The Magician's Wife
The Magician's Wife, published in 1997, was the last novel[1] by the Northern Irish-Canadian writer Brian Moore. Set in 1856, it tells the story of a famous French magician (based on the real-life Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin)[2] who is despatched by Emperor Napoleon III to help France subdue the Arab population in war-torn Algeria.
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| Author | Brian Moore |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Knopf (Canada) Bloomsbury (UK) Dutton (US) |
Publication date | 1997 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 215 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7475-3718-2 |
| OCLC | 247666817 |
| Preceded by | The Statement (1995) |
| Followed by | The Dear Departed: Selected Short Stories (2020) |
Reception
Reviewing the book for The New York Times, Thomas Mallon said: "Combining actual and invented figures requires a particular sleight of hand, and in The Magician's Wife Moore accomplishes this mingling without giving any glimpse of a false bottom or secret compartment... The Magician's Wife, combining so many of Moore's longtime preoccupations and themes, proves to be one of his neatest tricks yet."[3] The San Francisco Chronicle described it as a "deft and absorbing novel".[4] John Muncie, reviewing the novel for the Baltimore Sun, said: "Moore writes with propulsive clarity. The reader is immediately entangled."
References
- Walsh, John (January 14, 1999). "Obituary: Brian Moore". The Guardian. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
- Muncie, John (January 11, 1998). "Moore's 'Magician's Wife' – imperial magic". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
- Mallon, Thomas (February 1, 1998). "Sleight of Hand". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- St. Pierre, Brian (January 25, 1998). "Illusions of French Colonialism". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 3, 2012.