Magician: Together with a Fragment of Autobiography

by W. Somerset Maugham and . Somerset Maugham

Book Overview

In Paris around 1900, Arthur and Margaret are engaged to be married. Everyone approves and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. Until Oliver Haddo appears. Sinister and repulsive, Haddo fascinates Margaret's spinster friend, Susie Boyd. Yet it is not Susie who ultimately falls prey to this peculiar charm. It is Margaret, and a fate worse than death awaits her in the form of the evil Haddo.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140026681
• ISBN13: 9780140026689
• Release Date: August 1978
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.3" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

darkness foiled

Maughan... dear lovers of magic, ... is a truly great writer and while this is not accorded as one of his great books, these elves, who love books about magic, both fiction and non-fiction, loved this book as well. As noted elsewhere, the book is based on Aleister Crowley, whom Maughan met in Paris just after Crowley returned from Africa where he had shot two lions that were charging him at the same time, which according to Maughan was quite an impressive feat considering the courage it took to remain calm while being so attacked. Maughan wrote that Crowley was neither as powerful nor as evil as the villain of this book. Somewhat reminiscent of Denis Wheatley's occult novels. Kyela, the silver elves

Complex and perceptive

This novel is based on a character whom Somerset Maugham met in Paris in 1897 called Aleistair Crowley. He was a liar, a boastful man and a voluminous writer of mediocre verse. He was also dabbing in Satanism, magic and occult. He inspired Somerset Maugham and served as a model for Oliver Haddo in "The Magician". Arthur Burdon, surgeon of St Luke's in London, has just arrived in Paris to study the methods of the French operators. But he has also come there to see Margaret Dauncy with whom he is in love. It is Dr Porhoet, a lifetime friend of Arthur's, who introduces him to Oliver Haddo. This obese, fleshy-faced man with an imposing paunch claims to be a magician. At a dinner party, the guests can hardly believe the stories told by this charlatan. They wonder whether he is an impostor or a madman and how much he really believes what he says. Does he deceive himself or is he laughing up his sleeve at the madness of those who take him seriously? To Arthur's bewilderment, as he is about to marry Margaret, she falls under the spell of Oliver Haddo and flees with him. Yet Arthur can hardly picture into what abyss of horror and evil Margaret will be driven. A complex and perceptive novel. The theme of evil is perfectly woven into a story stunning for its action and vivid characters. I recommend the audio version from Audible.com. Listening to Frederick Davidson reading "The Magician" is a pure delight!

A gripping horror tale from a master stroyteller

This is possibly the strangest of all Maugham novels that I've read. It starts innocently enough with the type of sophisticated turn of the century Parisian characters that populate much of his fiction. The characters are lucidly established and we are slowly drawn into their relationships and longings in typical Maugham fashion. Then we are introduced to the strange eccentric character of Oliver Haddo and with each of his subsequent appearances the theme of lurking evil is masterfully developed. The plot then takes over in a way that I felt was unique for Maugham and this novel turns into a suspenseful page turner. It is in someways reminiscent of Dracula. The climax builds relentlessly and the last half of the book is virtually impossible to put down once it's begun. Wonderfully blends a horror tale with the cultural sophistication of all Maugham's writing.

A Neglected Gem

This is one of Maugham's least-read works, judging from its absence in most bookstores and libraries. Of Human Bondage, Cakes and Ale, The Moon and Sixpence are usually fairly easy to locate on most shelves. You must do a little digging to find this one, but it will reward your efforts. At the center of the book is Oliver Haddo, who, as you can tell from the other reviews here, is based entirely and without much thought of disguise upon Aleister Crowley, the London necromancer. The plot is indeed pure melodrama, the virginal fiance drawn irresistibly towards her doom by dark forces against which there appears to be no defense. Think of Bram Stoker, or Coppola if you haven't read the novel. Will our hero somehow find a way to overcome the great odds and emerge victorious? Will Haddo succeed in his plan of evil debauchery? Stay tuned for the heady conclusion. What saves The Magician from sinking into the morass of its conventional and even hackneyed plot is the quality of Maugham's writing. We are aware at all times that we are in the hands of an accomplished writer and artist, who can turn a tired theme into an event of wit and real pathos. At times the scenes are in fact quite chillingly rendered as well. There is real suspense here, as well as some startlingly weird and realistic depictions of the occult. The scene that comes most readily to mind is Haddo's creation of the homonculi, some home-grown little fiends he cooks up in a test-tube. Many of the scenes have a surreal edge to them, but are grounded in enough realistic detail to lend them plausibility at the same time. I would recommend this book to those who have read and enjoyed Maugham's other works, as well as to anyone who enjoys books about the occult or to fans of horror novels (of which there are legion). It's an easy and fun read and is frightening enough that it just might have you looking over your shoulder the next time you're dining in a London restaurant, double-checking to see if Haddo might not be sitting somewhere across the room. Then again, these days, a lot of women probably hope that he is.

Addicting Nightmare

Well written as you would expect; he takes the reader down a dark path, describing a situation which could very well happen anytime, anywhere; ie no nead for magic tricks here, it is a true psychological thriller