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The Magician

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The Magician is the now famous story of two 16-year-old antagonists locked in the crucible of their high school from which neither can escape.

Ed Japhet gives a skillful performance of magic at the school prom. After the prom, Ed and his girlfriend are beset by Urek, the leader of a school gang that extracts extortion money by "renting" kids their own lockers. Ed is the only student who refuses to pay extortion money. Urek's fury at Japhet's defiance results in an attempted murder, a criminal trial, and death, with a shocker of an ending.

Selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club and widely taught in American schools, this book has sold over a million copies and has been published all over the world, including Britain, France, Germany, and as far away as Russia and Japan.

©1972 Sol Stein (P)1999 Blackstone Audiobooks
Action & Adventure Crime Murder
All stars
Most relevant
Small town American life circa 1971. A real time capsule. Good story. Kept me entertained throughout.

Good story

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Great book with an interesting pedigree, brisk pace, well told, well read - something really out of the ordinary.
Why have we forgotten Somerset Maugham? The themes here are really very contemporary and the style is anything but dated, I really enjoy everything that he wrote - short stories through to the better known mainstream novels. And yet 'The Magician' holds no better place than a 1950's B movie...try it!

Was there ever an author so forgotten...?

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