The Astonished Eye

by Tracy Knight

“When a UFO crash-lands in Elderton, Illinois, which reporter should the infamous tabloid newspaper The Astonished Eye send to cover the event? Why, Ben Savitch, of course! After all, Ben was born in this backwater town and that might just give him the edge when it comes to finding out the truth. And he might finally realise a shot-glass of fame and meaning in his otherwise lackluster career. But the mystery of the stranded extraterrestrial pales in comparison to the powerful yet fragile magic that already exists in Elderton: Almo Parrish can infallibly predict the moment when the first leaf of autumn will fall each year, and believes that he is the last surviving Munchkin; Chandler Quinn can build or repair anything (including otherworldly machines); little Vida Proust lumbers around town because the gentle inhabitants of Elderton are far too polite to tell her the truth of her existence (or lack thereof); and poor Frank Shepard is a flickering wraith of a man, a reanimated superhero who has forgotten how to fly.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the wonder and magic of everything -- from a gracefully falling autumn leaf to a spaceship from parts unknown, from a small town in Illinois to the vastness of the universe, from a lavender colored alien unsure of who he/she/it is, to a mysterious blind man wandering the streets unable to remember a miraculous thing he did many years ago.

Tabloid reporter Ben Savitch returns to his home town of Elderton, Illinois to investigate rumors of a crashed UFO and finds things even stranger than he was expecting and humans as wonderful and mysterious as the alien he seeks.

Saying too much about this novel would ruin it. Get a copy and read it. Let the story unfold. Savor the sheer poetry of it. It is amazing!

[Robert Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a perfect book. I'd multiply Goodreads' top rating by ten if I could because it's easily ten times better than anything I've read in years. Here's a story that pulls you in with magic and high weirdness. Interesting characters doing interesting things. It's well told with plenty of moments and phrases that made me stop in my tracks and consider my place in the cosmos.

It made me consider life and magic and life's magic. This book left me feeling happy to be alive -- and lucky that I got the chance to read it.

[Ann L. Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book to read. Especially since I live in this small town!

[Robert Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a perfect book. I'd multiply Goodreads' top rating by ten if I could because it's easily ten times better than anything I've read in years. Here's a story that pulls you in with magic and high weirdness. Interesting characters doing interesting things. It's well told with plenty of moments and phrases that made me stop in my tracks and consider my place in the cosmos.

It made me consider life and magic and life's magic. This book left me feeling happy to be alive -- and lucky that I got the chance to read it.

[Robert Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant little fable/fantasy about a town in "west central" Illinois. Makes us rethink "human magic" and how we relate to each other. An enjoyable read that I completed in several days while also reading other books.