Summary
Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom. Esquaveta desperately needs to forge an alliance, and to that end, Tullia’s father has arranged a marriage between her and an odious prince. However, one month before the “wedding of the century,” Tullia falls in love with a lowly apprentice scribe.
The king turns to Anatole, his much-maligned magician. Seventeen years earlier, when Anatole first came to the castle, he was regarded as something of a prodigy. But after a long series of failures—the latest being an attempt to transform sand into gold—he has become the object of contempt and ridicule. The only one who still believes in him is the princess.
When the king orders Anatole to brew a potion that will ensure Tullia agrees to the wedding, Anatole is faced with an impossible choice. With one chance to save the marriage, the kingdom, and, of most importance to him, his reputation, will he betray the princess—or risk ruin?
My Thoughts
I have been a fan of Louis Sachar’s writing since I was a little kid. I remember picked up Sideways Stories from Wayside School back when I was in second or third grade and I just devoured that book. It was full of quirky characters, nonsense stories, and so much silliness that it was perfect for a kid my age. I re-read it recently with my son and we laughed so hard at the kid who couldn’t count correctly but still got all the right answers in math. I’ll never forget him giggling uncontrollably at those short stories.
You’ll definitely understand my excitement when I was wandering around the book store and I saw the absolute most beautiful book cover and then realized it was a book by one of my favorite childhood authors. Louis Sachar wrote a book for adults! I picked it up, read the back cover, and realized that it really didn’t matter what it said, I was buying that book.
The Magician of Tiger Castle is a story of an immortal wizard/sorcerer/alchemist and his attempt to manage a forbidden relationship between a princess and a peasant. This princess is promised to a man from another land, like you do, and of course she has fallen for someone she isn’t supposed to. Our character, being skilled-ish in alchemy, attempts to brew a potion that will make the two of them forget each other. After that, the three of them wind up on an adventure that’s tense, funny, and tragic all at the same time.
I was not surprise at how much I adored Louis Sachar’s writing. He has a way with words that is just something I could only hope to get a grasp on. He writes with an elegance and an approachability that I think helps him stand out so well amongst other authors. That being said, his plot meandered a lot in this book. I really did enjoy the story, but it felt so often like I didn’t really know where we were going. It had a bit of a Coen brothers level “what’s the point” to it. I enjoyed reading it, but I really don’t know what I gained from it.
That being said, I enjoyed the ride a lot. I just didn’t find myself needing to pick the book back up and continue that ride. It was hard for me to grab it and start reading. I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to the next thing to happen. I was just riding along and watching these characters go from place to place. There were some really poignant moments and I love exploring the questions he posed. The big question here is, if you were to forget someone you loved and they forgot you, would you fall in love again if you were to find each other. I loved that part of the story. It was enchanting and beautiful to me. Taking two characters willing to die for each other, forcing them apart, then watching it blossom all over again was astounding.
All said, I think reflecting on the story has me appreciating it more than when I was reading it. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. It’s not hard for me to recommend the book, but I would recommend it with the caveat that you might find yourself needing encouragement to pick it up and continue. In the end, I think the journey was worth it.
Rating
3 out of 5
Recommendation
People who love whimsical yet inconsequential writing. It’s a fun story and a good read, but the plot had me wondering what the point was much of the time.