The Magic Christian: Amazon.ca: Books

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First Sentence
When not tending New York holdings, Guy Grand was generally, as he expressed it, "on the go." Read the first page

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Concordance

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.7 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Cutesy and obvious, Feb 23 2003

By

Carl (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic Christian (Paperback)

I just don't get the sixties guys sometimes. Maybe forty years ago pointing out the flaws in the American experience was novel, although coming twenty years after Henry Miller and others, it was probably not that shocking to anyone that payed attention to the various literature. This is a smug book, with its smugness somewhat masked by Southern's cutesy tones and farcical situations that he sets up. Maybe it was groundbreaking then, but it comes off as a bit dated and ineffectual now.

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the funniest books I have ever read., July 20 2006

By

Len Dobbin "Friend to Jazz" (Montreal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Magic Christian (Mass Market Paperback)

I was introduced to Terry Southern by the late Pepper Adams, one of the jazz world's greatest baritone saxophone players. I began reading the book in a Tavern in Montreal where I drank and dined prior to picking up a date to go hear the Woody Herman band. At that point I was stifling my laughter. My date was 1) Not ready when I arrived 2) playing a recording of the "Seven Last Words of Christ" and 3) didn't believe that the printed word could by funny. By this point holding back laughter was impossible and the more I laughed the angrier she got. Actually the scene was almost as funny as the book. I've lost this one, "Flash and Filigree" and "Blue Movie" over the years and I guess it's time to order from Amazon and reacquaint myself with this very funny author - the other night I watched "Dr. Strangelove" - I had forgotten that Terry had contributed to that one as well as "Barbarella".

lendobbin@sympatico.ca

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5.0 out of 5 stars Word up!, Jan 10 2003

By

Rik Burke (Nottingham, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic Christian (Paperback)

A decade after the demise of the award winning show "The Word", it's about time that someone reappraised the career of it's anchorman, Terry Christian. Southern bravely steps into this contentious breach, and thankfully for all fans of the show, the book is a triumph.

Christian is well described - his rise from Mancunian gobmeister in the dole queue to Mancunian gobmeister on TV is presented in excellent detail, and the reader really feels they are gaining insight into his character.

Perhaps the only downside to the book is the chapter in which is takes time out from talking about Christian to profile some of the other presents. Obviously, one can never have too many photo's of Amanda de Cadenet, but Hufty's inclusion is definitely a step too far...Thankfully, the nadir of the show, "Bruiser" de Cadenet doesn't get a look in on the technicality he was a stand in and never a full time presenter.

All in all, a fascinating read, and an excellent retrospective of one of TV's most enduring stars.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This book isn't the usual 6-and-7--it's a 7 or 11all the way
Roughly ten years before the movie was made, came the book by Terry Southern, a look at the world of Guy Grand, that eccentric billionaire who concocts outrageous schemes in order... Read more

Published on Jan 4 2002 by Daniel J. Hamlow

2.0 out of 5 stars Magic Christian lacks any real magic
While Guy Grand's pranks are amusing, the book lacks any real satirical center or dramatic structure, which would give it some meaning (and some real bite). Read more