A children's book for sure, maybe 4th to 7th grade. I'm all grown up. Add a star if you're a child. Remove one if you're well-read. ( )

An unusual book, but the sort of unusual that appeals to me. It's ostensibly aimed at adults, but reads like middle school fantasy to a modern reader. Gallico's gentle tone reminds me of the children's books of Beverly Nichols or Elizabeth Goudge. The protagonists are good, without a lot of depth, the bad are bad, without a lot of depth, and there's one poor sod caught in the middle who means well unless pressed otherwise, and as a result he's probably the most interesting, but he's a minor character until the denouement.

I suspect this is an allegory (I'm one of those who happily read Narnia without realising), which might explain it's aimed-at-adults focus (somebody out there thought more grown-ups would read fantasy if it were marketed as allegory) but it's not as in-your-face--certainly not, say, compared to Mr. Weston's Good Wine which picks up an allegory bat and beats you over the head with it every page.

My major complaint is a minor complaint: it drives me crazy when writers introduce rules then ignore them. Why break your own rule? It's clearly stated that magicians in this world require an assistant, forcing Adam to hire Jane. Yet Ninnian performs his act entirely assistant-free. Either write in an assistant, or don't force the rule upon your own story!

I have a huge soft-spot for semi-allegorical stories of mysterious magicians arriving in town and mixing things up (e.g. The Circus of Dr. Lao) and this is right in that wheelhouse.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). ( )

Substance: One of my favorite Gallico books, and very suitable for younger readers in need of a boost. Adults may approach it a bit more cynically, which is normal, but while it is "predictable" and two-dimensional, it isn't sappy.

NOTE: As with many older stories, the basic set-up of a mysterious stranger developing a close relationship with a child (male or female) is now considered problematic -- that does not diminish their interest or value, but it puts a cloud on the inspirational mentoring that we still consider important. ( )

This is perhaps the most perfect story I have ever read. It has the beauty of the Snow Goose, but without any flaws.

When a genuinely magical person comes humbly to a town of conjurers and illusionists, most will find him a threat, some will find redemption and all will find their perspective changed forever. Its title and subtitle capture its character completely.

It is amazingly difficult to find copies of this book. My guess is that those who have a old copy wouldn't dream of letting it go and those who hold the rights to print it new have no idea what magic it contains.

It always amazes, and saddens, me that some of the most enjoyable and meaningful books, for adults, wind up being called "children's books" or "young adult". So it is with the majority of Paul Gallico's stories which show their amazing depth and worth when an adult reads them.

This one shows us how easy, and often, we applaud the sham and decry the true.

The Man Who Was Magic remains one of my favorite Gallico books - along with Jeannie. ( )