Sympathetic Magic

Brown, Paul Cameron, 1948-Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 62K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Sympathetic Magic by Paul Cameron Brown. Author: Brown, Paul Cameron, 1948–. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: August 22, 2009.

Editor's review

Sympathetic Magic is a poem by Paul Cameron Brown, available in Project Gutenberg's public-domain ebook library and classified under American and Canadian literature. The title borrows the anthropological concept of sympathetic magic, hinting that the work is concerned with hidden correspondences, similarities, and connections between things—a theme that tends to come into its own in the juxtaposition of images and associative leaps in poetry. Brown's writing leans toward concision and suggestion; the sentences are short and leave much unsaid, making the book suited to slow, attentive reading and to use as a short sample of modern English poetry for classroom discussion or self-study. As a public-domain ebook, it is easy to obtain and convenient for repeated browsing and annotation. One caveat: this is English-language poetry whose understanding depends on a feel for imagery and language, so readers expecting a clear plot line or definite conclusions may feel shut out; it is better suited to readers willing to linger over the language itself.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers looking for a first encounter with short modern English poems
Close readers who enjoy texts with associative leaps and much left unsaid
Learners who need English poetry samples for the classroom or self-study

Not a good fit for

Narrative readers who prefer clear plots and definite conclusions
Readers with little experience of English poetry who want line-by-line notes

Reading tips

On a first pass, read without looking anything up and take in the rhythm and imagery; deal with unfamiliar words on a second pass.
Keep a pen handy and mark recurring images in the ebook so you can compare them as you go.
Read aloud to hear how line breaks and pauses change the tone.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a novel or a poetry collection?

It is a poem by Paul Cameron Brown—poetry, not a novel, with no continuous plot. The focus is on imagery, line breaks, and the rhythm of the language, so read it slowly as poetry rather than looking for a story.

What does the title “Sympathetic Magic” have to do with the content?

The title borrows the anthropological idea of hidden correspondences and connections between things, prompting readers to notice similarities and links among the poem's images. How exactly this unfolds must be judged from the text itself; you can read with this clue in mind and watch how images are juxtaposed.

Can I read it if my English is only average?

The language is compressed and leaves much unsaid, so it does require some feel for the language. Readers with average English can read slowly with a dictionary, first grasping the general sense and mood without insisting on word-for-word precision; sentences you don't understand can be skipped and revisited later.

Comments

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About the author

Brown, Paul Cameron, 1948- Author

Paul Cameron Brown (born 1948) is an English-language author about whom limited public information is available. The library currently holds ten of his works, spanning forms such as fiction, essays, or genre writing. Representative titles include The Land of Look Behind, Eyeshine, Coming to Grips with White Knuckles, The Rake's Progress, Whispers, Prussian Blue, Sympathetic Magic, and The Long Necked Bottle. These titles often carry metaphorical overtones and dramatic tension, suggesting that his writing may focus on human predicaments, psychological change, and personal growth, which is why the site categorizes his work under inspirational and personal development. His subjects appear broad, with a style that seems to move between suspense, fantasy, and realism, using evocative titles to create atmosphere. Because no reliable records exist for his birth and death dates, nationality, education, or awards, this introduction avoids speculation, and readers may learn more about his creative profile through the specific works themselves.