Confessions of a Conjuror

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urn:lcp:confessionsofcon0000brow:epub:45622e84-4799-47ee-8944-5b795b3c1e71 Foldoutcount 0 Grant_report Arcadia #4281 Identifier confessionsofcon0000brow Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t70w79b11 Invoice 2089 Isbn 9781905026586 Magic: magic anecdotes, details of his magic career, the history of magic, and how magic ties in with human perception This was okay – not brilliant, not deeply philosophical – and even occasionally quite funny. The story about The Sun ‘outing’ him as homosexual was very amusingly told. (Now, Murdoch is someone who has a lot to answer for). However, that is the first, last, and only bad word I shall offer about this book. I’m probably unduly biased anyway; the reason this book took me so long was because I was reading it during a very work-heavy week, probably leading to later frustration when I was only getting around to reading it after having left it for a few days. And most of us get it wrong. (This book really reminded me of Sturgeon’s Law, the revered line of wise philosophy: “ninety percent of everything is crap.”)

Fascinating, wide-ranging and amusing (commuters who suffer from embarrassing giggle-outbursts on buses and trains, beware!) - I really enjoyed this.The one criticism I have I shall get out of the way pronto. (Though doubtless, in the unlikely event that Derren does ever read this, he would say that he had focused on this paragraph and this one only. Sorry!) You know sometimes you're attention will switch away from the audio book and you miss a bit? That didn't happen to me with this because it's so entertaining. Brilliant, hilarious and entirely unlike anything else you have ever read before, Confessions of a Conjuror is also a complete and utter joy. The content is mostly Derren's musings on a wide variety of topics, from the use of a handkerchief to the satisfaction of closing a drawer with a snap. I found myself nodding along and agreeing with a lot of his opinions and observations (especially the one that kindness is the most valuable trait a person can possess), however I was not hugely entertained. It was more like listening to a friend thinking aloud while you're on a long car journey together. A pleasant experience, but I don't need to have the same conversation again in the future. If nothing else, I could listen to Derren talk for hours without growing bored of his voice. Perhaps it is that soothing quality that makes him such an able hypnotist, but whatever it is, I was happy to listen to him narrate his own audiobook.

As with the idea that psychics use Barnum statements that appear to be very personal and accurate statements about you but would actually apply to most people, I would say that most of the ideas and experiences told in here are similar in that they are obviously very personal things about Derren himself but most of it will apply to everyone in some respect. I personally didn't laugh at what he was saying but it was very amusing. I'll end by saying that while it's a masterpiece I can imagine certain people not liking it because of the intricacy of the language. All that being so, I was really looking forward to this book and to finding out more about the man behind the TV personality, or maybe some insight into what he enjoys about his career, or how he feels about possessing such unique skills, the problems and perks. The restaurant was again before me, and my hand again noted its grasp of the cards. I resented the severing of the connection, and wondered whether being privy to a person’s meandering thoughts and gently tracing their dreamy associations was to really know them, at a level far deeper than answers provided by personality tests, school reports or the selective, retrospective narratives of traditional biography.”

Best of Vanishing Inc.

He relates his anxiety about losing his pens and dots them around his flat but still cannot find one when he needs it before dashing out of the door. I can relate to his 'slight' OCD and his curiosity about what would happen if chose to crash his car. In fact, I can relate to many of his observations. Learn about the pantomimes people play out to themselves to not appear weird; why you repeatedly do things you don't actually enjoy; and how to simply enjoy life more. Blimey, he's so pompous! / He's clearly bragging but pretending he's casually mentioning something." Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2020-06-03 10:03:06 Boxid IA1814417 Camera Sony Alpha-A6300 (Control) Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier