The Spirit Cabinet
The outrageous and competitive world of Las Vegas magicians is the backdrop for Canadian literary legend Paul Quarrington's novel The Spirit Cabinet, which centres on a mysterious collection of Harry Houdini's old books and props. At the collection's auction, we're introduced to Rudolfo, a hairless, muscle-bound showman whose flamboyant act, with his partner Jurgen, features garish costumes and exotic live animals (sound familiar? ). Jurgen is the magician of the pair, a man whose "skull was square and all of his features oddly rectangular, as though he'd been designed by an architect. " Among the other magicians in attendance are Kaz, a bitter egomaniac, and Preston the Adequate, son of the legendary Preston the Magnificent. Jurgen successfully outbids Kaz for the collection, including the enigmatic Davenport Spirit Cabinet, and slowly falls under its spell. Jurgen's and Rudolfo's act becomes increasingly odd, causing people to wonder if their performance is mere illusion or something more supernatural. The novel throws time away, skipping between the past, present, and future. We follow Jurgen's and Rudolfo's troubled childhoods, their bizarre and shadowy beginnings in show business, and their unlikely ascent to Vegas superstardom. The Spirit Cabinet is a backstage pass into the world of magic, revealing not so much the tricks as the trickery, and the best part is you're laughing with every step. Quarrington is perhaps Canada's finest comic novelist and certainly the most consistently entertaining. --Moe Berg Author(s): Paul Quarrington. Binding Hardcover. Publisher(s): Random House Canada. Label: Random House Canada.
| Manufacturer: | Random House Canada |
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| Lowest Price (CAD): | $24.27 |
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