The Magician's Assistant

Although I found this to be a most compelling read, I often had to set it down and it was emotionally weighty and difficult to digest all at once.

Sabine was Parsifal's assistant, now she is his widow. He has left her very well off but with a surprise: after 20+ years of thinking his family is dead, their attorney presents her with a letter stating otherwise.

Parsifal's mother & youngest sister come out to visit... and then Sabine goes back to small town Nebraska to visit them & for his youngest sister's wedding.

A tragic childhood turned into a golden life filled with love and loss... Especially poignant were Sabine's dreams of Phan, Parsifal's lover and their loving conversations/revelations of the past, which were healing & lyrically written. ( )

Patchett writes a beautiful, haunting account of grief and the transcendent power of love. ( )

Review: The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett.

This was a very original story by Ann Patchett. The writing is flawless and full of ironic thinking for the characters. The language and descriptions throughout the story kept me fascinated. Pachett manages two sub-plots weaving within the story. Placing a few random events seem magical but helped enhance the story. The characters were creative and well developed.

The story begins with the death of the magician and leaves Sabine a widow. Sabine’s enclosed with grief that she spends most of her time in bed until she got a call from the magician’s lawyer with some surprising strange news. Sometime later in the story the readers find out who Sabine’s husband Parsifal really was. They were only married for a year and she was Parsifal’s assistant. She still married him even as she new he had another love. Even though she knew he was gay and would never love her, she still devoted her life and love to him anyway.

During Sabine’s grief for Parsifal she was confused when she heard her husband had kept the truth from her about where he came from and his true identity. ( )

Another one from my mom that I read on vacation. Sweet, light and slow - the main character seems as light as tissue. I think I liked it, but am somehow not sure. (October 09, 2006) ( )

Very good.