Red Magician [Paperback]

Can you believe it? I'm actually giving 5 stars to a book I used to hate. When I first read "The Red Magician" 20 years ago (it was first published in 1982) I was deeply offended by the harsh way in which the rabbi is portrayed. In the very first chapter he curses the Jewish school for teaching Hebrew as a secular language, because "Hebrew will only be spoken when the Messiah comes and we return to the Holy Land." OK, there were (and still are) Jews who believe that way about Hebrew. To this day, the Satmar Hasidim do not speak Hebrew as a secular language. But to curse a Jewish school and all the children in it? Not likely.

Not long after that, the rabbi threatens Voros, the Red Magician, with death if he ever enters the village again. This didn't strike me as authentic, either. Jews do not kill Jews, at least, not in pre-Holocaust Eastern Europe. Excommunicate, banish, shun -- maybe. But to actually kill somebody?

Because these events occurred in the very beginning of the book, they colored my whole negative reaction to it. I found myself thinking that this was going to be some sort of polemic against "backward" religious Jews who didn't fight against the Nazis, or didn't support Zionism, yada, yada, yada. Had I reviewed this book back then, I would have trashed it for orthodox-bashing.

Upon re-reading it this weekend, I had a different reaction. Oh, the rabbi still comes across as harsh, but I was able to see that this was his own problem, rooted in his own lack of faith (to say more would be a spoiler.) The book is not a polemic against religious Jews per se. Rather, it is a fantasy exploration of the themes of guilt, revenge, misuse of power, letting go of anger, moving on with one's life, etc. The rabbi has genuine mystical powers, but he had become harsh and unforgiving because he has allowed his own desire for vengeance to destroy his sanity. This places him in the genre of black magicians everywhere, in every culture, real or imagined.

The magical details in this book are very accurate in terms of Jewish mysticism. Lisa Goldstein really did her homework. I could not find a single blooper -- and readers of my reviews know how much I just LOVE to nitpick mistakes in Judaica! In this case, however, the rules of magic and the details for using it are perfectly in accord with kabbalistic legend(s). Yashar koach -- well done!

Readers should keep in mind that all the main characters are Jewish: Kicsi, Imri, Voros, Erzebet -- all are Jews, not just the rabbi. The names they use, however, are Hungarian, rather than the Hebrew/Yiddish names that usually appear in stories about Eastern European Jews. This use of secular names fits with the way magic works in the plot. The point is very clearly made that to know a person's true name is to have power over that person. Voros will not give his true (Hebrew) name to the rabbi for that very reason. We can safely assume that everyone is using their Hungarian names as nicknames to protect against bad magic. "Kicsi" means "Little One," and "Voros" means "Red," referring to his red hair. (Is this a literary reference to King David, who, according to Jewish tradition, also had red hair? Is he a descendant of David and therefore a possibility for the Messiah? Or is he a lamedvavnik, one of the 36 hidden saints in Jewish tradition?)

When the rabbi does learn the Red Magician's real name, he finally has the power to kill the one he believes to be his arch enemy -- but will he? Read for yourself and find out.

Lisa Goldstein's first novel came out of nowhere and won the American Book Award. Compelling and heartrending, with beautiful prose and a wonderous, magical story, *The Red Magician* captures readers into the life of a Jewish girl, Kisci, coming to adulthood in preWWII Poland, detailing her friendship with the Red Magician--the truly magic magician--who tries to warn those around him about the coming horror he has forseen. The novel follows Kisci through the Camps and to the point where, as a DP, she embarks for America. This novel is possibly the best realization of Magical Realism I have ever read, blending Jewish Kabbala mysticism with the events of the time with the intimate story of Kisci with such a grievous beauty that even after many readings I cannot pick up the book just for a moment: the novel almost forces me to finish it in one sitting.

I picked up a copy of this book from our employee book swap for something to read on the train home and, in the process, have discovered a new "favorite author". This is a compelling tale of a young girl (Kisci) coming of age during the Holocaust. Her life intersects with that of a mysterious red-haired stranger (Voros)who seems to have the ability to predict the future. Although her relationship with the stranger creates turmoil within her family and town, the bond between Kisci and Voros eventually saves both of them from death. Laced with magic, this tale can also be seen as an allegory for the importance of finding strength within yourself and going on with life even when it seems impossible.