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The Prestige

The literary masterpiece about a feud that spans generations
By Christopher Priest
Series: Gollancz S.F.
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in the shadowy world of Victorian music halls, The Prestige follows the fierce and deadly rivalry between two 19th century stage illusionists: the aristocratic Rupert Angier and the working-class Alfred Borden. Their bitter feud centres around a remarkable illusion that both perform, but beyond the mechanics of the trick lies a deeper, more dangerous secret. This obsession with secrecy and curiosity drives both men to extremes, with repercussions that echo through their families a century later.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers who enjoy historical settings blended with intrigue, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural within the sci-fi and fantasy realms.

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Winner of the World Fantasy Award 1996 and shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 1996

'A brilliantly constructed entertainment, with a plot as simple and intricate as a nest of Chinese boxes... a dizzying magic show of a novel' WASHINGTON POST

THE PRESTIGE is unique in winning both a major literary prize (the James Tait Black Award) and a major genre prize (The World Fantasy Award) THE PRESTIGE is being filmed by the Nolan Brothers (MEMENTO; the new BATMAN movie) THE SEPARATION won both the Arthur C Clarke and the British Science Fiction Awards 'The Prestige is a brilliantly constructed entertainment, with a plot as simple and intricate as a nest of Chinese boxes ... a dizzying magic show of a novel, chock-a-block with all the props of Victorian sensation fiction' WASHINGTON POST 'Priest's mesmeric power is formidable' THE INDEPENDENT 'A taut, twisting, prize-winning story of two magicians and their fin-de-siecle rivalry that taints successive generations of their respective families ... an unexpectedly compelling fusion of weird science and legerdemain' KIRKUS

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Two 19th century stage illusionists, the aristocratic Rupert Angier and the working-class Alfred Borden, engage in a bitter and deadly feud; the effects are still being felt by their respective families a hundred years later. Working in the gaslight-and-velvet world of Victorian music halls, both men prowl edgily in the background of each other's shadowy life, driven to the extremes by a deadly combination of obsessive secrecy and insatiable curiosity.

At the heart of the row is an amazing illusion they both perform during their stage acts. The secret of the magic is simple, and the reader is in on it almost from the start, but to the antagonists the real mystery lies deeper. Both have something more to hide than the mere workings of a trick.

The Prestige unveils the intricate layers of this gripping tale, where both illusionists guard profound secrets that surge beyond their stage performances.

Series: Gollancz S.F.

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

British Fantasy Society praises the book as a standout in the prestigious science fiction masterworks series, affirming: "You can't lose - and that's no illusion!"

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780575075801

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 February 2005

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Gollancz

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 200.0mm

Height: 155.0mm

Weight: 256g

Pages: 368

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About the Author

Christopher Priest's novels have built him an inimitable dual reputation as a contemporary novelist and a leading figure in modern SF and fantasy. His novel The Prestige won both a prestigious literary award and a major genre prize; The Separation won Britain's two major SF awards. He was selected for the original Best of Young British Novelists in1983 and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

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