Magic

by William Goldman

Book Overview

Corky was a brilliant entertainer with a great future ahead. He had good looks, many women, and enormous talent. He also had a secret and a certainty: a secret that must be hidden from his public at all costs; and a certainty that the dark forces of magic were out to destroy him.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440151414
• ISBN13: 9780440151418
• Release Date: September 1978
• Publisher: Dell
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

this book is truly magic

Goldman is one of my favourite writers. What a pity he no longer writes novels but has now devoted himself to the screen world. Of all his books, I liked "Control" the best, but "Magic" was a good enough second. His style is brilliant, just brilliant. As for holding the reader's interest, well, not for one moment can you put this book down. I kept saying I'll go to sleep now but 4 or 5 chapters later, I was still holding my breath and turning the pages with awe. Way to go, Mr. Goldman. Couldn't we have more, please. I have read all your books. I think your successor is Peter Abrahams, but would like to read more Goldmans.

Hocus pocus, Corky's sanity has lost its focus.

Corky is the 1970s answer to Norman Bates, only with a ventriloquist's dummy instead of a mother. Author William Goldman, one of the great contemporary popular writers of the last two quarters of the 20th century, takes us inside of Corky's head as he valiantly tries to keep his sanity from whithering away completely. He escapes to his past, returning to his childhood home and searching out his teenage crush Peggy Ann Snow, now a grown woman in a troubled and rapidly dissolving marriage. In an isolated cabin rental, Corky makes his tragic last stand. A wonderful novel that manages to both be a melancholic love story as well as a harrowing psychological thriller. An essential for any William Goldman addict.

Magic

This book mirrors its name: Goldman's skill is pure magic. (Cheesy, cheesy, but true.) Corky's descent into madness is funny, painful, violent, disturbing, and so so sad. There are some fabulous kickers in here--prepare to be surprised. Found myself forgetting everything as I plunged through it.

"Magic"

This book was really cool. Corky is a struggling stage magician trying to make it big and dreaming of a girl he knew in high school. Very nearly laughed off the stage the first time he performs, he employs the help of a dummy named Fats. At the beginning of the story, you think Fats is a real person, and its only later you realize that Fats is just a wooden dummy. Towards the end you're not sure if Corky is going insane or if its all real. This is a great page-turner and the characters seem very real. Anyone who likes reading avant-garde mysteries and pschological thrillers would enjoy this one.

A great book for someone into somehting different

This book, Magic, is a great book for suspense. The charictars were quite believable and so was the plot. William Goldman has created a winner in my opinion. The discription of Corky went into great depth while Fats charictar was expressed with great humor. Even the ending was good and a little suspenseful.