The Magician's Assistant

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enormous house in Los Angeles with only a rabbit for company, she slides into a dangerous, somnolent despair, mourning the loss of a man she never had -- which means there is no need ever to quit mourning him. Like Sleeping Beauty, she Shandu arrives and deduces Todd's minimal experience, but Todd insists he is a fast learner and a hard worker. Shandu decides to give Todd a trial run, telling him that he must acquire skill at magic by keeping his mouth shut and eyes open.

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or that by posthumously reuniting Parsifal with his mother and sisters, she helps unchain them from a painful past. But it is still gratifying to watch Patchett pull each rabbit out of the hat. Over the weeks that follow, Todd rehearses with Shandu, and although he makes numerous mistakes, thus earning the ire of his impatient mentor, he is determined to learn from them as Shandu shares Magical Rule #2: "Only let them see what you want them to see."some sort of connection with the Parsifal she has just discovered. ''When Parsifal died she lost the rest of his life, but now she had stumbled on 18 years. Eighteen untouched years that she could have; early, forgotten volumes Has The Magician’s Assistant restored my willingness to try more by Ann Patchett? I’d say it has. I do have Run and The Patron Saint of Liars on my shelf already, so I’m sure I’ll try at least one of those. For readers who have had similarly disappointing experiences with Ann Patchett’s novels, The Magician’s Assistant is different enough that I’d recommend it as a nice change of pace. Thanks to JoAnn for suggesting it to me! The demon knows that, according to Magical Rule #1, he can only take the wand with Todd's consent - so uses Mrs. Marker as a means of persuasion. Todd agrees to give him the wand only if Nazrak leaves his mother alone. Nazrak agrees, and Todd hands over the wand.

The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett | Waterstones

Shandu catches Todd replacing the wand and realises he has broken Magical Rule #1, "Never, ever touch another magician's wand unless he hands it to you." Todd tells him about Nazrak, and Shandu is horrified; Nazrak is an evil demon sorcerer who has been imprisoned for centuries and seeks Shandu's wand, which can potentially grant enough power to pose a threat to the entire world. He angrily dismisses Todd, who rides off on his bike before realising he still has Shandu's bow tie. However, as he admires the effects of the spell, a blue glow appears behind him and coalesces into a female figure calling herself Nazrak, the spirit of the wand. She tells Todd the wand has special powers - contrary to Shandu's instructions, he can use it whenever he pleases. At first, I didn’t think I’d be able to connect much with Sabine, a glamorous magician’s assistant living the a cushy life in Los Angeles with her husband and his gay lover (I’ll let you read the book yourself to learn about that situation). Yet, as Sabine’s story unfolded, I found myself warming to her as she struggled to come to terms with her grief and redefine her suddenly solitary life. Through the Fetters family, Sabine encounters a world so different from her own that it both forces her to face reality and helps her on her journey. Patchett ended The Magician’s Assistant in precisely the right place, in my opinion, which left me feeling both satisfied and relieved this particular ending hadn’t gone the way of the others of Patchett’s I’d read! Exact Words: Todd extracts a promise from Nazrak that he must leave Mrs. Marker alone if he wants the wand. When Nazrak agrees and Todd hands over the wand, the demon points out that he never said he would leave Todd himself alone, and he prepares to banish him to the vortex with Shandu. Todd finally asks why Shandu is so grumpy, and the magician ruefully recalls his once illustrious career, performing on Broadway before royalty and starring in his own movie series... which hasn't even been released on video.

Neb., where his mother and two sisters still live, though he hadn't seen them for decades. When the frumpy Dot Fetters and her daughter Bertie show up in Los Angeles to meet Guy's wife and see his grave -- right next to Phan's Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Shandu, with a promise to remain close by, willingly fades from earthly existence. of her favorite work. A childhood that could be mined month by month. Parsifal would not get older, but what about younger?'' After disliking both Bel Canto and State of Wonder, I’d all but given up on Ann Patchett’s novels. JoAnn suggested I try The Magician’s Assistant as a last chance, and I chose to listen to it. About the Book: arsifal is dead,'' reads the startling opening of ''The Magician's Assistant,'' Ann Patchett's third novel. ''That is

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can flourish; strange havens do exist. Becoming accustomed to sad endings may be more naive than believing, now and then, in happily ever after. Does that (somewhat clumsy) summary make this one sound odd? Don’t get too hung up on it. Patchett manages to make it all work, somehow! My Thoughts:

yes, by the magic of love. If it is hard not to squint at some of the flashy paradoxes Patchett uses to construct her narrative, then perhaps a struggle with credulity is precisely what she wants to encourage. Improbable relationships

The Magician’s Assistant” by Ann Patchett Thoughts on “The Magician’s Assistant” by Ann Patchett

what began as a complicated story becomes almost baroque. The Fetterses prove to be tolerant, caring folks. Alarmed by her unhappiness, they invite Sabine to visit them in tiny Alliance, and she surprises herself by going, hoping for Parsifal turns out to be a gay magician, the owner of a rug store in Los Angeles who has AIDS and who has just died of a ruptured aneurysm while holding hands with his assistant, Sabine, whom he recently married. ''I love you,'' Stage Magician: Shandu the Magnificent had an illustrious career as a world famous conjurer. While embittered by his depleted reputation, he remains a consummate professional, with an undying love of performance. The audiobook was read by Karen Ziemba. She’s a new narrator to me, but I liked the way her cool, polished voice matched the way I imagined Sabine. I very much enjoyed the audio production and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.As Todd's attention falls on the wand again, Shandu impresses on him the importance of Magical Rule #1: "Never, ever touch another magician's wand unless he hands it to you."