Magic for Beginners

Stories

By: Kelly Link

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Cassandra Campbell, Danny Campbell, Robbie Daymond, Kirby Heyborne, Rebecca Lowman, Arthur Morey, Lorna Raver, Meera Simhan

From MacArthur “Genius Grant” fellow Kelly Link, bestselling author of White Cat, Black Dog and The Book of Love, an “eerie and engrossing” (The Washington Post), “dazzling” (The New York Times Book Review) collection of short stories

“[These] exquisite stories mix the aggravations and epiphanies of everyday life with the stuff that legends, dreams and nightmares are made of.”—Laura Miller, Salon, “Best Books of the Decade”

LOCUS AWARD WINNER • A TIME AND SEATTLE TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

One of the most critically acclaimed collections of our time, Magic for Beginners is an exquisite, dreamlike dispatch from a virtuoso storyteller who can do seemingly anything. Kelly Link reconstructs modern life through an intoxicating prism, conjuring up unforgettable worlds with humor and humanity. These stories are at once ingenious and deeply moving. They leave the reader astonished and exhilarated.

Includes an exclusive conversation between Kelly Link and Joe Hill

Critic reviews

“A sorceress to be reckoned with.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Kelly] Link’s stories . . . play in a place few writers go, a netherworld between literature and fantasy, Alice Munro and J. K. Rowling, and Link finds truths there that most authors wouldn’t dare touch.”—Lev Grossman, Time

“She is a sorcerer. She is our greatest living fabulist.”—Carmen Maria Machado

“Funny, scary, surprising and powerfully moving within the span of a single story or even a single sentence.”—Karen Russell, The Miami Herald

“This is what certain readers live for: fiction that makes the world instead of merely mimicking it.”—Audrey Niffenegger

“[These] exquisite stories mix the aggravations and epiphanies of everyday life with the stuff that legends, dreams and nightmares are made of.”—Laura Miller, Salon, Best Books of the Decade

“A major talent . . . Like George Saunders, [Link] can’t dismiss the hidden things that tap on our windows at night.”—The Boston Globe

“The most darkly playful voice in American fiction.”—Michael Chabon

“I think she is the most impressive writer of her generation.”—Peter Straub

“Link’s world is one to savor. [Grade:] A”—Entertainment Weekly

“Intricate, wildly imaginative and totally wonderful . . . will fill you with awe and joy.”—NPR

Not really for me

There's no doubt that Kelly Link is a talented writer and surrealist. These stories are engaging, well-written, full of interesting characters, and interesting takes on literary structure, but most of them just didn't work for me. I really prefer more grounded fantasy. I also felt no emotional engagement with these works, other than a great deal of impatience.

Boring

Boring boring Boring boring boring boring boring Boring boring Boring boring boring boring boring Boring boring Boring boring boring boring boring Boring boring Boring boring boring boring boringBoring boring Boring boring boring boring boring Boring boring Boring boring boring boring boringBoring boring Boring boring boring boring boring Boring boring Boring boring boring boring boringBoring boring Boring boring boring boring boring Boring boring Boring boring boring boring boring need seven unique words here is eight

i was Intrigued ... But

Within 30 minutes of each story I sampled, I moved on. After two hours of searching, I stopped ...

Two good and many very bad stories put together

It took some masochism to go trough many of the stories. Many are somewhat surreal but also awkward, hard to digest and I think they do not work well at all despite the effort of Link. I recommend you skip them completely. But I was touched by the writing of both 'Magic for beginners' and 'Stone Animals' and to a certain degree 'The Faery Handbag'. The characters felt very alive and real. In these stories the 'magic' is in the writing by Link rather than the topic treated in the stories themselves

Haunting and Original

Loved these quirky, original short stories. They have a creepy undercurrent and a touch of magical realism. If you like writers like Neil Gaiman and Angela Slatter, you'll probably like Kelly Link.