The Prestige by Christopher Priest Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Prestige
Book Review: the fine line between science and magic
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book after seeing the movie because of a critic's remark that the book was much richer and made the ending much clearer and more understandable. That critic was absolutely right. I enjoyed the movie, but the book is an entirely different experience. The core of the story--two stage magicians feuding and each trying to upstage the other with his own version of a particular illusion, with tragic consequences--is the same, but the movie is quite different, even in its plot elements. You won't feel like you're reading something you've already seen. Not at all.
The novel's frame story, which takes place a century after the events shown in the film, brings together descendants of the original protagonists, complicates the plot, and clarifies an ending which confused and frustrated some viewers.
The novel has four narrators (the rival magicians and their descendants) and Priest does an excellent job of creating (and differentiating among) their distinct characters and voices. As he negotiates the fine line between science and magic with elegance and grace, he not only tells a terrific story, but his prose style is also a pleasure to read in and of itself. In a way, it's unfortunate that this novel is classified as "fantasy," since that label could turn off some readers of more literary fiction who would also enjoy it.
Book Review: the movie was slightly better
Summary: 4 Stars
I think I was too influenced by the movie when I read this story, which isn't the best thing ever. Usually books are always better than the movie adaptation, but in this instance, I found the movie starring Christian Bale and Jackman to be far more compelling and easier to understand. I was impressed with much of the novel was actually even incorporated into the movie, since there were several confusing incidents in the book that I don't think I would've truly understood if I hadn't seen the movie beforehand. I think the thing that bothered me most was the two separate accounts, I think the story would've been a little more intriguing if both of the illusionists'/magicians' story intertwined a little more.