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    Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician
    Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician
    Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician
    Audiobook10 hours

    Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician

    Written by Nitsan Chorev

    Narrated by Tom Stechschulte, L. J. Ganser, Norman Dietz and

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Henry Walker was once a world-class magician, performing to sold-out shows in New York. But now he has been reduced to joining Musgrove's Chinese Circus (which at no point in its tour of the deep South has ever included a single Chinese person) as the shambling Negro Magician, whose dark black skin and electric green eyes bewitch most audiences. But one balmy Mississippi night in 1954, Henry disappears in the company of three rowdy white teens and is never seen again. Wallace pieces together Henry's incredible vagabond life - from a deal with a bone-white devil known only as Mr. Sebastian, to the heartrending loss of his sister Hannah - and creates an enchanting tale of love, loss, identity, and the limitation of magic.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJun 6, 2008
    ISBN9781436101707
    Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician
    Author

    Nitsan Chorev

    Daniel Wallace is the author of five novels. His first, Big Fish, was made into a motion picture of the same name by Tim Burton in 2003, and a musical version on Broadway in 2013. He is a contributing editor to Garden & Gun magazine and is the J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he teaches and directs the Creative Writing Program. Visit his website at DanielWallace.org.

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    Reviews for Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician

    3.5/5

    87 ratings9 reviews

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    • 2/5
      It was in the early 1930’s when Henry Walker was ten years old and he supposedly met the devil in person. The devil gave him the powers he would have to live with for the rest of his life. Then one day Henry’s beautiful little sister disappeared and Henry knew it had been the devil who took her. Struggling through his life, motherless and living desperately with his drunken father, Henry (at the brink of being homeless) is given pigmentation pills so that he may lead a life as a Negro magician. At thirty-years-old, he becomes a magician for a traveling circus. Then, one night in 1954, he goes missing. Some circus performers, all of whom are convinced that they are Henry’s only friend, share what they have learned about Henry’s past, having been told the story by Henry himself.Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician, unfortunately, did not make sense to me at all. It was not only confusing, but didn’t have a point. At the last page of the book, I still didn’t know if it really had been the devil whom Henry saw. The only character I liked was Henry and in the end, it made it seem as if he was clueless and that his life was spent for nothing. It didn’t really “end”, it just stopped. The book seemed to try very hard to end on a good note and describe the setting slowly to make it seem as if it were the end, but it didn’t convince me. The only reason I kept reading the book was because I wanted to see Henry win. I was disappointed highly. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone because it did nothing for me.
    • 2/5
      I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately I just didn't get it. It was not a roller coaster ride nor were there thrills and surprises around every bend. I can't recommend this one.
    • 4/5
      I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this book. I've enjoyed the previous three novels by Wallace and yet, it had been sitting unread on my shelf for over a year. My mistake! This may be my favorite of them all. There's mystery, illusion and great characters. Wallace doesn't disappoint. Plus, he appreciates his fans.
    • 3/5
      This was a curious book. The writing is very good and the plot is compelling. Yet I often felt lost, wondering "What's going on here? Am I just not getting this?" Certainly in the end I had no idea what had really happened, which I did not enjoy at all. It's kind of like a song that sounds beautiful, and yet the lyrics make sense only to the writer (a bit like Tori Amos).
    • 5/5
      This novel begins with a Depression-era circus. The book has so many twists and surprises I could not stop reading. There are multiple narrators which adds to the mystery throughout. It reads somewhat like Twain, requiring suspension of disbelief while maintaining enough realism to make you question the craziness. You can't tell much about this book without ruining some of the mystery, but if you read to page 45 I don't think you'll be able to stop. Expect this to become a movie. This is the author of Big Fish and there are many similarities within the stories.Reviewed by:Cara BancroftLanguage Arts Teacher
    • 4/5
      The splits between narrators, what each believes to be a reality, and the interpretations of magic make this book enjoyable for me. From each perspective, we are given a different clue as to who Henry is, why he is what he is, and what his outcome may be. But never are we given a definite resolution, much as in standard life. Each individual has their own way of looking at the world, of creating their version of truth from each piece of data they are given. The voices found within Wallace's novel, explaining the life and passing of Henry, each create their own reality, and never can a reader be sure of which is the ultimate one.I, personally, don't believe there is an ultimate truth in Wallace's depiction of Henry Walker's life, and that is a true beauty of the novel to me. How often does an author give so much insight into a character, and yet leave so much to interpretation of the reader? Wallace makes a point that life is about your resolutions, your determinations, your interpretations. Other readers may be disappointed that there isn't a more formal moral or a stronger theme to the book, but to me, it was an enjoyable read, with a unique twist to what authors often try so hard to instill in their readers: belief.
    • 3/5
      Initially, the book was hard to slip into, but after the first two chapters, the different narrators added complexity and a puzzle-like effect that kept my interest--was this real or was this fantasy? I think the biggest shock came with the revelation about Henry's sister toward the end.However, the resolution was too glib--the private detective "explaining" (deus ex machina) to the circus folk and then the 3 redneck toughs driving Henry to their home to do a magic trick? Not credible.The different narrative threads/anecdotes--how he came to be black; his meeting with Mr. Sebastian; Marianne's ability and death, were entertaining, but ultimately, the character was a static representation that did not grow or develop from the opening chapter. I expected more from the character's search.
    • 4/5
      Wacky but thoughful story that tells of Henry Walker and his life and (mis)adventures as a magician, and how he became what he was - The Negro Magician. Open-ended conclusion left me a bit at loose ends, though.
    • 5/5
      The book starts out with Henry Walker at 11 years old. He is living with his sister and dad at a hotel. One day he meets, who he believes to be the devil himself in room 702. The devil, or Mr. Sebastian, teaches Henry magic card tricks. Henry swears a blood oath never to tell the secrets of his tricks. After Henry's sister Hannah disappears during one of his tricks Henrys life changes forever. The story is basically about learning to letting go of the past and living in the present.The only problem I had with the book is the reader is left to decide what actually happened and what was fantasy. Very interesting read.