Magic Flute

by John Updike

Themes of Wolfgang A Mozart.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

John Hoyer Updike was an American writer. Updike's most famous work is his Rabbit series (Rabbit, Run; Rabbit Redux; Rabbit Is Rich; Rabbit At Rest; and Rabbit Remembered). Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest both won Pulitzer Prizes for Updike. Describing his subject as "the American small town, Protestant middle class," Updike is well known for his careful craftsmanship and prolific writing, having published 22 novels and more than a dozen short story collections as well as poetry, literary criticism and children's books. Hundreds of his stories, reviews, and poems have appeared in The New Yorker since the 1950s. His works often explore sex, faith, and death, and their inter-relationships.

He died of lung cancer at age 76.

Reviews

[Nic Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Queen of the Night aria.

Also, a very Updikian epilogue: “The Queen of the Night was not a wicked woman but she was a woman whose will had not yet been subdued to the will of a man. Therefore she was like a proud ship sailing through a tempest without a captain, at the mercy of every wave and wind, all her sails fluttering. Some say, indeed, that in time Sarastro tamed her fierce spirit with patient advice and harmonious music. Perhaps in time they were married. Perhaps Tamino played the magic flute at the wedding. There are more fantastic things than this that are true.”

Maybe The Ring will be better. Wagner is more Updike’s speed anyway.

[Araksia Pendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

1.Appropriate level:First Grade-High School
2.Summery: The Magic Flute as an exciting book for the older grade level children. It begins with the hero, Tamino, chased by a dragon (inner demons) but saved by three handmaidens of the Queen of the Night. He is given an image of Pamina and falls in love instantly. The queen tells him that her daughter has been kidnapped by the evil magician Sarastro and Tamino is to go out and rescue her.
3.Review:This book is very exciting. I believe that this is a good book to get boys interest especially! It has bravery, courage and magic in it. And the most important aspect is it has MUSIC in it. Children love music.
4.Class Use:This book can be used in a music class. It teaches children how to read music as well as play it. When children it out-loud they are given the opportunity to play the music that is written on some of the pages. It can be made into a class play.

[Beverlee Jobrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been familiar with Mozart's Magic Flute but never knew the story. It is the same as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White... and on and on. It's the man who is ithe hero and the woman must be subdued by him. I grew up with these stories. They are so depressing for a young girl.

[Jeana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the companion to "Bottom's Dream" by John Updike, which is a compilation of story and music. This rewritten opera in the form of children's book is fun in that you can play the piano music along w/ reading the book to give it more of a musical feel. I think this adaptation was a little more beautifully written and showed more of Updike's voice than Bottom's Dream, which was shorter and used more of Shakespeare's words. Still, this includes lyrics from the translated opera and the musical pieces made this a lot of fun to read.

Again, this is a more obscure book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

THis was a lovely adaptation of Mozart's Opera. THe illustrations were charming.