The Spirit Cabinet

by Paul Quarrington

Book Overview

After a long, slow climb out of the strip clubs of Europe, Jurgen and Rudolfo have hit the big time in Las Vegas, headlining a magic act as slick as their own buffed and usually half-naked bodies.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679309853
• ISBN13: 9780679309857
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: Random House Canada
• Length: 341 Pages

Customer Reviews

A spirited novel

The Spirit Cabinet is a novel about magic and Las Vegas. At least that's the impression you get from the cover-the upper half is a dove cupped in a quick hand, perhaps ready to vanish. The bottom is a slice of the Las Vegas Strip. And the quote on the cover (this is the paperback) starts out by saying the book is "entirely magical." And it's right. But this is a novel that's about a lot more than either magicians or casinos. It's about the search for knowledge. It's about losing sight of what's wonderful around us. And it's about regaining that sight. Quarrington builds an interesting narrative structure. There are actually three stories unfolding at once: one in the literary present, one in the near past, and one that fills in the backstory. It's sort of like a magic trick where you watch something disappear while at the same time seeing it take shape and seeing it reappear. It's quite effective, and certainly works better than just trudging through the chronology. Superficially, the novel is about a pair of flamboyant Teutonic headlining magicians named Jurgen and Rudolofo who seek to buy a collection of magical books and items that once belonged to Harry Houdini. Among the items is the Davenport Spirit Cabinet of the title, a poorly-gaffed (or is it?) teleportation device. Reading the last paragraph, you might have rolled your eyes. Jurgen and Rudolfo...could they be a thinly-fictionalized send-up of Siegfried and Roy? And isn't that a rather obvious excuse for comedy? Actually, Jurgen and Rudolfo are complex characters who get more development than anyone in the book. In the hands of a lesser writer, they might have been a cheap gag, but Quarrington animates them so convincingly that they come off as larger than life but not cartoonish. Clearly Jurgen and Rudolfo aren't everyman protagonists that the man in the street can instantly identify with. No one in the book is: I really can't think of anyone that isn't freakish to one degree or another, or just a loser. But Quarrington, being a gifted novelist, touches on universal themes that help the reader identify with all of these characters (or at least most of them-the Criss Angel-ish Kaz is played mostly as an inept villain). There's plenty of subtext about the power and danger of belief, which might appeal to those with shaky belief structures, but there's an even more universal theme running under that: the search for the father. Every major character is dealing, in one way or another, with the failure or abdication of his/her father, or father figure. You don't notice at first, but thinking about the book you realize: that's the common thread. It's not done in a hokey way, either: there's no fetishization of victimhood, or lame angst. Instead, Quarrington tells stories that seem natural and personal.

Spirit Fusion

"The Spirit Cabinet" uses the world of magicians and magic as an allegory for an exploration of self-worth. Much of the story takes place through the eyes of Rudolfo, who is the showman partner of Jurgan. The two come from colorful pasts. They are lovers as well as partners in a magic act. The novel contains several romantic graphic gay sexual encounters, one in a hail storm & one on an exercise bike. Rudolfo has a flare for working with animals, most notably Samson whose thoughts & fears are most humanely told. Samson is like the cowardly lion, although at times he's alternately bored or suffering from indigestion. The plot revolves around an auction where Jurgan buys a collection of books & magical equipment that belonged to Harry Houdini. This apparently contains secret magical information. We're not absolutely clear about what happens within the spirit cabinet, but Jurgen appears to undergo a transformation where he becomes increasingly less material, his body translucent, and less responsive to physical gravity. The culmination event reminded me of the idea of spirit fusion presented in The Urantia Book. Other magicians swirl in subplots. Preston the Adequate steals Jurgen & Rudolfo's lovely assistant Miranda. Envious magician Kaz tries to steal the Houdini collection. There is also a chauffeur from the African Dogon tribe who appears to have magical qualities. Quarrington peoples the novel with a collection of oddballs who all seem to question their self-worth. The quasi-mystical becomes magical and possible. Jurgen's climax where he seems to explode skyward into luminous bits is wonderful. The barriers to enjoyment come from the construction which is a bit hard to follow. One chapter is in the present, the next in flashback, and another in a dream. Sometimes it's hard to tell what's what, which may be the point. Overall, this is an interesting and entertaining tome, if a bit off-center. Enjoy!

This strange life

Superstar magicians and entertainers Jurgen and Rudolfo buy Houdini's collection of magicians' artifacts and paraphernalia, including the Davenport Spirit Cabinet, at an auction. As Jurgen delves into the collection, he drifts from his partner and lover, as well as becoming more disconnected from their show. Jurgen disappears, leaving Rudolfo adrift and depressed, until he ultimately follows his love. Shifting between the present and the past, Quarrington explores the notions of faith in each character's life. Maybe not as potent as Katherine Dunn's "Geek Love" or anything by John Irving, Quarrington's book is quite a remarkable story of oddball characters that compels the reader onward.

The world of magic

On Terry Pratchett's Discworld, there are eight colours in the rainbow. The eighth is The Colour of Magic. Like the other colours, its intensity may be measured - using a thaumometer.On our world, as Paul Quarrington depicts here, magic is measured with a bank account book. Its practitioners are showmen not wizards. They are sleight-of-hand artists, illusionists well versed in the motto 'the hand is quicker than the eye'. They are highly competitive for audiences and recognition. The issue of selecting routines for their performances looms large, both for the sake of the audience and thier competitors.Performance magic relies heavily on deception and devices. Quarrington relates how little novelty there is in this trickery. Manuevers and mechanisms are frequently handed down over generations to apprentices or favored associates. In The Spirit Cabinet it is a collection of material derived, almost inevitably, from the greatest magical showman of them all, Henry Houdini. Assembled from such diffuse origins as Germany, Switzerland and Saskatchewan, a melange of conjurers gathers in Las Vegas to acquire a collection of Houdini memoribilia. Quarrington takes great pains in demonstrating the trade draws unusual people. Jurgen and Rudolfo are an unusal couple, in more ways than one. A rarity in the craft, they are a team. Most magicians, such as Kaz and Preston the Adequate [his father was Preston the Magnificent] work alone, or with no more than a decorous assistant. All covet the Houdini material, although why, since so much of it has been duplicated, remains hidden. Jurgen and Rudolfo acquire the collection. From that point on, their relationship takes a new course. A hint of real magic emerges, confounding all their lives. Quarrington has drawn these people well. In describing their origins, there are numerous unexpected twists. The memory of Preston's father overshadows his life. Jurgen and Rudolfo have what can only be described as bizarre childhoods. As partners in performance and life, they become lovers. Few books reach publication these days without some form of sexual dysfunction as at least a minor theme. Kaz is Jewish, causing him to view every slight or competition as anti-Semetically based. Only Miranda seems stable; the account of her show business career is one of the best episodes in the book. Quarrington obviously spent much effort researching this book. Combining this information with his prose skills he restores the value of personal performance to a generation inundated with special effects in TV and film. As he did in Whale Music, he depicts the life of entertainers. Stage magic is not for the inept and Quarrington portrays well the stresses these practitioners endure. This book is a fine addition to any library.