Reviews

The Magician's Wife by Brian Moore

notrix's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

2.0

Couldn't engage with it. Flat, is the only word that comes to mind to describe how I feel about this book. I finished it hoping it would at some point impress me, but it didn't. I think I missed the point.

hoodster's review against another edition

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4.0

This is really like two books. The first section, which is about 80 pages long, is very slow as negative reviews have noted. It’s mostly about the excesses of the French aristocracy, not a topic I’m particularly interested in. But the remaining 2/3 of the book, which takes place entirely in Algeria, is outstanding. So, my recommendation would be to hang in there if you’re struggling with the first part, because there is a payoff!

viiemzee's review

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

Honestly a disappointment. I was expecting so much more from this.

First of all, I hated that the switches between first and third person were so sudden and unannounced. Not even a change in typeset like italics to denote it.

Secondly, while the plot itself is very intriguing, I honestly just felt let down by the ending. I felt like there was much more that could be done.

That being said I did like the fact that Emmeline falls in love with a culture outside of her own and how she views the people of Algeria. And Moore doesn't fall trap to describing female characters in strange ways as some male authors tend to do.

lekg's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

debnanceatreaderbuzz's review

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3.0

Magician is sent to Algeria to intimidate the native peoples with his illusions. This guy was nominated for the Booker three times???
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