Magic Quote by Leonie Swann
““Cordelia loved his explanations. She loved knowing words that belonged to things she'd never seen, even to things you couldn't see at all. She remembered those words carefully. "Magic," George had said, "is something unnatural, something that doesn't really exist. If I snap my fingers and Othello suddenly turns white, that's magic. If I fetch a bucket of paint and paint him white, it isn't." He laughed, and for a moment it looked as if he felt like snapping his fingers or fetching that bucket. Then he went on, "Everything that looks like magic is really a trick. There's no such thing as magic." Cordelia grazed with relish. "Magic" was her favorite word - for something that didn't exist at all.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, 2006
Cordelia admires the concept of magic as a word for the unseen, while a character argues magic is just illusion and non‑existent.
In simple terms: She loves the idea of magic, but it’s described as a trick.
Key Takeaway
Question the reality of concepts we label as magical.
Themes
imagination
language
reality
illusion
knowledge
Mood
curious
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- reading fiction
- discussing metaphors
- exploring belief systems
Key Concepts
philosophy
semantics
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we differentiate useful fictions from harmful delusions?
- What role does language play in shaping what we consider possible?
A Different Perspective
Magic may be a useful metaphor even if not literally real.
