Read this a few years ago. It's not an exciting read - it takes a slow and steady pace, but the intrigue of the illusionist's life is mysterious enough to keep you turning the page. Still, I don't think it would stand out to me if not for the final chapter, which remains the only time I've ever been scared (like, don't want to turn the lights out and go to sleep scared) while reading. ( )

This is a tale of dueling magicians (Ruper Angier, "The Great Danton" vs. Alfred Borden, "Le Professeur de la Magic) mostly set during the Victorian era, but bookended by an opening and a closing section during which descendants of the two magicians meet. This is not my usual fare, and I have no particular interest in magic, magicians or fantasy, so I don't even know why I checked it out of the library, probably a random complimentary reference on LT. But I have to say, that I really enjoyed this book. Beyond have a good and engaging plot, the book has lot of background information on magic and magicians, which was interesting to learn. Here's a couple:

An illusion has three stages: 1. The setup; 2. The performance, where the magician's lifetime of practice and his skill as a performer join to create the magical display; and 3. The effect, or "the prestige," which is the product of the magic, i.e. the rabbit is the prestige when it is pulled out of the seemingly empty hat.

and,

There are only 6 categories of illusions: 1. Production--producing something out of nothing; 2. Disappearance--the vanishing of something into nothing; 3. Transformation--changing one thing into another; 4. Transposition--changing of place of 2 or more things; 5. Defiance of natural laws (i.e. gravity); and 6. Secret motive power--causing objects to move.

So if this sounds like your thing, recommended.

3 stars ( )

Ya. I’m gonna say it. The movie was better. But this was still delightfully eerie. The diary of Rupert slogged a little here and there but overall I enjoyed the original story that inspired a beloved film.

Also… “prestige materials”. [hardcore stare] ( )

It has been awhile since I've read/listened to a literary work that I would describe as "unique", but this warrants it. I'll put out there that I have not seen the film (nor did I know it existed until much later in my listening), and I don't really care to because the audiobook experience was so vivid and complete.

Both the narrative structure and the content are compelling. We first meet a character who at least initially, seems sort of incidental -- Andrew Westley. We know little about him except that he's adopted, a disgruntled journalist, and a recipient of a book written by one of his biological ancestors. Refreshingly, Christopher Priest does not fall on "adoptee" clichés (either positive or negative), and Westley feels he must have a twin brother out there and he wants very much to meet him. This would be a good foundation for a story, but soon we forget that it is even there...for awhile at least.

What follows is a chronicle, in epistolary style, of a feud between two magicians, and one that gives new meaning to the "sins of the fathers..." Each magician gets substantial air time to be centered as the ...protagonist? Tough call. Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier each share details of their childhoods and development of their careers as magicians, as well as their complex perspectives that inform their actions and reactions in their feud with each other. Admittedly, some of the descriptions of certain illusions contained so much detail that my attention started to drift, but the detail, particularly in the case of Angier's narrative is actually where the devil is. We shall leave it at that.

This truly was an experience--I got lost in the story and forgot why it started. Of course the book returns to where it began, with Andrew (and the Lady Katherine...Angier). Just when I felt like it was enough to bear witness to the lives of Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier, Priest throws in...not a twist per se, but takes us where we might not wanted to have gone. Simon Vance's narration is excellent-- expressing nuances of jealousy, concern, regret, and fear, spread over several characters. Ultimately it is a story about hubris and ambition, but also about love and vulnerability. And on top of all that, a good-old-fashioned mystery--not so much a "whodunnit" but more of a "whodunwhat". ( )

Historical fantasy - in the old SF style. Not my favourite genre. There's actually a modern setting, which both starts and ends the story, but most of it is letters and diary entries from two competing magicians in the 1900s when such illusion shows were popular.

The king piece of both acts was a translocation, one of which seemed to be performed by 'ordinary' magical misdirection, (although it was given as being too fast and never explained) and the other used a completely fantastical piece of technology. Which had some side effects.

MR James does it better in far fewer words, with a better sense of creepy thrown in too. ( )