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Magic for Beginners: Stories Paperback – July 1, 2014

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 340 ratings

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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
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

About the Author

MacArthur “Genius Grant” fellow Kelly Link is the author of the collections Get in Trouble, Stranger Things Happen, Magic for Beginners, and Pretty Monsters. She and Gavin J. Grant have co-edited a number of anthologies, including multiple volumes of The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror and, for young adults, Monstrous Affections. She is the co-founder of Small Beer Press. Her short stories have been published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, The Best American Short Stories, and Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards. She hasalso received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Link was born in Miami, Florida. She currently lives with her husband and daughter in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition (July 1, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812986512
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812986518
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.75 x 7.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 340 ratings

About the author

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Kelly Link
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Kelly Link's debut collection, Stranger Things Happen, was a Firecracker nominee, a Village Voice Favorite Book and a Salon Book of the Year -- Salon called the collection "...an alchemical mixture of Borges, Raymond Chandler, and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Stories from the collection have won the Nebula, the James Tiptree Jr., and the World Fantasy Awards. Her second collection, Magic for Beginners, was a Book Sense pick (and a Best of Book Sense pick); and selected for best of the year lists by Time Magazine, Salon, Boldtype, Village Voice, San Francisco Chronicle, and The Capitol Times. It was published in paperback by Harcourt. Kelly is an editor for the Online Writing Workshop and has been a reader and judge for various literary awards. With Gavin J. Grant and Ellen Datlow she edits The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror (St. Martin's Press). She also edited the anthology, Trampoline. Kelly has visited a number of schools and workshops including Stonecoast in Maine, Washington University, Yale, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, Brookdale Community College, Brookdale, NJ, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC, the Imagination Workshop at Cleveland State University, New England Institute of Art & Communications, Brookline, MA, Clarion East at Michigan State University, Clarion West in Seattle, WA, and Clarion South in Brisbane, Australia. Kelly lives in Northampton, MA. She received her BA from Columbia University and her MFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Kelly and her husband, Gavin J. Grant, publish a twice-yearly zine, Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet -- as well as books -- as Small Beer Press.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
340 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the characters compelling and relatable. They appreciate the author's unique viewpoint and holistic storytelling style. The collections are described as delightful, fun, and whimsical. However, opinions differ on the storytelling quality - some find it delicious and bizarre, while others feel some stories lack focus and intrigue. There are mixed reviews regarding the writing style - some find it well-written and entertaining, while others consider it boring or experimental.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters compelling and relatable. They appreciate the candid, matter-of-fact tone that draws them into the story. Readers praise the author's talent and skill.

"...3. The horror creeps up on you unexpectedly. The characters all speak with such a candid, matter-of-fact tone that you're drawn into the strange..." Read more

"...as intricately detailed as Susannah Clarke, as dark and fantastical as Neil Gaiman, and as rich, fun, and whimsical as Dianne Wynne Jones...." Read more

"...But these are so good and she is so gifted that I couldn’t stop reading once I started." Read more

"...Her stories are bizarre and uncanny; her characters are stark and shadowy. This whole collection is fabulous." Read more

5 customers mention "Evocation"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging. They appreciate the author's unique viewpoint and holistic storytelling style.

"...2. The holistic way in which she tells her stories creates the sense that there's a much larger and stranger world out there than what the..." Read more

"...You'll rarely encounter a writer as warm, adventurous, eclectic and sharp witted as Link...." Read more

"...She writes with a new and unique viewpoint which I have not seen before...." Read more

"...but are still intriguing" Read more

3 customers mention "Collection quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the collection. They find the stories delightful and engaging.

"...Simply put, these collections are delightful, the stories perfect for engaging your intellect and sense of whimsy and purging yourself of the mundane..." Read more

"...as Susannah Clarke, as dark and fantastical as Neil Gaiman, and as rich, fun, and whimsical as Dianne Wynne Jones...." Read more

"...This whole collection is fabulous." Read more

3 customers mention "Fun"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it fun and whimsical, like Dianne Wynne Jones' work.

"...aren't for everyone, but once you accept what they are they are a wonderful ride." Read more

"...Susannah Clarke, as dark and fantastical as Neil Gaiman, and as rich, fun, and whimsical as Dianne Wynne Jones...." Read more

"...Parts of this book were fun and imaginative, but a lot of it was annoying. I do not recommend this book at all." Read more

34 customers mention "Storytelling quality"23 positive11 negative

Customers have different views on the storytelling quality. Some find the stories bizarre and uncanny, with shadowy characters. Others mention that some of the stories lack focus and intrigue, while others find them too fantasy-based.

"...There are hints of humor, hints of fantasy, hints of horror, awe-inducing strangeness that seems more and more normal the further you read, and..." Read more

"...That said, the stories are well written,. That said, not my cup of tea. Tom out" Read more

"...Simply put, these collections are delightful, the stories perfect for engaging your intellect and sense of whimsy and purging yourself of the mundane..." Read more

"Beautiful writing and fabulously creative. The surrealistic stories aren't for everyone, but once you accept what they are they are a wonderful ride." Read more

12 customers mention "Writing style"8 positive4 negative

Customers have different views on the writing style. Some find it well-written and entertaining, while others feel it's boring and dismal.

"Beautiful writing and fabulously creative. The surrealistic stories aren't for everyone, but once you accept what they are they are a wonderful ride." Read more

"This was a book club pick and none of us enjoyed the book - it is not a style of writing that I enjoy and the stories had no ending" Read more

"...not usually a fan of zombie-ish stories, but I liked this author's strong writing and voice...." Read more

"Kelly Link is an amazing writer!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2013
    I came across Kelly Link's work after having read Karen Russell's St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves and listened to a talk by Russell, wherein she mentioned Kelly Link as a major influence. Due to my adoration for St. Lucy's, I had to check out something by Link.

    A breakdown of what I loved:

    1. Link masterfully uses clean and evocative prose that is difficult to find in writing with hints of fantasy. A lot of authors go the route of using sprawling sentences to create an ethereal quality. Link's prose gets across the same amount of description while maintaining a "realness" (for lack of better wording). Some of my favorite instances:

    "She fixed her reptilian, watery gaze on him. She had problematical tear ducts. Though she could have had a minor surgical procedure to fix this, she'd chosen not to. It was a tactical advantage, the way it spooked people" (75).

    "She'd had a passion for children with a certain color of red hair. Twins she had never been able to abide (they were the wrong kind of magic), although she'd sometimes attempted to match up sets of children, as though she had been putting together a chess set, and not a family. If you were to say a witch's chess set, instead of a witch's family, there would be some truth in that. Perhaps this is true of other families as well" (126).

    2. The holistic way in which she tells her stories creates the sense that there's a much larger and stranger world out there than what the characters in a specific story are experiencing. She uses a lot of "asides" in which other events and ideas are alluded to, which does a lot to build the complexity of her world:

    "In the witch's house the dead are sometimes quite talkative.

    But the witch has nothing else to say at this time" (129).

    3. The horror creeps up on you unexpectedly. The characters all speak with such a candid, matter-of-fact tone that you're drawn into the strange things in their world and nothing feels contrived (like things sometimes feel in short stories with horror-y twists).

    4. I can't quite place the genre of Magic for Beginners. There are hints of humor, hints of fantasy, hints of horror, awe-inducing strangeness that seems more and more normal the further you read, and compelling characters with modern, relatable concerns despite their odd situations. Whatever it is, it works.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2018
    I am most reminded of the New Wave in science fiction. Stories that only just meet the criteria to be in the genre, and are self consciously 'literate'. That said, the stories are well written,. That said, not my cup of tea. Tom out
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2006
    In his liner notes to a 2005 CD titled "Back in New York," jazz enthusiast Peter Straub (yes, that Peter Straub), briefly touches on the concept of mastery, stating "What is represented here is mastery of a very particular kind. As a rule, mastery of any kind demands both a rich talent and an utter dedication to its development; in improvised music, only a few obtain mastery of this kind." Although Straub was referring to the great tenor saxaphonist Scott Hamilton with those words, he probably could be persuaded that they also apply to fantasist Kelly Link (heck, he's already dubbed her "the most impressive writer of her generation") , who, for the last decade, has demonstrated an unparalleled mastery of the short story form in every sense of that word. In retrospect, to say she has mastered the form is perhaps an understatement: not only has she tamed this particular beast, she's taught it a few new tricks. Her talent and dedication shine through in each and every tale.

    Link's collections are treasure troves of creative storytelling, each volume a celebration of the power of the imagination, each story a unique, glittering gem worthy of careful and repeated inspection. Combining fantastic concepts with familiar elements of the real world, Link's works reveal there are myriad ways of interpreting and portraying "reality". You'll rarely encounter a writer as warm, adventurous, eclectic and sharp witted as Link. Fearless, there is no place she won't go; empathic, she effortlessly conveys to her audience the nuances of her characters' pain, bewilderment, joy and understanding.

    Stranger Things Happen contains stories about dead men, newlyweds, twins, thieves, princesses, strange cousins, cannibals, marriage, unrequited love, ghosts, and girl detectives. Magic for Beginners sports stories featuring handbags, zombies, cannons, a haunted house, felines, contingency plans, divorce, a television show, and peacocks. Link writes about each of these topics with equal aplomb and inventiveness. She's aware of the numerous levels of story, of tales within tales, of the many paths she can choose in telling her stories-amazingly, she always picks what seems to be the most entertaining road to travel.

    Her titles alone are arresting. Stranger Things Happen (featuring stories written between 1995-2000) contains, among others, "The Specialist's Hat," "Flying Lessons," "Travels with the Snow Queen," "Shoe and Marriage," "Most of My Friends are Two Thirds Water," and "The Girl Detective." Magic for Beginners (with stories written between 2002-2004) boasts the title story, "Catskin," "Some Zombie Contingency Plans," and "The Great Divorce." The titles fulfill their strange promise in surprising ways.

    Simply put, these collections are delightful, the stories perfect for engaging your intellect and sense of whimsy and purging yourself of the mundane. Check them out, and learn for yourself that, when it comes to spinning edgy tall tales, the unconventional Link is in a class by herself.
    12 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • MrsDanvers
    5.0 out of 5 stars Writing at its most betwitching
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2015
    If you like realism in fiction, 'Magic for Beginners' might not be for you. Move on, nothing to see here. However, if you like a sprinkling of magic with your realism (ok, maybe more than a sprinkling – a teaspoon, a tablespoon, a whole darn shaker's worth of magic) get ready to enter Kelly Link's Carroll-esque world where everyone has a zombie contingency plan, the living can marry the dead and the stone animals on the lawn are not what they seem. With the exception of the odd straightforward, albeit terrifying, fairytale such as the very disturbing 'Catskin', Link's tales usually have one foot in the real world and the other in – well, a world like no other but one with its own internal logic. And she is very funny. Take this comparison of vampires vs zombies: 'Some people thought of vampires as rock stars, but really they were more like Martha Stewart. Vampires were prissy...They had to look good. Zombies weren't like that... You didn't need luxury items like silver bullets or crucifixes or holy water. You just shot zombies in the head...' And the marital problems between a living man and his dead wife (they met at a cocktail party given by a New Yorker-profiled medium and matchmaker) in 'The Great Divorce': 'The children had communicated to their father, via the household planchette and Ouija board, a desire to be taken to Disneyland; because divorce is always hard on the children, and because Disneyland offered, at that time, an extraordinary discount to the dead.' And all this might be going on at the All-Night Convenience or while someone is commuting to work. That's not to say she doesn't tackle emotions; many of her characters seem to be lost or alone in the world or estranged from their loved one(s). If all this sounds entrancing, don't move on, there's plenty to see here. Highly recommended.
  • Romur
    2.0 out of 5 stars Sans queue ni tête
    Reviewed in France on August 15, 2014
    A la recherche de bons bouquins de Science Fiction ou de Fantasy, j'ai consulté la liste des prix Nebula et Hugo remis ces dernières années et le nom de Kelly Link est ressorti parmi d'autres pour sa nouvelle "The faery handbag" qui fait partie du recueil "Magic for beginners".

    Kelly Link s'inscrit dans la veine fantastique, avec d'assez longues nouvelles aux personnages un peu déjantés ou déséquilibrés dont l'existence sombre à petites touches dans l'inquiétant, voire le cauchemar, sans que parfois les protagonistes semblent s'en inquiéter outre mesure. Si vous cherchez de l'horreur et du gore, vous allez être déçus : elle procède par petites touches, avec une recherche stylistique certaine.
    Malheureusement, dans sa recherche intellectualiste elle s'égare parfois dans l'abscons. Si l'originalité est assez souvent au rendez-vous, quel dommage que les fins soient gâchées... par des non-fins.

    Elle va devoir faire de sérieux progrès si elle veut dépasser le stade de la littérature fantastique pour adolescent gothique de bonne famille.
    Ceci confirme par ailleurs l'impression que m'avaient déjà donné les prix Hugo et Nebula : c'est comme le prix Goncourt chez nous, à vouloir primer quelqu'un tous les ans, on est amené à primer des médiocres.
  • RJ Mason
    4.0 out of 5 stars Book review
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2009
    This is my second copy of Magic for Beginners. Strange and quirky book with very strong imagery which is both unsettling and funny - all at the same time. Loved the book and have loaned it to friends which is why I have bought another copy. If you liked the movie Shaun of the Dead and like quirky stories - this is for you.
  • Sheena
    3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't finish it.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2014
    I was disappointed with this book, although that may well have more to do with my taste than with the book itself. I found the kind of thing I was looking for in " Could You But Find It" by Robert Cilley. It is difficult to explain, but there is magic and them there is Magic. I like a book that can convince the reader that the Magic might be real.
  • T. A. Wright
    2.0 out of 5 stars Enough quirkiness for a trilogy
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2012
    I did not like this book. Try to imagine being stuck in a lift with the Mad Hatter. Yes it might be entertaining for a short while but imagine being trapped in there for several hours - with no hope of rescue.

    If you like stories with clever ideas, this book has hundreds of them. If you want to lose yourself in endless flights of fancy, fun characters, wild adventures and fabulous fairy tale themes, place your order now!

    But wait... If you value character development, some attempt at creative restraint, prose that doesn't threaten to overwhelm a good tale, and a sense that each individual journey has been satisfactorily completed, then this may not be the purchase for you.

    I never got the feeling that these highly imaginative tales were ever going anywhere. It was all just too quirky. The book seemed to want to prove how smart it was in every single line. Consequently, the stories were given little room to breathe. If the phrase `style over content' applies to one book, and one book only, Magic For Beginners must surely be a contender.

    I may have a curse put on me for this review. I only hope you're grateful.