Sunday, July 20, 2025

The Magic Kingdom by Russell Banks

 

I read another novel by Banks a couple-few months ago, maybe more, and I liked it enough that I've been poking around his books when I've seen them at the library, and this one finally ended up coming home with me. It's a really good novel, with some weirdness in the premise, and some neat character stuff--especially the main/POV. The whole thing is written with wit and energy and empathy, while echoes of prior art linger in the air. It's not the Florida that Hiaasen or Dorsey write about, but with a careful eye you can see that it's the foundation of that Florida. The parallels between Walt Disney World and the fallen Shaker Eden in the novel do substantial positive structural work.

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