A new book explains why learning to focus is the key to living better. The magicians book by laura miller collected miscellany. Its absolutely delightful, and i recommend it to those in the venn intersection of people who used to love c. As a child, laura miller read and reread the lion, the witch and the wardrobeand its sequels countless times, and wanted nothing more than to find her own way to narnia. The magicians book is the story of one readers long, tumultuous relationship with c. In the magicians book, miller overcomes that initial revulsion to offer a multifaceted portrait of the sources of lewiss masterwork, as diverse as his disdain for the english class system and his fascination with norse mythology. She explores in considerable depth the close friendship between lewis and j. Enchanted by narnias fantastic world as a child, prominent critic laura miller returns to the series as an adult to uncover the source of these small books mysterious power by looking at their creator, clive staples lewis. The magicians book is the story of one readers long, tumultuous.
I loved the narnia books as a kid, but felt rather betrayed when i learned they were generally seen as blatant christian propaganda. Its the first book by the cofounder of, laura miller, who continues to write extensively about books for salon and other magazines. The magicians book, lauramiller shop online for books. Tolkien and the partner of a woman 20 years his senior, miller illuminates not only the chronicles of narnia, but the nature of reading itself. When she was young she was absolutely captivated and enthralled with the chronicles of narnia series by c. Most of all this is a book about what it means to love another book and how deep such a love can run. She also tackles lewiss christian themes and his perceived racism, sexism, and elitism headon, writing that the authors religious views worked like a black hole, sucking all the beauty and wonder out of narnia. The beauty of the narnian witches isnt ancillary to their evil, but integral to it, one of the weapons in their arsenal. A very readable and enjoyable reflection on reading in general and the chronicles of narnia in particular. Wtf happened to susan theres a weird phenomenon where people discover c. Raised in a large catholic family in california, she found a new world inside that novel and its six companions.
I confess that i was hesitant to read the magicians book for reasons that laura miller herself would understand. Enchanted by narnias fantastic world as a child, prominent critic laura miller returns to the series as an adult to uncover the source of these small books. The magicians book by laura miller little, brown and company. It tells the story of quentin coldwater, a young man who discovers and attends a secret college of magic in new york. A skeptics adventures in narnia by laura miller at indigo. A recent mr request asked me which book i wished i had written and now i have a recent answer. Critic laura miller, who writes about literature for publications like salon and the new york times, discovered that the hard way. Laura miller can trace her own bespellment to a particular book, and even a particular moment.
She was a cofounder of, where she worked for 20 years, and is the editor of the readers guide to contemporary authors. A skeptics adventures in narnia because my own experience was similar to hers. A skeptics adventures in narnia desire acts as a honey trap to the unwary male, luring him into unworthy and catastrophic enterprises. Laura millers book is a wellwritten, extended familiar essay in its discussion of lewiss narnia books, with many related materials. Romances with books can be just as rocky as the human variety. Lewis given a copy of the lion the witch and the wardrobe by a school teacher she dove in an entered a new world. The magicians book is a rich journey through many things narniarelated, including. In the magicians book, an attractive stew of biography, critical analysis, readers notes, and fan mail, critic and writer laura miller details her lifelong love affair with the seven novels that make up c. Laura miller is a literary critic who was raised a catholic in the california desert and studied literature at the university of california at berkeley. I was intrigued into reading laura millers the magicians book. I had a voyage of the dawn treader cake for my sixth birthdayand i still have my coverless copy.
Weaving together her own life as a reader and clive staples lewiss life as, among other things, a reader, a writer, a christian, a veteran of world war i, a friend to j. Lewis the chronicles of narnia, her disappointment and sense of betrayal when she became aware of the christian symbolism behind the series, and finally. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. As a child, laura miller read and reread the lion, the witch and the wardrobe and its sequels countless times, and wanted nothing more that to find her own way to narnia. Conversational, embracing, and casually erudite, laura millers superb long essay is the kind that comes along too rarely, a foray into the garden of one book that opens to the whole world of reading, becoming in the process a subtle readers memoir, and manifesto.
She is a cofounder of, where she is currently a staff writer, and is the editor of the readers guide to contemporary authors. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. Then comes this sickening new idea, that the narnia of all that has gone before is only a shadow of a copy of something in aslans real world, a platonic paradise, as laura miller puts it. At which point, though it hadnt been obvious at all to me when i read them or, rather, had them read to me. The magicians book by laura miller the readers advisor. The magicians is a new adult fantasy novel by the american author lev grossman, published in 2009 by viking press. Millers book about reading reawakened the joy that reading narnia as a child brought me. The magicians book, by laura miller the new york times. Bookend by laura miller hortly after personal computers and wordprocessing programs became commonplace tools for writers, a brave new future for fiction was trumpeted. Lewiss sevenvolume chronicles of narnia and they are legion will find much to enjoy in this unusual book of literary commentary. The magicians book by laura miller overdrive rakuten.
In her skeptical teens, a casual reference to the chronicless christian themes left her feeling betrayed and alienated from the stories she had come to know and trust. Rest assured, though, this is not a typical work of analytic criticism but an inspired. A skeptics adventures in narnia, laura miller explores her responses to the chronicles of narnia as a child enthusiast, a maturing apostate and an adult. I have read and reread this series more times than i. Winter my friends ask me if i am happy to be back in new york city. The magicians book by laura miller things mean a lot.
Laura miller the magicians book 1st edition 1st printing. The magician s book paperback december 2, 2009 by laura miller author. The magicians book a skeptics adventures in narnia by laura miller. I stumbled upon millers magicians book website in a serendipitous way whilst searching for something else. Enchanted by its fantastic world as a child, prominent critic laura miller returns to the series as an adult to uncover the source of these small books mysterious power by looking at their creator, clive staples lewis. One is being reminded of exactly how blissful it felt to be a child in the thrall of a book. A skeptics adventures in narnia, miller delves into lewis biography, the tradition of childrens literature, the power of myth and the history of fairy tales. She also talks to fellow narnia fans, from personal friends to wellknown writers like neil gaiman, susanna clarke and jonathan franzen. Laura miller examines how the chronicles of narnia shaped her imagination. There is no reader more devoted than a bookish child who has found the story that suits her perfectly. The novel received critical acclaim, and was followed by the magician king in 2011 and 2014s the magicians land. The other is watching miller find her way back to narnia as an. Find laura millers email address, contact information, linkedin, twitter, other social media and more.
Articles by laura miller slate journalist muck rack. A skeptics adventures in narnia the emerald city book. She is a cofounder of, where she is currently a staff writer and is the editor of the readers guide to contemporary authors. This book is for anyone who loved narnia as a child and was horrified. The good condit skeptics miller, narnia, in adventures laura laura adventures in magicians skeptics miller, condit a narnia, the book. The magician s bookis the story of one readers long, tumultuous relationship with c. More exactly, it is a series of familiar essays the chapters are partially independent discussions. A skeptics adventures in narnia is a combination of reading memoir, biography and literary criticism in which laura miller recounts her childhood passion for c.
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