Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: After loving Ann Patchett's wonderful novel, 'Bel Canto,' so much, I decided to read her other novels, in the order in which they'd been written. While not on the same level of writing as 'Bel Canto,' I liked her first novel, 'The Patron Saint of Liars' very much. Her second novel, 'Taft,' was a real letdown, but I figured this was just a glitch and that surely her third novel would be even better than her first, or at least as good. So I was really disappointed to find that though a readable book, it was what I'd call ordinary writing, with characters that didn't get under my skin (the way they did in her first and fourth novels), and with very little complexity and little to think or ponder about.It's true that after I finished the book, I tried every which way to look at it symbolically, to see how the magic tricks, the sleight of hand and the distraction of attention could be applied to what happens, especially with the ending. And yes, OK, I had some theories, such as maybe Sabine had been so distracted by her 22 years with the glamorous, gay Parsifal that she had failed to realize that she was really gay herself, and thus her attraction to Kitty at the end. But I found that I just didn't really care, partly because I didn't care that much about the main characters. I found the trio of Sabine, Parsifal and Phan all too good, too unflawed, too beautiful, and Sabine's worship of Parsifal for over 2 decades a little hard to fathom, as is her relationship with him for that long. I had a similar relationship with a gay man for several years, but it certainly wasn't without terrible heartache nor without disagreements (which Parsifal and Sabine seem to never have had, not a one!). Well, everything in L.A. is good and charming and wonderful, including Sabine's parents and L.A. itself. And no, you don't really get much sense of Nebraska, as Sabine rarely leaves her new family's house and the Fetters' family seems somewhat cliched. I did like reading about a magician's life, having known little about this before, and I did like the way Patchett used dreams in this novel to advance the story or add information that would have been hard to introduce otherwise. They weren't your usual dreams, but more like dialogues with the dead--well, mainly Sabine and Phan, leading up to Parsifal's appearance at the end. I did think a bit about the title of the book in relationship to Sabine and what she was doing there in Nebraska all that time (because I surely did wonder as the book progressed!). But I didn't see a lot of growth in her. And the various conversations with the Fetters' family, while written well enough (but never lyrical writing!), didn't seem to really take me anywhere. Nor did the ending. What Patchett seemed to be saying about love and family has been said many times before and she didn't do it in this novel, for me anyway, in a way that was unique, nor in a story that I could really get involved with. Sorry, but it seemed simplistic & maybe a bit New Agey to me. Maybe some readers would find it entertaining, but I felt I'd pretty much wasted my time in reading it (though I've now accomplished my goal of reading all of Patchett's books!).Thus I'd highly recommend that you skip this novel and Patchett's 2nd ('Taft'), and read her first and last ones instead.
Rating:
Summary: I can't believe it turned out this way!
Review: I loved this book up until the last 50 pages. I thought the characters and relationships were beautiful. But, I was shocked by the end of the story. The characters that had been so exceptionally described throughout the book fell apart for me at the end. The book I could not put down, I would not recommend to anyone. Very disappointing!
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful Work of Art
Review: I could not put down the Magician's Assistant. It follows the grief process of the main character, who is very easy to relate to and hard not to love. The story is artfully constructed of current happenings, the main character's thoughts and emotional process, flashbacks and wonderings about past events, and even dream sequences. I can't wait to read more by Ann Patchett. I think this book is absolutely brilliant!
Rating:
Summary: beautifully written, ultimately boring
Review: i enjoyed this novel for about 2/3 of it length. the writing was wonderful and, unlike some reviewers, i could accept the living arrangement. what finally forced me to put down the book, after skipping over most of the last third to discover, yes, i had indeed predicted the outcome, was the emotional limits, superficiality and immaturity of the concept. perhaps if i had been fifteen, or even ten, years younger when reading this i would have been more impressed. i didn't expect shakespeare, but, for deeper understanding of people i can name at least three writers primarily known for their mysteries. the prose is wonderful. the plotting is good. the novel is worth at least a try.
Rating: 
Summary: A true love story
Review: A true story of what it is to love people and family.
Rating:
Summary: A good chick book
Review: I read this for my Book Club. I found "The Magician's Assistant" a great read--sometimes a bit implausible, but interesting nonetheless. I don't think I've ever seen a plot like this one! Overall I found the book well-written and charming.
Rating:
Summary: It could have been great...
Review: Although the basic premise of this book is a bit hard to swallow, it does capture the reader with beautiful prose. It delivers great sensitivity on several levels. The dream sequences are notable. Unfortunately, the ending is beyond disappointing. It is as if the author stopped in mid sentence. There could be two very plausible endings to this book, and the author employed neither. It's not one of those endings that really makes the reader think, it is just incomplete. What could have been a great book seemed purposely derailed at the end with what appears to be the author's running out of gas.
Rating: 
Summary: Literary Magic
Review: The only magic wrought by Ann Patchett was the legerdemain that she used on her readers. As Sabine told her nephews, the trick is in the verbal patter and movement that keeps the audience's attention away from what is really going on in front of them, leading them to believe that something out of the ordinary is happening. This was a disappointingly undeveloped book with just enough promise to fool the reader into thinking it held greater meaning that it did. Considering all the truly good books one could spend time with, this is at best, an unsatisfying diversion.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS BOOK LACKS MAGIC
Review: I cannot understand how this book is a national bestseller. I thought the book was boring. It is extremely detailed especially when it comes to the dream sequences in the book. This book could have been condensed 100 pages to get to the main highlights. The ending fell short and did not bring any kind of closure to the characters in the book.
Rating:
Summary: No Magic Here
Review: After total entrancement with Patchett's "Bel Canto" perhaps I was expecting too much from this book. Behind the flashy prose, time shifting gimmickry and mundane dream/reality superimposition there is a simple and not particularly appealing story. Very slow reading and very little reward for sticking it through to the end. Read "Bel Canto". Let this one disappear.
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