Wednesday, August 01, 2007
BOOK CORNER: THE PRESTIGE BY CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
I recently watched the film The Prestige on DVD, and while I hated it (but that's another story), it did prompt me to go back and reread the book. After finishing it, I suddenly realized for the first time what the point of the present-day ending is. Undoubtedly I'm not the first one to do so, but there are also people who haven't seen it. For example, Abigail Nussbaum, an intelligent critic, states that the present-day frame "ultimately serves no narrative purpose," and this very good review by Nic at Eve's Alexandria also misses the point of the present-day frame. (The first two links are full of spoilers for both the book and movie.) So, for anyone who hasn't yet grasped the point and doesn't want to work it out for themselves, I've provided the answer on my other blog, linked to by the fake cut below. Spoilers, obviously.
(read more)
I recently watched the film The Prestige on DVD, and while I hated it (but that's another story), it did prompt me to go back and reread the book. After finishing it, I suddenly realized for the first time what the point of the present-day ending is. Undoubtedly I'm not the first one to do so, but there are also people who haven't seen it. For example, Abigail Nussbaum, an intelligent critic, states that the present-day frame "ultimately serves no narrative purpose," and this very good review by Nic at Eve's Alexandria also misses the point of the present-day frame. (The first two links are full of spoilers for both the book and movie.) So, for anyone who hasn't yet grasped the point and doesn't want to work it out for themselves, I've provided the answer on my other blog, linked to by the fake cut below. Spoilers, obviously.
(read more)
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