The Age of Magic - Hardcover

Okri, Ben

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1784081477 ISBN 13: 9781784081478

Publisher: Head of Zeus, 2014

Synopsis

A group of world-weary travellers discover the meaning of life in a mysterious Swiss mountain village.

About this title

About the Author

Ben Okri is the Booker Prize-winning author of The Famished Road. He is considered one of the foremost African authors in the post-modern and post-colonial traditions. His other prizes and honors include the Commonwealth Writers Prize, Aga Khan Prize for Fiction, Guardian Fiction Prize, Order of the British Empire, and many more.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Age of Magic

By Ben Okri

Head of Zeus Ltd

Copyright © 2014 Ben Okri
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-78408-147-8

Contents

Cover, 
Welcome Page, 
Epigraph, 
Book 1: The Journey as Home, 
Book 2: A Little Meditation on Eviling, 
Book 3: A Moment with the Devil, 
Book 4: A Little Night Magic, 
Book 5: A Shadowy Presence, 
Book 6: Elysian Stones, 
Book 7: An Interval in the Enchantment of Living, 
Acknowledgements, 
Ben Okri on the Reissues, 
Preview, 
About this Book, 
Reviews, 
About the Author, 
Also by this Author, 
An Invitation from the Publisher, 
Copyright, 

CHAPTER 1

Some things only become clear much later.

CHAPTER 2

They were on the train from Paris to Switzerland when the white mountains and the nursery rhythms of the wheels lulled him to sleep. He found himself talking to a Quylph.

'What are you afraid of?' it said.

'Why should I be afraid of anything?' Lao replied.

'Maybe you are afraid of Malasso?'

'Why should I be afraid of him?'

'Everyone else is.'

'I don't know him.'

'People are afraid of what they don't know.'

'Never met him. Why should I be scared of him?'

'You tell me.'

Lao became aware, out of the corner of his eyes, that everything seemed luminous. In a compartment full of businessmen, tourists, and young lovers the Quylph looked perfectly at ease. This bothered Lao.

'Then it must be life you are afraid of,' the Quylph said after a while.

There are some conversations so strange that they are only remembered much later, but not noticed at the time.

The Quylph, in a unique space, occupied the seat across from Lao. He felt lucky to see it.

With a hint of amusement, it said:

'Do you know what the luckiest thing is?'

'No.'

'It is to be at home everywhere.'

Outside the window the mountains changed from white to green.

'You may see me again later,' smiled the Quylph. 'But don't look out for me.'

'Wait! I want to ask you a question.'

'You had your chance,' the Quylph said with an expression at once malicious and droll. 'Be more awake next time.'

CHAPTER 3

Lao slept in a shining orb. He woke up at his table, with a book on his lap, and the world was different. The jagged mountains raced past the large window. Mistletoe was asleep with a smile on her face. At that moment Jim, the director of the documentary they were making, appeared in front of him.

'We need to film you interviewing your fellow passengers.'

Lao stared blankly at Jim's benign jowled face. He was still trying to decipher the inscription that was the Quylph and his hearing was slow.

'Are you all right?' Jim said.

'Fine! Great! When do you want me?'

'Whenever you're ready.'

'I'm ready now.'

It turned out that Jim wasn't. He had figured Lao would give him trouble for about thirty minutes, which would have given Sam, the cameraman, enough time to finish his shots at the other end of the train. Jim had expected Lao to be difficult, and was a little annoyed that he wasn't. On the whole, Lao thought, we don't like people changing on us. It means we have to change too, and we dislike making the effort. We prefer them predictable. Jim stood there not knowing what to do. Lao sat back down, and Mistletoe woke up.

'Come get me when you are ready,' Lao said.

'I'm ready,' said Mistletoe.

'Okay,' said Jim, leaving reluctantly.

'Not you,' Lao said, squeezing Mistletoe's hand.

CHAPTER 4

They were making a television documentary about a journey to Arcadia, in Greece. In thos

Edition details

• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1784081477
• ISBN 13: 9781784081478
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288