Monday, August 25, 2008

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett


When Parsifal, a handsome and charming magician, dies suddenly, his widow Sabine — who was also his faithful assistant for twenty years — learns that the family he claimed to have lost in a tragic accident is very much alive and well. Sabine is left to unravel his secrets, and the adventure she embarks upon, from sunny Los Angeles to the bitter windswept plains of Nebraska, will work its own magic on her. Sabine's extraordinary tale will capture the heart of its readers just as Sabine herself is captured by her quest.

I love Ann Patchett's writing! It is wonderfully descriptive, but it doesn't bog the story down. For the most part, I enjoy character's interactions over flowery descriptions of the scenery, but Patchett manages beautifully to keep the story moving, and give vivid detail of the setting.

I enjoyed all the characters in this book, but I think my favorite was Phan. I loved his role in the book, and thought it was absolutely perfect, but at the same time, also wish we got to know him better. Parsifal is also a bit of a mystery, but by the end of the story his motivations are more understandable. Still, I would love to ask him some questions. 4 stars

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2 comments:

Darlene said...

I've heard many good things about this book. I really need to read it. I've only read The Patron Saint of Liars so far and loved that. I'm going to read Run next.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I enjoyed your review and wanted to say that I read both The Magician's Assistant and Patron Saint of Liars on vacation in Aruba this past May. Both had been on my list for some time. I was a little disappointed by both books. I rated Magician's Assistant 3.5/5 and Patron Saint of Liars 4/5. I was not sorry I read them, just expected more...titles were intriguing.