Now You See It--

I have read a number of the author's novels, and have enjoyed them all to one extent or another. This one is no different. It is well-written and replete with a number of intriguing twists and turns, as well as a discourse on how some magic tricks are derived. The events that transpire within the book are narrated by an elderly man, silenced and paralyzed by a stroke, who, nonetheless has all his marbles and is a totally sentient being encased in a totally unresponsive body, leaving him unable to communicate. That man is seventy-three year old Emil Delacorte, who was once a great stage magician, until his stroke incapacitated him. Then his son, Maximilian Delacorte took up where his father left off, becoming the world's greatest stage magician. It seems, however, that Max has been off his feed of late, and he is not as great as he used to be. Summoning associates and his wife, Cassandra, herself a capable magician, to his father's study, also known as the magic room, Max engages in a series of masterful tricks that have grisly results. It is there that a series of events transpire, some totally shocking, that keep the reader wondering just what is going on? The pacing is kinetic, and the twists and turns are diabolic, leaving the reader breathlessly turning the pages of this tightly written, highly stylized, somewhat anachronistic little book.

First off let me state that this is definitely not one of Richard Matheson's best works. However that is like stating that Micheal Jordan had an off day by only scoring 30 + points. You can still enjoy the performance and learn a lot from it. The novel centers around (and is narrated by) Emil Delacorte a retired stage magician who is now a paraplegic after suffering a massive stroke. In the introduction Matheson does a marvelous job of foreshadowing the coming events and sets the mood for the insanity that follows. What follows is a series of twists and turns that leave the reader shocked and stunned and wondering what is going to happen next. What made this novel work for me was a number of things 1) Mathesons very tight, almost journalistic prose which allowed him to cram an incredible amount of events into a very few pages. Very few authors could have written such a tight, powerful tale. (The critic who complained about the simplistic style of writing obviously did not get this-stick to long winded overblown epics if that is your preference-but for this story Mathesons styling was perfect.) 2) Having the guts to have the story told in the first person by a paraplegic took guts-not every writer could pull this off. 3) A consistent weaving of twists & turns that was an exercise in prestidigitation in it's own right. Matheson will lead you one way with his plot and while you are looking that direction he twists in in a completely different direction. 4) Matheson's knowledge and explanations of magicians trade secrets and craft adds a verisimilitude to the story that makes it seem much more possible and believable. Not a lot of writers are capable of compressing so much into a 220 page novel and make it work- and only a master like Matheson can make you enjoy the ride at the same time.

This book was great, short, to the point, but great. There were soooo many twists and turns ir was insane. I loved it. A lot of people complain saying its too short or confusing or whatever, but if you like suspenceful book, youll like this one, it keeps you second guessing the whole time and with little turns in every chapter you may THINK you know the ending, but not even close.Check it out !!!

This book reminds me very much of such stage classics as "Sleuth" and "Deathtrap", wherein there are several plot twists and character turns that stump the audience. That said, Matheson has created a tongue-in-cheek murder mystery, enhanced by the utilization of a stroke victim (also termed a "vegetable") as the narrator.The plot revolves around a magician's revenge on his unfaithful wife and agent. Though at times a little labored, the narrative flows smoothly and the twists at the end are surprising.This is not classic Matheson, but the man's genius as a writer remains evident in this compact little story.

R. Matheson captures pure irony, subtle comedy, and horror in this one. It is a page-turning suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very surprising and unexpected end. Matheson is truly one of the masters of horror right under Stephen King and Robert McCAMMON!!!!