Trader

The Newford Series, Book 4

By: Charles de Lint

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Two lives. Two souls. One miracle.

Max Trader is a luthier, a maker of guitars. Johnny Devlin is chronically unemployed. Max is solitary, quiet, responsible. Johnny is a lady-killer, a drunk, a charming loser.

When they inexplicably wake up in each other’s bodies, Johnny gleefully moves into Max’s comfortable and stable existence, leaving Max to pick up the pieces of a life he had no part in breaking.

Penniless, friendless, homeless, Max begins a journey that will take him beyond the streets of the city to an otherworld of dreams and spirits, where he must confront both the unscrupulous Johnny Devlin and his own deepest fears.

©1997 by Charles de Lint (P)2021 by Blackstone Publishing

Never disappoints

Love everything by Charles de Lint. His magical world never disappoints. Love that characters mentioned in other books appear in this one.

Classic Newford wonder

Another engrossing tale that intertwines magic, indigenous spirituality and modern life as only Charles Delint can. I keep coming back for the rich world building and vivid characters, the realistic internal dialogue romance, the heartaches, inspiration and story development, and am almost always charmed and satisfied. This story takes on the added complexity of an adolescent character grappling with age-appropriate anxieties and questions, and the author does a decent job of letting the reader into her head…making for an interesting addition to the character’s psychological journey.
The only criticism I have is the use of the overused technique of associating obesity with immorality. Such a hackneyed, lazy trope that pulls me right out of the story. Otherwise, “Trader” is provocative in the best ways…communicating the message that humans, and evidently also spirit beings, are capable of great uniqueness and great commonality if we but choose to stick together and keep our hearts compassionate and our minds open.

Body swapping

Charles de Lint’s Trader is a tale from his Newford series. Two individuals, one a guitar maker and the other unemployed, wake up one morning to find themselves in each other’s bodies. Confusion and frustration reigns until finally they transition to another realm to sort things out.

De Lint spins a fanciful tale that is both delightful and entertaining as each struggle to adjust to their new condition. Narration is quite good with decent character distinction. Pacing is just a tad slow.

The ole switch a roo

Happy this is finally on audible. Wish all the Newford books were. WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE. DeLints take on the body switch. Good but not his best. Kste Reading on the other gand the best.

Good Book

I read this in the nineties. There are many characters and threads in this book. Many of them are good. Two of the characters are in a lesbian relationship.