The Magic Journey: A Novel [Paperback]

John Nichols (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2000

Boom times came to the forgotten little southwestern town of Chamisaville just as the rest of America was in the Great Depression. They came when a rattletrap bus loaded with stolen dynamite blew sky-high, leaving behind a giant gushing hot spring. Within minutes, the town’s wheeler-dealers had organized, and within a year, Chamisaville was flooded with tourists and pilgrims, and the wheeler-dealers were rich.

Spanning forty years, The Magic Journey tells the tale of how progress transformed a rural backwater into a boomtown. At first, it was a magic time for Chamisaville—almost as if every day were a holiday. But the euphoria gradually dissipated, and the land-hungry developers, speculators, and interlopers moved in. Finally, the day came when Chamisaville’s people found themselves all but displaced, their children no longer heirs to their land or their tradition. With mounting intensity, The Magic Journey reaches a climax that is tragically foreordained. A sensitive, vital, and honest chronicle of life in America’s Southwest, it is also an incisive commentary on what America has become on its road to progress.

The Magic Journey is part of the New Mexico Trilogy, which includes The Milagro Beanfield War and The Nirvana Blues.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Deserves to be both widely read and profusely honored . . . A great, big, wonderful book.”—The Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer

“One of the most compelling novels I’ve read in a long time . . . As timeless as it is timely.”—Chicago Tribune Book World

From the Inside Flap

Boom times came to the forgotten little southwestern town of Chamisaville just as the rest of America was in the Great Depression. They came when a rattletrap bus loaded with stolen dynamite blew sky high, leaving behind a giant gushing hot spring. Within minutes, the town's wheeler-dealers had organized, and within a year, Chamisaville was flooded with tourists and pilgrims. The wheeler-dealers were rich -- and that was only the beginning . . . --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; First Edition edition (February 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805063390
• ISBN-13: 978-0805063394
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinarily written book, June 8, 2005

By 

trainreader (Montclair, N.J.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic Journey: A Novel (Paperback)

John Nichols is perhaps one of our best contemporary writers, and it's a shame that he isn't more prolific and more accessible to the general reading public. He uses language like poetry, and his characters jump off the pages with their idiosyncracies. There are good guys, bad guys, and everything in between. Here, Nichols explores the subject that seems to most interests him, namely, the cultural destruction of a small southwestern town due to "progress," and the never ending quest for more riches. He never pretends that life was so great before, or that gentrification is always bad, but Nichols certainly wants the reader to understand the unfortunate consequences of converting a small town into a vacation spot on the lives of those who live there.

It is not easy to read "The Magic Journey." The plot tends to drag in places, and, Nichols liberally sprinkles his prose with Spanish, which, unfortunately, I don't speak. Nichols also tends to show off his prodigious knowledge concerning the southwest and its environment, and is somewhat heavy handed in his anti-progress stance. However, the writing is so beautiful that it is well worth it, even if you can read only a few pages of the book each day. Eventually, I intend to read the other two books in the trilogy.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the best book I have ever read!, August 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Magic Journey (Paperback)

This novel of the cultural, political, and economic evolution of northern New Mexico, starts with the "miraculous" explosion of a bus filled with dynamite in the 1930's and documents the devastating effect that discovery by the outside world has on separate but intertwined white, Hispanic, and Indian cultures in a small mountain town. This evolution is described through the eyes of strong, well developed characters that sparkle with complexity and humor. Nichols paints a picture of cultural and environmental destruction with dry humor and stark narrative. For anyone wishing to understand the recent history of the most beautiful portions of New Mexico, a must read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best of the New Mexico trilogy, January 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Magic Journey (Paperback)

A wonderful story about greed in a small New Mexico town when someone accidentally discovers hot springs. It features great characters including the beleagured lawyer fighting for the underdogs and a confused Peace Corp volunteer. It's the best part of Nichols's New Mexico trilogy.