering more questions about our being.

Mysteries such as “Can machines ever replace human translators?” and “How do you translate a joke?” are tackled, which make this specialised material more accessible.

In fact, after wading through some of the denser material, you come away with some fascinating facts about language. For example, there are 7,000 languages spoken in the world, yet knowing just nine would enable a person to communicate with nearly everybody.

If you’re a language fanatic, this book will fulfil all your curiosities.

Nick Clegg: The Biography , Chris Bowers. Biteback Publishing, 23.75

Review: Natalie Bowen

RISING on a wave of public support, only for his popularity to recede almost as quickly, Nick Clegg is a fascinating political figure and this first biography of Britain’s deputy prime minister seeks to explain his background and ideology. However, it is not entirely successful.

Journalist Chris Bowers confesses his Liberal Democrat status early on and strives towards an admirably objective overview of his party’s leader.

But there is little depth to his source material, reading more like a collection of anecdotes than a detailed, critical analysis — not helped by numerous references to a Desert Island Discs interview. The greatest problem is that, apart from Clegg’s intriguing Russian aristocratic great-grandparents, it lacks much new information.

It is easy to read but with the coalition only 16 months old, there will be much more to say in five years’ time.