- Paperback: 122 pages
- Publisher: Digireads.com (January 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1420933442
- ISBN-13: 978-1420933444
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 0.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 200 g
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
First published in 1908, "The Magician" is one of the early novels of W. Somerset Maugham, a Frenchman who lived from 1874 to 1965. Although his popularity was at its highest in the 1930s, this novel is a clear precursor of the simplistic, often haunting method of writing that brought him fame. This tale revolves around the magician Oliver Haddo, a man living in the bohemian Paris of the beginning of the twentieth century. Haddo, a caricature of the disreputable black magician Aleister Crowley of Maugham's day, makes a sinister attempt to create life. The author tells this story to remarkable effect, combining the weird and ghastly with the pure and sweet aspects of ordinary life in an effortless and genuine way. Though actually written in London, this novel reveals the café society of Paris in such a way that demonstrates the intimate knowledge of Maugham, who lavished his considerable skill as a writer on this surprisingly lesser known of his works.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Maugham's Best; However..., Dec 31 2006
By John Conner "part-time professional student" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Magician (Paperback)
If you are a fan of W. Somerset Maugham's work, then you should surely read THE MAGICIAN. If you haven't read Maugham, I'd suggest reading THE RAZOR'S EDGE, THE MOON & SIXPENCE, or OF HUMAN BONDAGE first.It's not that THE MAGICIAN isn't a well crafted story, but rather it does not have the vitality of Maugham's better known work.
This tale was roughly based on the infamous turn-of-the-century (20th) magician Aleister Crowley. Maugham creates a setting where newly-trusted (modern) science can scoff at the alchemists of the previous century. Those familiar with Paracelsus and Rosicrucian thought in general will find the sub-story of Dr. Porhoët's detached study of the occult compelling.
Overall this is an average story with a predictable plot, and Maugham's writing skills are "singularly" responsible for making THE MAGICIAN an enjoyable read.
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