Why people recommend it
The Magician by Colm Tóibín is a historical fiction novel that offers a novelized chronicle of the life of the celebrated German author Thomas Mann. The book received significant attention across multiple episodes of The Book Review podcast in 2021. Emily Aken shared it as a personal favorite outside of the official best books list, while Pamela Paul featured it prominently on the cover of the book review and introduced Colm Tóibín as a guest joining from Los Angeles to discuss the narrative. Lauren Christensen referenced the novel during a listener questions episode to explore the intricate blurring of fiction and non-fiction in biographical storytelling. Additionally, John Williams mentioned the work when discussing Dwight Garner's critical review, and later noted that he was personally finishing the novel after hearing the author speak about it on the program. Contributors frequently praised the scope of the biographical fiction, highlighting Tóibín's deft handling of complex historical figures and his ability to transport readers into the private and creative worlds of early twentieth-century artistic and intellectual circles through evocative prose and deeply researched character development.
Who recommended it
- John Williams Discussed
- Pamela Paul Recommended
- Lauren Christensen Discussed
- Emily Aken Recommended
John Williams — 2 mentions
“and the last two he's reviewed are attacus lisha's second novel called the war for Gloria and column Tobin's new novel The Magician”
“I am just about finished with colum Tobin's new novel The Magician which he talked about recently on the podcast”
Pamela Paul — 2 mentions
“colum toyan joins us from Los Angeles his new novel is called the magician”
“colum toy Bean's new novel The Magician is reviewed this week on the cover of the book review”
Lauren Christensen — 1 mention
“I'm thinking of colum toyin's the magician his novelization of the life of Thomas man”
Emily Aken — 1 mention
“the book I want to mention is the magician by colum toin the Irish novelist this is a work of historical fiction”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- Beautiful World, Where Are You
- The Master
- Crossroads
- Klara and the Sun
- No One Is Talking About This
- The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“and that book is the magician that's the magician”
“which is where the book this novel The Magician was launched because the German government now owns that building”
“I read the magician by colum toin”