It is gothic, but not horror even though it does have a few chills, romance but not sappy, fantastical but not escapist power and admiration. The Night Circus so far has been a pleasant surprise. Regardless of how it ends I can say the opening has been worth the read. I'd say Erin Morgenstern's writing in this book reminds me of at times the bittersweetness and wonder that Susan Hill tempered the terror of the 'Woman in Black' with. It maintains a gothic atmosphere, and using the setting to carry the story, not a story to simply be a vehicle for a fantastical premise as much genre fiction can be. The elements of magic, illusion, the Victorian settings, and the love for the theatrics of a show, the whole thing has a good deal of passion to it, that the reader cannot help but reciprocate as they delve further into it's mysteries.