The Magician's Assistant

by Ann Patchett | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 1857028155 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Nell-Lu of Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on 2/22/2010
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This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Nell-Lu from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, February 22, 2010
This is one of my favourite books by one of my favourite authors - and I'm pleased to say it will be going to one of my favourite BookCrossers, Nu-Knees! It's reserved and will travel in a couple of months' time.

Here's my review from last time I read The Magician’s Assistant, in July 2009:

I love this book. I lent it to a friend recently (well, I say "lent". I perhaps mean "forced upon") and her comments when she returned it made me want to re-read.

Ann Patchett is an un-showy writer. She creates convincing, engaging characters and situations without fuss. The Magician’s Assistant explores ideas of home and of fitting in through a series of exiles and potential misfits. It’s brilliant.

Journal Entry 2 by Nell-Lu at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (4/22/2010 UTC) at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Happy reading, Nu-knees! Hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Journal Entry 3 by wingNu-Kneeswing from Knaresborough, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thank you very much for this one, Nell-Lu. The snowy cover art is drawing me to dive straight in but, unfortunately, I've got a couple of other priorities to read first...
And Thank you for your lovely JE - I'm feeling quite emotional now!
And Thank you for the surprise bonus poetry book which was also in the envelope. I look forward to perusing it with interest - and I'm sure Tree-hugger will enjoy it, too!
I read and loved Bel Canto in February. Ann Patchett immediately became a favourite author I wanted to enjoy further. I was pleased to find a second-hand copy of The Patron Saint of Liars recently and now you've kindly given me this one as well, thank you very much. I'm feeling very lucky today :-)

Journal Entry 4 by wingNu-Kneeswing from Knaresborough, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Magician's Assistant is magic! Or do I mean magical? Either way it's beautiful and I loved it, from start to finish, from the snowy cover art that drew me to dive straight in to the rather satisfying, although maybe not without a bit of ambiguity left to the readers' imagination, ending. I fell in love with some of the characters, and dutifully disliked others, became engrossed in their lives, constantly wanting to know more about them, appreciated the sense of time and place, especially place, both in the frozen North and the Californian sun, was very impressed with the lyrical writing style.... and other such enthusiastic and positive comments! Thank you again, Nell-Lu, for the opportunity to enjoy it. As expected, I now want to put it on my Keeper shelves for a possible re-read, so thank you for that as well. I'm now an Official Ann Patchett Fan and look forward to reading more of her work.

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Amazon Editorial Review: "Third -- and breakthrough -- novel by an acclaimed American writer with an enchanting, quirky voice. 'The Magician's Assistant' is at once a love story and a brilliant portrayal of reinvention about a magician who dies leaving his assistant/wife to discover he has lied about his past. A magician (with one memorable appearance on the Johnny Carson Show to his credit) takes the name Parsifal. He is gay. He has a Vietnamese lover, Phan. When Phan dies of AIDS, Parsifal marries the woman who has always adored him and who has lived with them both, his assistant Sabine. Then Parsifal himself dies in California, suddenly and shockingly, of an aneurysm. Parsifal always said that he had no living family and that he came from wealthy upscale Connecticut stock. The reality is very different, as Sabine learns from his lawyer. He came from a poor Nebraska family and they are very much alive. Indeed his mother and sister are on their way to California to meet Sabine, the daughter- and sister-in-law they know nothing about. It is bad that her husband has died. What Sabine must now cope with is coming to terms with his horrific past and the reason he divorced himself from his family and roots."

Released 12 yrs ago (3/17/2012 UTC) at Primary School in South Otterington, North Yorkshire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

On the Bookstall at the Spring Fair! For a while I kept this super story on my keeper shelves but in a fit of Spring-cleaning, shelf-clearing enthusiasm, I've decided to set it free to find a new reader!

Over a million people around the world give their books a unique BookCrossing IDentity number (BCID) before sending them out to find new readers. Since the start of the scheme in April 2001 well over 8 million such books have been put into circulation. This is one of them!
Our hope is that we can track the progress of our books once they've left our hands - and that's possible if finders like you visit the website, key in the BCID and leave a comment, however long or short. It's fun, it doesn't cost anything and you can remain anonymous if you wish. You don't have to join but if you do you'll be able to number and track your own books!

Journal Entry 6 by wingNu-Kneeswing at Knaresborough, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, March 17, 2012
I donated 53 books to the school Spring Fair and brought home the 17 that didn't sell to make them available elsewhere!

Journal Entry 7 by wingNu-Kneeswing at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, March 18, 2012

Released 12 yrs ago (3/18/2012 UTC) at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

To tree-hugger who loves a well-written, atmospheric story, which this is, and circuses, although the magic here isn't quite that, plus the snowy cover picture will be an added attraction - but doesn't want to add to the books she has waiting to be read ....

Journal Entry 8 by tree-hugger at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, March 22, 2012
I like Ann Patchett, and I like snowy settings, so this looks just right, thanks Nell-Lu and Nu-Knees.

Journal Entry 9 by tree-hugger at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, August 28, 2016
Sorry I kept this so long on my "To Be Read" shelf. It's excellent and I wish I'd got to it sooner. It was an engrossing story, beautifully told. Ann Patchett deals with some big themes around family, grief, and different types of love, all with a lightness of touch that I really admire.

Released 6 yrs ago (4/25/2017 UTC) at Brigantes Bar & Brasserie OBCZ / Meetup Venue in York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Dropping this off at Brigantes at lunchtime, during a meal with Nu-Knees & Mr Nu-Knees, so it'll be there for tonight's bookcrosser's meetup.

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