The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Tales and Conjurations

What is important to remember when reading any of Charles Johnson's work is that he is highly philosophical. He's learned in many disciplines and is usually inclined to merge difficult and seemingly incongruent ideas. His work at times can seem jarring and ethereal--giving readers an over-the-head feeling. I find that if you can work through the areas in his work that go from familiar to foreign, and keep on pace with the story line, by the end you'll find Johnson's work highly rewarding. Faith and the Good Thing is by far my favorite Johnson novel, and Menagerie is indeed the best short story in the whole body of the fiction literature landscape. His short story China will make you re-calibrate your literary compass--it challenges writers to strive to bring more life meanings (usefulness) to their entertainment stories. Johnson is my favorite author. Some of his work is quite difficult. He is the author who will write 1200 pages then distill the content to 250. He's careful, he's purposeful. He's brilliant. He ain't easy. --Solomohn "Piebald" Ennis

Charles Johnson is one of the most neglected writers living today. He, along with William Kennedy, often get shunned aside for their poetic quality in their work. The best story in this series is "Moving Pictures" which gives an excellent appreciation for the arts. His prose is rich and musical- plenty of lines would work in poems. The story about the 2 kids and the old woman was probably the weakest tale. Not bad, but not the best- just goes to show how the most simple of his tales gets all the praise. Johnson takes risks, and takes them well. He is not afraid to be poetic & every work of his I've read has been a pleasure. I highly recommend "Oxherding Tale" because the ending is out of this world. Charles, if you are reading this- keep up the excellent work. There are those who really appreciate your style, and I think in time will grant you more acclaim. Bravo!