This is a book I picked up in New Zealand at an airport (the copy I have is a UK-release-only version). I found it there listed among the 'best fiction of the 20th century', according to a source I can no longer recall.
This fantasy novel is about a boy who shows magical talent; a boy whose talents lie in a type of magic not known in his homeland. The book follows his adventures into the world as he grows into a powerful wizard.
I had difficulty wading through it, honestly. I think the author was aiming for something along the lines of The Lord of the Rings, but this story has neither the flat-out wonder of that work nor its tone. Magician takes itself seriously, and its pacing pays the price.
rand()m quote
I'm constantly amazed at how difficult it is to break free of the straitjacket of the immediately urgent.
—michael werneburg