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The Magician Audiobook
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(3.06) - 86 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Magician is the now famous story of two sixteen-year-old antagonists locked in the crucible of their high school from which neither can escape.
Ed Japhet gives a skillful performance of magic at the school prom. After the prom, Ed and his girlfriend are beset by Urek, the leader of a school gang that extracts extortion money by “renting” kids their own lockers. Ed is the only student who refuses to pay extortion money. Urek’s fury at Japhet’s defiance results in an attempted murder, a criminal trial, and death, with a shocker of an ending.
Selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club and widely taught in American schools, this book has sold over a million copies and has been published all over the world, including Britain, France, Germany, and as far away as Russia and Japan.
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"This is my favorite courtroom drama novel. It is an honest, revealing classic that is shockingly well-written. The character depth is excellent, the twists and turns are unforseen, and the picture it paints of humanity is all-too real. Every 8th grade student should be required to read this book."
— Rich (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Beautiful and gripping. I cannot recall a novel of this type with greater pleasure.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“If you bury yourself in a Sol Stein book while walking, you’ll walk into a wall.”
— New York Times -
“Irresistible! It would not be fair to reveal the shocking ironic outcome, but I promise you that the story will grip you from start to finish.”
— New York Times -
“[Gardner’s] expert narration is a great match for this novel…straightforward and, fitting this novel, a bit acerbic. His pacing is excellent, and emotional colorings fit the prose perfectly. This deserves to be widely heard.”
— Kliatt -
“The Magician is one of those rare books that, once you read it, you will never forget…Gardner’s voice and style fit the teenaged naïveté and bravado that inhabit the book’s main characters, and he paces the story beautifully, particularly the climactic courtroom scenes.”
— AudioFile -
“A sharklike bite that won’t be easily forgotten. Fast moving, incisive, angry, fine, and dramatic!”
— Library Journal
The Magician Listener Reviews
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" Disturbing. It kept me up all night after I read it. The ending is infuriating. "
— George, 11/14/2012 -
" I listened to this as audiobook, but loved the flavor and fervor reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye. "
— Brent, 9/13/2012 -
" When I finished this book it kind of seemed like the whole thing was a long set-up to a clever ending. I liked the writing and the atypical storyline keeps you guessing as it evolves in an enjoyably frustrating way. "
— Andy, 6/26/2012 -
" Engaging story, over the top and disappointing ending. The story deals with class, cultural and ethnic tensions, bullying and cliques in high school and legal machinations. Up to the last few pages I'd have rated the book 4 or 4.5 stars, but the ending felt like a contrivance to me. "
— Dave, 8/18/2011 -
" Wow, this has not aged well. Archaic & indigestible racial politics, a key plot point involving a karate chop & deadly dull towards the finish. Stay away. "
— Holly, 6/14/2011 -
" I love Maugham but this one is so weak, a good read for teenage girls, perhaps. "
— Katja, 3/13/2011 -
" This is all melodrama, little characterization, and overwritten (which Maugham himself acknowledges in his introduction). There's magnetism to the title character, based on Aleister Crowley, but the other characters are so cardboardish that I didn't much care what happened to them. "
— Margaret, 3/6/2011 -
" I never would have guessed this Faustian novel (the woman ruined by the antagonist is even named Margaret) to be written by Maugham. Quite the fascinating book. "
— Laurele, 3/2/2011 -
" W.Somerset Maugham ,1908) English version.I hated it, it's overloaded !Oliver Haddo trying to create life using black magic...He throw a magic charm into Margaret, marry her and kill her.It was Arthur whom she was engaged to,that killed Oliver.. "
— Isabella, 1/8/2011 -
" Still pretty cool (a 3.5 really, but couldn't give it a 4), but other Maughm books are better... "
— Mark, 11/14/2010 -
" The writing is excellent. Vivid characters and wonderfully-written scenes. "
— Sharon, 11/3/2010 -
" Brilliantly done, and I would have given it 5 stars if the end didn't feel so abrupt. As I was reading, it came to me that if this were a movie, I'd cast Oliver Platt as Haddo. "
— K.B., 10/31/2010 -
" Maugham's study of virtue perverted is as horrific, mesmerising and compelling as the eponymous magician himself. The, at times, heavy handed imagery does nothing to detract from a thoroughly enjoyable piece of traditional gothic fiction. "
— Phil, 9/19/2010 -
" An absolutely fantastic, mind-boggling read. I loved it! "
— Anna, 8/30/2010 -
" Maugham unbunched his frilly panties and wrote a man's man monster story. "
— Sunday, 7/15/2010 -
" An unsettling contrast of sweet ordinariness and unhinged evil. Creepy. "
— Dianah, 6/8/2010 -
" The last few pages are among the creepiest I've ever read. "
— Katharine, 2/19/2010
About Sol Stein
Sol Stein (1926–2019) was a writer, editor, poet, publisher, teacher, and prizewinning playwright who was produced on Broadway. He and his wife founded the publishing company Stein and Day in 1966 and worked with such well-known authors as James Baldwin, Elia Kazan, George Orwell, and Lionel Trilling, some of the most successful writers of the century. Stein authored nine novels, four works of nonfiction, and three plays and screenplays, as well as the computer programs WritePro®, FictionMaster®, and FirstAid for Writers®.
About Grover Gardner
Julie McKay is a voice talent and audiobook narrator. She has a degree in music and a background in classical theater. As an actor, she has worked at Shakespeare festivals and regional theaters across the country as well as off-Broadway in New York.