The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

After finishing my reread of The Night Circus last week, I was excited to move onto Erin Morgenstern's second novel, The Starless Sea. I purposefully avoided looking at reviews or plot summaries before getting started, because I wanted to feel like I was going on an adventure along with the characters. So, going into my reading, I had no idea what to expect. I was hoping for a magical story to get completely lost in, and I'm quite happy to say that I found it.

The plot of The Starless Sea is complex and multilayered, making it difficult to summarize succintly. The main thread of the story follows a college student named Zachary Ezra Rawlins. At the start of the novel, Zachary finds a mysterious book in his campus library titled,"Sweet Sorrows." It does not have an author listed inside of it, or any publication information at all for that matter. Intrigued, Zachary checks it out and settles in back at his dorm to read it. The book appears to be a collection of short stories; there is a tale about a pirate falling in love, a story about a vast, underground library, and, shockingly, a story about something that happened to Zachary when he was a little boy. The chapter tells about a time when he came across a door painted in an alleyway near his childhood home. The door looked so real that he almost felt like he could reach out and open it. Feeling foolish, he didn't try to open it at the time. When he went back to look at the painted door again the next day, it was gone.

 When Zachary recognizes himself in the book, he is understandably stunned. He had never told anyone about this incident from his past and has no idea who could have seen enough to write about it. What's even worse is the fact that the text implies that the door would have opened it he had tried, and he is bitterly disappointed in himself for missing his chance at a big, impossible adventure. Desperate to find out more about the mysterious book and eager to get another shot at the painted door, Zachary begins digging around for clues about the book's provenance. What he ends up finding leads him on a wild quest deep underground in a world filled with endless stories and something very close to magic.

I absolutely loved this novel, because I feel like it was made for me. Just like how Zachary found himself in "Sweet Sorrows," I found myself in The Starless Sea. The love and respect for books that filled each page, the mentions of knitting and video games, the labyrinthine underground library, and the bees buzzing all over everything spoke directly to my heart. There was even (briefly) a giant bunny at one point, which I absolutely adored. It was as if Erin Morgenstern sat down to write a novel that included all my personal favorite things. I tend to read in a bit of a hurry, because there are so many books I want to get to, but I took the time to read this slowly. I savored the intricate writing and the detailed descriptions of impossibly beautiful things. It was just so good and satisfying, I couldn't help but slow down and enjoy it.

The structure of the novel is very unique, with multiple threads weaving together out of order. We switch character perspectives frequently, get chapters of other books mixed in, and even get glimpses into the future occasionally. Characters end up being connected to each other and to the past in unpredictable ways and figures that appeared inconsequential at the start of the story end up returning and changing the plot in ways you would not expect. This is most definitely a book you have to surrender yourself to and just go with. It's difficult to tell what's real and what's a metaphor sometimes, and you have to be okay with that in order to enjoy the story. The Starless Sea begs for a second reading, in order to catch all the connections you probably missed the first time through.

This unusual structure means that this story definitely won't be for everyone. It's a dreamy, hazy reading experience that I can see some readers finding to be slow. However, the reward for making it through is an intricate story about love, friendship, courage, and, of course, reading. I absolutely loved this and consider it a new favorite.

Between The Night Circus and The Starless Sea, it's tough to pick a favorite. They are both excellent in their own ways, and both are filled with beautiful writing. It's always a nice treat when a favorite author comes out with a book you like just as much as their first. This month's Then vs. Now selection was a complete success.  


Challenge Tally
Then vs. Now: 4/27 

Total Books Read in 2020: 10