Reviews

The Magic Kingdom by Rick Moody, Stanley Elkin

justin_zigenis's review against another edition

2.0

Maybe it was coming off Thomas Bernhard and Ducks, Newburyport that ruined this for me. Too fluffy for the subject matter.

pino_sabatelli's review against another edition

4.0

È possibile raccontare la malattia, il dolore e, addirittura, la morte di un bambino in maniera sfacciatamente incurante di qualsiasi preoccupazione per il politically correct, tenendosi alla larga dai trabocchetti della retorica e dalle lacrimose trappole dell’emotività e, nonostante tutto, scrivere un gran libro? Dopo aver letto questo romanzo so che la risposta è: sì.
La recensione completa su http://www.ifioridelpeggio.com/magic-kingdom-di-stanley-elkin/

jennoux's review

1.0

As many of you probably know I'm a HUGE Disney fan so of course I want to read books set in the parks. This one was so boring. I really liked the premise of it but the writing style was unbearable.

werdfert's review against another edition

i think i would probably like to finish reading this some other time. it's just not catching me the way i want to be caught right now.

zachkuhn's review

4.0

Elkin is a master of the sentence. he pulls life and suffering from the humor and humor from the suffering. but this one is more a story than a novel.

tdstorm's review

3.0

Elkins' language and sentence-crafting is about as impressive as it gets for a novelist. The plot itself isn't as full of wonder and surprise, doesn't have the same how-the-hell-did-he-do-that sense of crafting. And occasionally, the language gets lost in its own clause and phrase subordination--to the point that it's difficult to follow. I understand the criticism of the novel and I don't totally disagree. But there are passages that are breathtakingly beautiful, and Elkins characterizes his dying children and their adult support staff quite well. Janet Order, Benny Maxine, and Colin Bible are especially well-imagined. And the long sentences often make for quicker pacing and more momentum.

joshuasklar's review

emotional funny medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Elkin's method here with many of the characters is to take a single quirk and spin that into an entire character--this is particularly true with the doctor with the weird holocaust thing and the anxiety masturbator lady.

Style style style

kirillov's review

4.0

Si può sorridere di un gruppo di bambini malati terminali diretti a Disneyworld al fine di passare una settimana spensierata in attesa del trapasso? Si può, si può. Il black humor di Elkin è lucido e spassoso senza mai oltrepassare il limite, l'idea di per sé è veramente incredibile ed il libro si articola in mille situazioni vorticose che riescono a trascinare il lettore in un riso a denti stretti alternato a momenti potenzialmente commoventi. Consigliatissimo!