The Magician

I enjoyed this rather melodramatic and contrived novel, written in 1908 about magic and the occult in Edwardian England/Paris. It does have some dated prose and it tends to heap on the detail in rather list like form at times.
Margaret is rather contrived and the author never convinces us why she acts the way that she does, but that is part of the magic/hypnotism story.
But it is interesting to read what must have been a topical novel at the time. ( )

I hadn't read anything by W. Somerset Maugham and he was on my queue for awhile. I decided to start with "The Magician" because Alistair Crowley (upon which the character of Oliver Haddo was loosely based) is also one of the inspirations behind Jeff Martin's new album '777'. The story is well paced and offers a keen portrayal of the fine line between the rational and the occult, the skeptical and the magical, the Victorian life of manners and the underbelly of the mystical, and how easy it is for someone to cross between each of these. At times it is overworked and seems like a Scooby Doo episode, but this can be excused for it is always well written. I will have to see the movie and see if it stacks up. ( )

Good tale, especially if your are a Maugham fan, into the occult or Aleister Crowley. ( )

An unsettling contrast of sweet ordinariness and unhinged evil. Creepy. ( )

I enjoyed this rather melodramatic and contrived novel, written in 1908 about magic and the occult in Edwardian England/Paris. It does have some dated prose and it tends to heap on the detail in rather list like form at times.
Margaret is rather contrived and the author never convinces us why she acts the way that she does, but that is part of the magic/hypnotism story.
But it is interesting to read what must have been a topical novel at the time. ( )