becky's review
The Magician's Assistant
by Ann Patchett
becky's review
The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
becky's review
rating:
like all of ann patchett's books, the magician's assistant is a beautiful and moving story with insightfully drawn characters that seem so real you feel like you know them by the time the book is over. that being said, this was probably my least favorite of ann patchett's novels. i enjoyed it very much, but it faces some pretty stiff competition, as many of her books rank among my favorites ever (bel canto, the patron saint of liars).
the story itself is a bit odd: it begins with the death of the titular magician and follows his assistant (and widow) as she learns about her dead husband's old childhood secrets and travels to nebraska to meet the family she never knew he had. it's very touching, redemptive, and almost spiritual the way patchett weaves these strangers' lives together so that by the end, they are all, in their own ways, healed. but the story takes a long time to get into, and the flow of the narrative tends to drag along due to the lack of chapter...more
the story itself is a bit odd: it begins with the death of the titular magician and follows his assistant (and widow) as she learns about her dead husband's old childhood secrets and travels to nebraska to meet the family she never knew he had. it's very touching, redemptive, and almost spiritual the way patchett weaves these strangers' lives together so that by the end, they are all, in their own ways, healed. but the story takes a long time to get into, and the flow of the narrative tends to drag along due to the lack of chapter...more
