Customer Reviews

The Man Who Was Magic

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A charming tale with just the right mixture of funny, melancholy and thought-provoking moments. It was one of my childhood favorites and I wholeheartedly recommend it to my own daughter.
A true magician, innocent and kind to a fault, and his familiar, a scruffy dog with enough common sense and street smarts for both of them, journey a long way to attend the annual convention at the fabled "magic city" where the magician hopes to be accepted into the guild. To his disappointment, he finds that the guild consists entirely of mere conjurors, who dress up their parlor tricks with smoke and mirrors and the city proves a shallow hub of conceit and show business snobbery. The magician stays on, despite himself, to help out two newfound friends. One is a hopeless aging clutz, who has failed his whole life at getting into the guild on his own merit. The other is the pathetic daughter of a prominent conjuror, whose family's bullying has completely eroded her self-esteem. He changes the life of these friends by showing them how to unlock the magic of "I can" and "I will" within themselves. Meanwhile, however, some more malevolent conjurors realize that he is the real deal and as such a potential threat to their entire livelihood. The story of how he gets kidnapped by thugs, how his amazing dog organizes his rescue and the final bittersweet success on the convention stage is written in graceful, readable style.

My grandmother gave me a copy of this book when I was 10. I loved it then and it's still my favorite. I've bought many copies for friends.

Paul Gallico has written more popular stories ("The Snow Goose"), and is maybe better known for the movie versions of some of his books (including Mrs 'Arris Goes To Paris" and "The Poseidon Adventure"). I think this book tops them.

As the book starts Adam has just arrived in the famed city of Magea, the city of magic, for an annual magic competition. But he is different. All the other magicians are illusionists, just like the magicians we'd find on stage or TV any day. But Adam does 'real' magic. The city is thrown into a tizzy when, in the preliminary competition, Adam unscambles an egg and puts it back in the shell. The rest of the story relates how the individuals of the city react to him (everything from naïve curiosity to malevolent determination to kill him).

Besides Adam, the main characters are his dog Mopsy (a talking dog, although no one but Adam can hear him); Jane, a magician's daughter relegated to a future as a magician's lovely assistant; Ninian the Nonpareil, a inept magician and quick friend of Adam, tempted to learn his secrets but trying to do good; The Great Robert, Jane's father, Adam's host, and mayor of Magea; and a host of other characters who relate to Adam in different ways.

Some friends have told me they see "The Man Who Was Magic" as an allegory. I have always just seen it as a wonderful tale of innocence and good overcoming evil. Adam is a character we'd all like to know - or be.

I have loved this book since I first read it at age 12 (I'm 51 now). The issues and themes it deals with have resonated with me throughout my life, and, I think, even informed my life. Mostly I loved how eloquently and simply it presents what it means to live a truly authentic life, without ever being preachy...

It's truly a magical book.

I loved this book as a child and read it repeatedly. As a teacher I picked it up and read it aloud to my third graders and they were mesmerized.

I picked the book up to see what age group it would meet. In the first few pages I knew it certainty wouldn't meet my young students, but I couldn't put the book down. It was not only entertaining, but life inspiring. I can't wait to order more from this author!

The other reviewers have already described the book's charm and the beautiful story so I won't do more than say that this book is everything others have said and more. Paul Gallico crafted a simple but enchanting tale that stands the test of time very well. I too bought this book as a young girl (I believe I was 11 or 12 when I found it in the dollar bin at the bookstore) and forty years later it still captures my imagination and evokes the same feelings it did the first time I read it. I wish someone would make it into a movie so more people would share in the wonderful journey of Adam, Jane, and Adam's talking dog, Mopsy to "real magic". So until someone in Hollywood discovers this charming, simple, yet absolutely unforgettable, story you should read it as I guarantee you too will be hooked on the story, the characters, and the magic.

The description was accurate and the book arrived promptly
What more could I have asked?