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The Magician
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
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The Magician
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Summary
Set in the bohemian café society of Paris at the turn of the nineteenth century, Maugham's exploration of hypnotism and the occult was inspired by the sinister black magician Aleister Crowley. At the start of this compulsive gothic horror story, Arthur and his beautiful, innocent fiancée Margaret look forward to an idyllic life together, until they encounter the mesmerising and repulsive Oliver Haddo...
Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Magician
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- CD
- 29-08-18
Maugham struggles with the Gothic
Less successful than his works focussing on decaying imperial grandeur, the introduction is nevertheless fascinating.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- DAVID
- 26-07-20
Thrilling period piece
In the introduction Somerset Maugham reflects on this novel from his early years - freely admitting that it is a little laboured - but also saying how he was gripped when he re-read it many years later. I would wholeheartedly agree: there are elements of the melodrama & some patches are a little dated & overwritten and stylistically stodgy - but it's also hugely atmospheric and quite a thriller toward the end. A good tale - in its day it must have been quite a shocker.
The reading by David Rintoul is absolutely fantastic - giving a huge dramatic depth to the narrative....
I shall now explore some other recordings of WSM's work.....
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Dr
- 21-02-13
Great narration, beautiful language
I was immediately hooked- partly because of the descriptive prose and partly because of the wonderful narration. David Rintoul's narration was so beautiful that I could have listened to the whole book just to hear him speak. He certainly did justice to the grandiose language and tone of the book.
The plot, though not boring, was not as solid as it could have been. The idea behind the story is brilliant and went on quite well until the last part of the book. The climax fell flat and was a total let down. That still did not diminish the curiosity the story arouses and the beauty of the narration.
Now I am going to look for other books narrated by David Rintoul.
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5 people found this helpful