Assalamu'alaikum and hello! :D
How's it been guys? I've been doing great, Alhamdulillah~
One of the hundred things I wanted to post is an update about myself. I'm starting my university years in UK..somewhere in the kingdom. And that means, miles and miles away from home and my loved ones. Tough it is for me, to wake up and find that my lovely people's expecting the sunset in a few hours. It's the first step in my journey in becoming.....me! (*not an independent woman ehem) so I'm going to have face it anyway ;D.
Of course I'd like to touch more on my experience here...on my first week here, but as I mentioned tht's just one out of the hundred things that is invading head right now. I'll update some more soon! :D
The next particulars I'd like to share with you all is on MAGIC! (** throws dust of SPARKLES!)
I don't really believe in magic when I was small...or if I did, maybe I forgot...or maybe if I did, it's probably all on delusional superpower....but i do remember I believe in fairies and
horses...oops!..pegasus, I meant.
Though that was the sad case, the happy fact is that I grew up in a happy childhood of fantasy storybooks and cartoons. I grew up with barbie dolls and movies, bunch of fairies books
, bunch of imaginary friends and happy people. I had quite a magical childhood.
wonderful, it was.
Where am I going with this?
"I didn't believe in magic",
said the 7 years old I.
END OF STORY.
But I had fond memories of it...which was childhood.(*AS i mentioned..my childhood was magic itself) And as I grew up I realized this..and I held on it tightly. MY past, I meant.
Thus I grew up to be a daydreamer...the person I am now.
TADA!
A person who loves to try and believe that children can have a happy childhood with things like believing magic DO exist!
So..here's where we go to particular no. 3.
CIRCUS MIRANDUS!
It's not just any circus....it's a fictional circus written in a book with the same title. And it's not just any fictional circus in a book written by Cassie Beasly, it's a magical circus!!
I must sum up my feelings for the book first of all. It was truly heartwarming.
And that really sums up everything else. I just couldn't describe it in any other words. I just love it so much!!
It had been awhile since I read anything like it. Might as well be my first time.
I don't know if its a pre-teen or young adult or children's book...any way..I still feel attached to it.
I mean I read lots of "underage" novels don't I?
**********************************ADVERTISEMENT****
For unknown reasons, I can't graduate from that sort of level of books. I had read plenty which I fell in love with as well, which includes PETER NIMBLE AND HIS FANTASTIC EYES,(which was adventurous, humorous and a tale of princess and thieves. HA!)
The land of stories series.(which were amazing, original and creative. Entertains and tear me up every book)
100 cupboards trilogy(which I only had completed 1 book, and wow! I never quite read anything like it. WOWERS!)
sadly, my vocabulary list is never going anywhere either.
***************************************************end**********************
Anyway, to summarise things, Micah, a boy who loves his grandfather, Grandpa Ephraim's story of magical circus Mirandus. Only it wasn't some sort of make-believe story. It's Grandpa Ephraim's precious childhood memory. The two of them lived happily together until everything changed when Ephraim's dying. And Micah and his friend, Jenny went to find the magical circus to ask for the miracle that the Lightbender promised Ephraim when he visited the circus years ago.
Though I really enjoyed the story very much. The way the author writes, is just lovely and u can see the story unfold infront of your eyes.
Well, that's just as much as it is.Time for mah review! (**sparkles**********)
*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#SPOILERS*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
Now, there are a few types of characters in the book that I'd love to point out.
Truly as a child when u tell him of magic, they will believe it. But as they grow older they tend to forget about the stories that had been told and for some, they tend to despise the idea very much due to a rough step they faced when they are growing up.
But for Micah, he was one of the children who believes in magic all the way through and he never doubted the magical story his grandfather always tells him about.
And so was Ephraim(*the grandfather) since he had seen it himself & always wish to see the magic again.
That's not all, he was one of the few people inspired and changed by the magic he'd seen.And it was his dream to do magic and make changes in other children~
There's also people like Great Aunt Gertrudis, who was the younger sister of Ephraim, who grew up believing in magic but because of a mis-step and betrayals during her childhood, magic has become nothing more than a silly lie and she has turned into an unhappy person. She's one of those I had mentioned above.
And let's not forget Victoria! The amazing Amazonian Bird Woman. A woman with magical ability to fly and to attracts birds with her wonderful voice. A woman who performs for the children in the circus,who performs magic for them. Too bad of her ill-natured personality, she thinks that her magic is such a waste, being in the circus. She's that people who thinks realistically, such that "what of that of showing these children some magic? They'll forget about them soon. Or if they do believe, what good can it be to them?"
To sum it up, she's one with magic, who only wants power and doesn't believe that magic can have its effects on anyone.
As for Jenny Mendoza, she's simply a young character who never believes in magic. She relates everything to theories and science.
With all these characters here, the book manage to give me the many perspectives of magic.
Me? though I know such magic don't exist , I'm truly one who believes in magic by the heart.
Which one are you?
Also, there was the Man Who Bends the Light, the Lightbender, in short. He was part of the circus, a person who can do amazing illusions and can somehow "get into your mind into believing it's true"
Now, let's do a general review.
I really love the lightbender's personality. He's mysterious but whenever the story depicts how he perform magic for the children, I couldn't help but feel enlighten as well. As if the character himself had managed to create illusions in my mind as well.
Loving his moments with Micah very much and I'm very happy with the ending for the 2 of them.
I also love the young Ephraim. How he first followed the sound of pipes and drums all the way to the circus, and how he managed to track the circus again when he was much older, due to his faith in magic.
Magic had truly changed him.
But the much older Ephraim is just as lovely. How he took care of Micah and how he dreams of working in a circus. And how he never hate his wife for destroying that dream. And how I can feel he's trying to "shine" even though he's dying. And even with all of that, he still choose to believe in magic.
His endings were lovingly sad. I'm very happy that he died with his 2 most favourite people in the universe and I'm touched by what he wished for his miracle.
Ephraim was also that character who has his own kind of magic. knots.Although at first, I can't imagine knots as magic...I'm impressed how it actually can be seen as magic by the end.
The book seems to tell us, whatever you're good at, and which can make people happy can be seen as "magic".
And as for Victoria who had those thoughts of what good can believing in magic be or soon we all will forget it exist. Though she has a realistic opinion, she was quite wrong. I mean, look at Ephraim, Micah and even the other people who worked hard in maintaining magic in the world, namely circus Mirandus. I mean, gosh she is truly cruel. And i really wondered why I didn't mind the character remained "UNRESOLVED" by the end.
Then there's the main character, Micah. throughout the story all he can think is of his grandpa and the miracle he thinks his grandfather has asked for.
Micah seems like a character who kept to himself and calm in every way. But very brave as well.
I love him as much.
*******************************End of Spoilers**********
I really really thank the author for creating such a lovely book.
Fictional it may be, but it's magical.
It had leave a deep impression in my heart.
Of course I, myself had love the idea of magic...but this..had further open my eyes of what kind of "REAL" magic that can truly exist in this world.
And that "REAL" magic is something someone is good at (and loved doing) and can make happiness through them.
As I mentioned, I really do believe that believing in magic is not harmful at all to children.
It gives them happiness, at least.
And at least that magic can really be something "real" and change/inspire them somehow?
It does inspire me. This book and my magical childhood. Have I mentioned that I have a dream to create magic.
I did vaguely mentioned it....but didn't get to reveal what it really is.
HINT OF WHAT IT IS, in this post.
Can you imagine what that sort of magic is?
Now, what is your definition of magic?
Till next time,
ANA.
(C) Circus Mirandus does not belong to me. It belongs to amazing Cassie Beasly & other rightful owners.
(C) mumblings and opinions belong to me, otherwise stated.
Loves, they can neither be right or wrong.
Read the amazing books to find out which one.
