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impangs's review against another edition
4.0
A bit verbose and, as Maugham himself stated later, lush and turgid. Published in 1908, the story is in line with any Gothic horror of the day. Worked well for a car trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains.
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
4.0
Chilling and an interesting take on human nature. I like the fact that the main character is quasi-based on Aleister Crowley. It adds something to the general creepiness and sense of despair. It definitely has a far more Gothic feeling than [b:Of Human Bondage|31548|Of Human Bondage|W. Somerset Maugham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168279630s/31548.jpg|2547187] and you can tell it's an earlier book, but it is still really good, in my opinion. Maugham definitely found his voice later, but that isn't a detriment to this earlier work.
novabird's review against another edition
3.0
It was difficult to get into this period piece for me. had I been in a different mindset - I would have liked this better - me thinks
sraev19's review against another edition
2.5
Of Shelley’s Frankenstein, I asked, “Where’s the horror? Where’s the fright?” My expectations of the classic Gothic novel were ratcheted high then subsequently cut down by its rather undisturbing and unterrifying story.
My expectations of the lesser-known and lesser-praised The Magician were a lot lower. I only hoped for a solid dip into the occult world that would whet my curiosity. But upon reaching the end of the novel, I must again ask, Where’s the horror? Where’s the fright? And I must add, Where’s the occult?
For the time of the book’s publication, 1908, Maugham’s writing style is surprisingly okay. Maugham doesn’t lose himself in flowery descriptions, overwrought metaphors, or the-meaning-of-life rhetoric. While Maugham might lean more on dialogue than action, he is straightforward and keeps to the central point of his novel.
There is nothing striking, good or bad, about Maugham’s writing. It is readable and understandable and not torturous. Reading the novel was a neutral experience.
Where Maugham falters is his plot and characters. The story is boring and dull for three-quarters of the novel, until a burst of action and mystery grip the book at its very end. That burst comes too late, though.
The conflict of the plot centres on Haddo’s character as a mysterious, frightening figure of the occult who disturbs all who come in contact with him. I’ll grant that Haddo is weird, but he’s not mysterious, he’s not frightening, and he’s not all that occultish. All these elements are just talk from the other central characters, and I can’t believe that they have the strong, negative reactions to Haddo that they do. Their behaviour is really the strangest thing in the novel.
Because as for the occult, actual demonstrations of it are too few and too tame. Maugham divulges some occult lore and history, but he refrains Haddo, the eponymous magician, from practising it onscreen except for two actual magical feats. The rest of Haddo’s occult affiliations is speculation. For a book that claims to be about the occult, that’s not the kind of speculation I want.
My expectations of the lesser-known and lesser-praised The Magician were a lot lower. I only hoped for a solid dip into the occult world that would whet my curiosity. But upon reaching the end of the novel, I must again ask, Where’s the horror? Where’s the fright? And I must add, Where’s the occult?
For the time of the book’s publication, 1908, Maugham’s writing style is surprisingly okay. Maugham doesn’t lose himself in flowery descriptions, overwrought metaphors, or the-meaning-of-life rhetoric. While Maugham might lean more on dialogue than action, he is straightforward and keeps to the central point of his novel.
There is nothing striking, good or bad, about Maugham’s writing. It is readable and understandable and not torturous. Reading the novel was a neutral experience.
Where Maugham falters is his plot and characters. The story is boring and dull for three-quarters of the novel, until a burst of action and mystery grip the book at its very end. That burst comes too late, though.
The conflict of the plot centres on Haddo’s character as a mysterious, frightening figure of the occult who disturbs all who come in contact with him. I’ll grant that Haddo is weird, but he’s not mysterious, he’s not frightening, and he’s not all that occultish. All these elements are just talk from the other central characters, and I can’t believe that they have the strong, negative reactions to Haddo that they do. Their behaviour is really the strangest thing in the novel.
Because as for the occult, actual demonstrations of it are too few and too tame. Maugham divulges some occult lore and history, but he refrains Haddo, the eponymous magician, from practising it onscreen except for two actual magical feats. The rest of Haddo’s occult affiliations is speculation. For a book that claims to be about the occult, that’s not the kind of speculation I want.
phoebe912's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jason_pym's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining, but not nearly as good as the other Maugham stuff I’ve read (short stories and Moon and Sixpence). The ending is a bit abrupt, and though the homunculi were fun it would have been more interesting to keep the reader guessing: Is Haddo a charlatan using hypnosis and hallucinogens, or is it really black magic? Also, I bet this did a lot for Aleister Crowley’s ego and publicity machine, which seems unnecessary.
readmetwotimes's review against another edition
4.0
Arrotondo volentieri perché mi sono divertita un sacco a leggere questo libro, a metà tra Dracula, Poe e Lovecraft
laefe's review against another edition
4.0
"Gli occhi erano la cosa più strana in lui. Non erano grandi, ma di un azzurro chiarissimo, e fissavano in modo stranamente imbarazzante. Dapprima Susie non riuscì a scoprire che cosa avessero di tanto particolare, ma ben presto lo capì: gli occhi della maggior parte delle persone convergono su chi guardano; quelli di Oliver Haddo, invece, rimanevano paralleli, certo per un'abitudine acquisita per fare ancora maggiore effetto. Davano l'impressione di attraversare il corpo con lo sguardo, vedendo la parete al di là. Era qualcosa di innaturale."
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
Arthur Burdon is due to marry his fiance, Margaret Dauncey. The pair have the misfortune of meeting Oliver Haddo, a self-styled magician and pompous ass. When Arthur assaults Haddo, the Magician hatches a plan to ruin Arthur's life in the most insidious of ways...
The Magician is a tale of revenge, seduction, and things of that nature, written by Maugham after he met Aleister Crowley. It's pretty much a horror novel, honestly.
Oliver Haddo is a revolting character that made my skin crawl and his seduction of Margaret was a little hard to read about. Arthur, Susie, and Margaret were also well drawn, flawed characters.
For a novel written in 1908, The Magician was surprisingly readable compared to many books of that era. The writing was lush and descriptive without being overly flowery and still felt pretty accessible. Haddon's occult knowledge and abilities were also very well done, not terribly flashy and somewhat believable. I have to think the way magic was depicted influence Susan Clarke's [b:Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell|14201|Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell|Susanna Clarke|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357027589s/14201.jpg|3921305].
The only strike against the book that I can readily come up with is the ending. I felt it was a little on the anti-climatic side and kind of a downer.
The Magician is a surprisingly effective horror novel for being over one hundred years old. I may have to give old Maugham another shot some day soon. Four out of five stars.
The Magician is a tale of revenge, seduction, and things of that nature, written by Maugham after he met Aleister Crowley. It's pretty much a horror novel, honestly.
Oliver Haddo is a revolting character that made my skin crawl and his seduction of Margaret was a little hard to read about. Arthur, Susie, and Margaret were also well drawn, flawed characters.
For a novel written in 1908, The Magician was surprisingly readable compared to many books of that era. The writing was lush and descriptive without being overly flowery and still felt pretty accessible. Haddon's occult knowledge and abilities were also very well done, not terribly flashy and somewhat believable. I have to think the way magic was depicted influence Susan Clarke's [b:Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell|14201|Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell|Susanna Clarke|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357027589s/14201.jpg|3921305].
The only strike against the book that I can readily come up with is the ending. I felt it was a little on the anti-climatic side and kind of a downer.
The Magician is a surprisingly effective horror novel for being over one hundred years old. I may have to give old Maugham another shot some day soon. Four out of five stars.