The Prestige

By: Christopher Priest

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1878, two young stage magicians clash in the dark during the course of a fraudulent séance. From this moment on, their lives become webs of deceit and revelation as they vie to outwit and expose each other. In the course of pursuing each other's ruin, they will deploy all the deception their magician's craft can command. Their rivalry will take them to the peaks of their careers, but with terrible consequences. In the end, their legacy will be passed on for generations to descendants who must, for their sanity's sake, untangle the puzzle left to them.

©1995 Christopher Priest (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

• Winner of the World Fantasy Award, 1996
• Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, Unabridged, 2007

"Extraordinary, like a dazzling magic act!" (Entertainment Weekly)
"A brilliant conjuring act by one of the master illusionists of our time." (Wired)
"A taut, twisting, prize-winning story of two magicians and their fierce fin-de-siècle rivalry that taints successive generations of their respective families....An unexpectedly compelling fusion of weird science and legerdemain." (Kirkus Reviews)

this has been the best book ever

I thought I had an understanding of the store by the movie. the book is by far better. don't pass on getting this book.

The Prestige

"The Prestige" is the basis for an excellent movie that was released in 2006. The movie and the book are more dissimilar than alike, but each one is fascinating and has its own pleasures. The book is long, sometimes convoluted, and packed with details that do not always advance the plot. And then it stops, moreso than it ends. Still, the book was captivating and enjoyable, largely thanks to a lively, theatrical reading by Simon Vance. So, yes, I would recommend it.

Highly suspenseful, highly recommended

This is not the typical kind of book I listen to, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story of these two late Victorian magicians is framed within a modern story about two of their descendents. Fascinating for the period details. Fascinating for the representation of art, performance, and secrecy of magical illusion. Although I personally found the science fiction aspect of it (the latter part of the book) to be less convincing and appealing than the earlier, more realistic parts, I found the book so intriguing that I could hardly put it down. The narration by Simon Vance is a superb performance.

Odd knickknack of a story — Stick with the film.

I absolutely loved the movie version of this story. And I typically enjoy books more than their movie counterparts, but not in this case. The movie refined the book's plot, and made it an overall more interesting story.

The book does add plot not included in the movie (naturally), but in few cases does it make a considerable difference in the overall story. I believe that the plot twists and tension was presented best in the movie's format. The book (written in diary-style) had a wandering feel to it. And the big reveal that makes the movie astounding seemed significantly less important in this version.

I do admit that knowledge of the plot contrivances beforehand may be coloring my perception of the novel, but I came into this book with great love for the story, and I was not impressed by the presentation.

Simon Vance was a great narrator, however.

Outstanding book!

Fascinating tale of a feud between two confused men, told in such a way that keeps you at the edge of your seat. Now that I've finished, I feel the need to return to the start and revisit earlier parts of the book to check the story.

ending

I loved the story and even enjoyed the ending. I just wish I had more answers

Great engaging story!

I didn't want to stop listening because I wanted to know what would happen next. I like that it went through everyone's different viewpoints. Simon Vance is a fantastic narrator!

Good read but the movie was better

I watched the movie and I LOVED it. I loved it so much that I've seen it 5 or 6 times now and last month I figured it was time to read the book. Although the main premise is the same, there are significant differences in the storyline. I liked the writing style of the book but in my opinion, the movie adaptation has a more intriguing story.

even more to love

I loved the movie, even though it is very different from the book, both are excellent.

Captivating

The Prestige held my interest and kept me guessing throughout. I liked that the story was told from the different perspectives of the characters involved. Highly recommend.