First Lines: Magic for Beginners

Most of the stories in Kelly Link’s Magic for Beginners worked for me. Two didn’t. But the ones that did, mostly, made it work really well. Thing is, probably, that with a title like that, you automatically thing “Oh, she’s doing fantasy!” when actually, it’s a little bit more surrealistic.

I mean, a story about two clerks in an all-night convenience store trying out a new retail system doesn’t sound too out there. But when their main clientele consists of zombies from the chasm across the road, well … it gets weird. Likewise, losing your grandmother’s handbag, and then having to find it again, well, fine. But when the handbag contains a whole faery-land, including her husband, … well, it gets weird. And I like weird. At least, this kind of weird.

Book read
Kelly Link – Magic for Beginners
First line
I used to go to thrift stores with my friends. (from The Faery Handbag)