Magic Journey

The Magic Journey is an incredibly powerful American story, probably the most underrated novel of our times. It is the story of Rodey McQueen's rise to the middle class and power politics of the day, by hook or by crook, mostly crook. Besides being a novel about the human consequences of imposing middle class values upon the world, the central character of this book is Rodey McQueen's daughter April, brought up amid the powerful Anglo Axis in the Southwest with strong influence by the local Spanish speaking population. The book has a multitude of Anglo and Spanish speaking characters of all varieties, and all have their place in the "Betterment of Chamisaville." Through it all we follow the impossibly magnetic April as she grows to love the local people and sympathize with them against the sometimes crushing power of the Anglo Axis. Here is a sample: "But for his daughter, Rodey McQueen would have been on top of the world, no strings attached. Yet April, his most precious possession, also caused him frightening pain. Beautiful beyond almost any man's ability to describe her, April seemed possessed by devil-inspired energies. Volatile, criminally attractive, all-American, and healthy -- almost any superlative might describe that wild and moody child. By April's sixth birthday, McQueen had realized they were in for trouble." This is a rollicking saga, sometimes roll on the floor hilarious and irreverent, sometimes heart-stoppingly sad as the reader feels the frustrations of both the rich and poor souls populating John Nichols's America. THE MAGIC JOURNEY follows THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR in a trilogy whose third book (NIRVANA BLUES) is unfortunately not of the same caliber. THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR was made into a good enough film, though the book is far more complex and incredibly funny. I am stunned that THE MAGIC JOURNEY has not been made into a film yet.

John Nichols is perhaps one of our best contemporary writers, and it's a shame that he isn't more prolific and more accessible to the general reading public. He uses language like poetry, and his characters jump off the pages with their idiosyncracies. There are good guys, bad guys, and everything in between. Here, Nichols explores the subject that seems to most interests him, namely, the cultural destruction of a small southwestern town due to "progress," and the never ending quest for more riches. He never pretends that life was so great before, or that gentrification is always bad, but Nichols certainly wants the reader to understand the unfortunate consequences of converting a small town into a vacation spot on the lives of those who live there. It is not easy to read "The Magic Journey." The plot tends to drag in places, and, Nichols liberally sprinkles his prose with Spanish, which, unfortunately, I don't speak. Nichols also tends to show off his prodigious knowledge concerning the southwest and its environment, and is somewhat heavy handed in his anti-progress stance. However, the writing is so beautiful that it is well worth it, even if you can read only a few pages of the book each day. Eventually, I intend to read the other two books in the trilogy.

This book gives a true meaning of going back to your roots especially when you can make a connection with the characters. This book is thought provoking in the sense that one can see the authors insight of the past, and apply it in the current debacle of our current society and its quest for wealth, even in the face of destroying culture and people in the process. The genious prose that sets John Nichols apart is clear and being able to bring to life a culture and people lost to time and greed is amazing.

This novel of the cultural, political, and economic evolution of northern New Mexico, starts with the "miraculous" explosion of a bus filled with dynamite in the 1930's and documents the devastating effect that discovery by the outside world has on separate but intertwined white, Hispanic, and Indian cultures in a small mountain town. This evolution is described through the eyes of strong, well developed characters that sparkle with complexity and humor. Nichols paints a picture of cultural and environmental destruction with dry humor and stark narrative. For anyone wishing to understand the recent history of the most beautiful portions of New Mexico, a must read.

With minor but well chosen elements of Magic Realism John Nichols continues his New Mexico Trilogy. With sharp and witty vignettes set in a small New Mexico town dating from the 30's to the 60's that eventually blossom into a generational epic.It has moving, true to life depictions of interpersonal relations that you don't have to be Latin to understand. A moving story about the perils of progress in a small town. Progress as a great evil tied in with a palpable Anglo threat. Just incredible!