Magic Kingdom

Stanley Elkin is a master of dark comedy. His wry view of contemporary culture, Mrs. Ted Bliss, won the National Book Award. In The Magic Kingdom, Elkin turns a freak show into a bizarre yet touching novel. After Eddy Bale loses his 12-year-old son to a rare disease, he decides to take a select group of terminally-ill children on a trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom. Accompanied by medical staff, swathed in the exotic symptoms of their diseases, the seven children are carefully guided through the theme park's elaborate entertainment. As the days pass, however, Eddy realizes that they're developing their own ideas of how to have fun. The surreal landscape dotted with castles and cartoon animals provides a mythical context for this unique band of travelers. Through Elkin's astonishing blend of fantasy and realism, and narrator Graeme Malcolm's adept performance, the children and their caretakers take on the strange magic of the kingdom.