Bees’ll buzz, a pirate’ll fall in love and this book’ll blow your mind.
(The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern - A Spoiler-Free Review)
Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea is exactly the whimsy the world needs - or, at least, the whimsy I needed. After the success of The Night Circus, it was difficult to imagine Erin Morgenstern being able to wow her readers in a similar fashion ever again. It was a fluke, a moment, a one-off. But somehow, defying all the odds, she’s really gone and done it.
Now, whilst I acknowledge that The Night Circus was a firm favourite amongst the book community, I’ll be the first to admit that it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be. Maybe it was the hype, the fierce devotion with which everyone who read and loved it recommended it. Or maybe it was just me, but I found the ending lackluster. Don’t get me wrong, I adored the circus, it is genuinely one of my favourite book places ever written, but the overarching plot left something to be desired - namely, I was just not a fan of all that brilliance boiling down to a typical and clichéd romance story. But hey, that’s just me, and this isn’t a review of The Night Circus.
The Starless Sea, in my humble opinion, surpasses The Night Circus in almost every way. I loved it. Like seriously, I am obsessed with this book - not a hot take I know, but it is what it is. The Starless Sea has all the whimsy and charm of The Night Circus and then some. Additionally, on top of all this, it is wrapped beautifully in a story that is, yes, arguably a love story but somewhat in the abstract. It is a story about stories and sometimes those stories are romances and, honestly, I’m okay with that - especially when there are other stories happening all at once, offering up new layers and insights.
To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t think I could accurately explain exactly what happens in this book. There’s another world, some loveable, quirky characters and a lot of … bees? There is also a lot of borderline-pretentious commentary on literature and the written word and I am 100% here for that. It validates me. But, above all, there is an existential discussion going on between the lines of a story and it is so hard to explain with words but so easy to understand and agree with, once you’ve read it. Morgenstern is speaking to the heart of the reader, the writer, the lover of words. If anything, this book is a love letter to storytelling and it is delivered in the best envelope - another story.
I apologise in advance if my raving about this story somehow sets up unrealistic expectations in you, and you find your own subsequent reading of the book somewhat disappointing (an inconceivable notion if you ask me, but this book speaks to all that I look for in a good story, so I am slightly biased). Regardless, if you haven’t yet read The Starless Sea, please, PLEASE do. If you don’t like it, that’s fair… wrong, but fair. I’m kidding. But I do really hope you love it.
Happy reading!
