The Prestige - Christopher Priest

I've just recently moved to a new place, in a new city.  I also left my job as a retail slave, which has been great, but does have a major downside because I had worked at a bookstore.  My unlimited access to virtually every book under the sun is suddenly ended and I've been feeling the loss.  When I knew I would be leaving the store, I started compiling a list of all the books I wanted to read, because I'd realized that there were so many I was forgetting some.  These are books I picked up during the long hours of boredom at work, or that I came across with a customer and had a conversation about, or ones that my coworkers recommended to me - books that stuck in my mind as something I wanted to read.  I've been adding to the list and trying to work through it instead of aimlessly pick up every pile of paper I come across.  So far, it's done me well.

I recently watched The Prestige, which is one of my favorite movies, and when I saw the credits at the end I was again reminded that it is based on a book, that I had decided in the past I wanted to read, and then forgotten about - this is the kind of thing I mean. I went and added it to my list.

As soon as I got my licence with my new address I went to the library to get a new library card.  I've always used the library, and had one right at the end of my street at my old place.  Now I'm living in a much smaller city, and was disappointed to learn there is only one library for the whole region.  I also have to drive there.  However, when I went I was relieved to find that it's pretty big, and so far it seems like they have a good selection of anything you could want to read.  Like most libraries, it is populated during the day by sketchy people sleeping in chairs, seniors, and desperately efficient middle-aged lady librarians.  That all made me feel right at home.

When I went in the other day I didn't look at my list but had a few books in mind; none of these were there and I called my boyfriend to see if he could tear himself away from NHL2012 long enough to read me some titles from my list. That's how I ended up with this week's round of books.  The Prestige I found in a dusty, dim corner of the sci-fi/fantasy section.  I just finished it a few hours ago.

I don't usually have the experience of reading something after I've seen the movie; usually it's the other way around.  And this story presents particular problems because the movie has such a twist, and I had no idea if that would ruin the book or not....As it turned out, though, the book is told in a completely different way.  This is maybe one of the very few times when the movie is actually a really good representation of the book, and it could be argued that it's almost more effective.  The book is told through four different voices, and the writing can be a little stiff, but it's great getting so much background to colour the magicians.  While the movie shows a small slice of a moment of their lives and careers, the novel covers their whole lives, and getting all the extra detail is rewarding.  I loved, loved, loved all the descriptions of the theatres and their innner workings, particularly because of the time period, which was a great one in the history of theatre.  The depiction of the time and the setting is very well done.

What else to say about this book........overall it's very good, well imagined, and the ending is super creepy; you can't not react to it.   I had that feeling of all the hairs on the back of my neck standing up while I read the last few pages; which I don't think I've gotten from a book since Her Fearful Symmetry.  I did feel like there's something missing, or lacking, or a little disappointing, without being able to put a finger on exactly what...but I'd definitely read this again.