Magic Street

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Mirron E. Willis

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Living in a peaceful, prosperous African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles, Mack Street is a mystery child who has somehow found a home. Discovered abandoned in an overgrown park, raised by a blunt-speaking single woman, Mack comes and goes from family to family, a boy who is surrounded by boisterous characters and yet deeply alone. But while Mack senses that he is different from most and knows that he has strange powers, he cannot understand how unusual he is until the day he sees, in a thin slice of space, a narrow house. Beyond it is a backyard, and an entryway into an extraordinary world stretching off into an exotic distance of geography, history, and magic.

Passing through the skinny house that no one else can see, Mack is plunged into a realm in which time and reality are skewed, a place where what Mack does seems to have strange effects on the "real world" of concrete, cars, commerce, and conflict. Growing into a tall, powerful young man, pursuing a forbidden relationship, and using Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream as a guide into the vast, timeless fantasy world, Mack becomes a player in an epic drama. Understanding this drama is Mack's challenge. His reward, if he can survive the trip, is discovering not only who he really is but why he exists.

Both a novel of constantly surprising entertainment and a tale of breathtaking literary power, Magic Street is a masterwork from a supremely gifted, utterly original American writer, a novel that uses realism and fantasy to delight, challenge, and satisfy on the most profound levels.

©2005 Orson Scott Card (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"[Card's] prose is a model of narrative clarity; the author never says more than is needed or arbitrarily withholds information; yet even a simple declarative sentence carries a delicious hint of further revelation." (The New York Times)

Only okay

I've read numerous Card novels. As one might expect, some are better than others. This would be one of the "others." It's okay, but I wish I would've saved my book credit for something else.

Different.

This is the first book I have read by Card. I really enjoyed that it was different from other books that I have read; it was refreshing. I think most readers would enjoy this book. However, like I said, I have not read any of his other books and have no room for comparison where that is concerned.

Fun

It was a fun listen and a welcome addition to the SF/Fantasy genre - a genre that sorely lacks African American characters. That said, for me, there really weren't any surprising twists in the story. It was a fairly predictable fairy tale. But, as I said - it was fun.

Not compelling

I have read a number of Orson scott Card and this one simply missed the mark with me. Not to say it was a bad read, I certainly finished it. But it was different by far from his other books. The authors narrative explained some of the awkwardness I felt while reading the book.

Good, not great.

Being a fan of both Orson Scott Card and urban fantasy, I had to listen to this title. It starts out well and, like every Card title, it has some very well-developed characters, but eventually it turns into something much less like what I've come to expect from OSC and much more like S.P. Somtow's Valentine books. The Shakespeare references, the portrayal of Christianity as a front, and the vagueness of the parameters and functions of magic all reminded me of Somtow.
Worth listening, but not on the same level of excellence as his SF. Charles DeLint has little to fear.

Take your time

This has a slow start but a greet ending you will like it let your mid take you palace you have never been.

Not Science Fiction, but fantastic story

This is not typical OSC, and I have read/heard most of his fiction. This story was fascinating. The narration (character portrayals) by Willis were superb. If you want science fiction, this is not for you probably, but if you like Koontz, as I do, then you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did. This is the first title in 3 years with Audible that I have listened to twice.

Decent story

This wasn't quite as good as some of OSC's other stories, but I still enjoyed it and found myself wondering "What on earth is going on here?" It kept me guessing and was someone original.

Bravo! Well Done!

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel featuring a cast of African-American characters. I read the Author's comments on how he came to create such a wonderful tale. He stayed true to the concept, the characters and the plot.

Great listen..

If you could sum up Magic Street in three words, what would they be?

Love the narrator too.. Harry Potter esque, but more grown up.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Love Mack and Cease!! Two unique characters, loved their relationship.

What does Mirron E. Willis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's a natural for this story and he does such a good portrayal of the various characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Had some good humor, but it was mostly the story line that I liked. I don't usually like scienced fiction.