Shadowland is a novel by Peter Straub

Peter Straub

Peter Francis Straub is an American author and poet, most famous for his work in the horror genre. His horror fiction has received numerous literary honors such as the Bram Stoker Award, World Fantasy Award, and International Horror Guild Award, placing him among the most-honored horror authors in...

, first published in 1980 by Coward, McCann and Geohegen. It is a horror novel that has strong elements of fantasy. It was the first book Straub wrote following his highly successful Ghost Story

Ghost Story (Straub novel)

Ghost Story is a horror novel by Peter Straub that was published in 1979 by Coward, McCann and Geoghegan. It was adapted into a film in 1981.The novel was a watershed in Straub's career...

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Plot summary

The story concerns two young boys, Tom Flanagan and Del Nightingale, who spend a summer with Del's uncle Coleman, who is one of the foremost magicians in the world. As time passes, however, Tom begins to suspect that what Coleman is teaching is not a series of harmless tricks, but is in fact real sorcery.

Setting

Parts of the novel involves a thinly disguised version of Milwaukee Country Day School

Milwaukee Country Day School

Milwaukee Country Day School was a country day school in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, under the headmastership of A. Gledden Santer , who had been operating a smaller school called St. Bernard's School since 1911; the school was begun in 1917, "incorporated by leading citizens."...

, which Straub attended.

Overall impression

Many consider it his best book, apart from Ghost Story

Ghost Story (Straub novel)

Ghost Story is a horror novel by Peter Straub that was published in 1979 by Coward, McCann and Geoghegan. It was adapted into a film in 1981.The novel was a watershed in Straub's career...

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