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)

A great novel

I really enjoyed this book!!! It was innovative and interesting. Give it a try although if you saw the movie be prepared for quite a difference.

The Prestige

I listened to it twice. Fascinating book.

Really cool listen!

Had seen the movie and was interested in hearing the book. The book is pretty different, but still a pleasure to hear. Simon Vance made the story come alive with his character voices. Would definitely recommend this audio book.

Most enjoyable, all around

Simon Vance read this beautifully! His voice, coupled with an extremely intriguing and engaging tale, was a most worthy experience.

I've been a tremendous fan of the Nolan film for years now, but I've never gotten around to taking in Priest's original novel, until now.

While quite dramatically different from the cinematic adaptation, I find that both are spectacular stories told. If you are coming to this with an expectation of the same events of the film, prepare yourself for a radically different, but no less consuming, ride.

Highly recommended, and I expect that this experience will cause me to seek out additional works by the novel's author as well as narration so by Vance.

Great performance for a great story

The beginning started off slow, but that could easily be because I started listening to audiobooks to improve my listening skills (I struggle with this). The story is interesting and thought-provoking at times, though I experienced no huge emotional upheavals. The performance is great and each character had a distinct voice and personality. I wish that the story moved a bit faster, but the slower moments did help with a better understanding of the feud between the two prestidigitators...

Brilliant magicians Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier have a senseless feud started after Alfred Borden crashes a seance that Angier is facilitating.
The two men spend their lives and careers in an ongoing one-uppance. The battle itself is pointless and inexplicable--occasionally boderlining on fatal--and begins and ends with no real reason mostly spurred by some action of Alfred Borden.
The story is written through a series of journals uncovered by the great-grands of the magicians, and follows their entire careers from the point of view of both men.

I expected there to be more of a mystery to the story, but the title alludes to the characters themselves as opposed to the story. It was overall engrossing and worth a listen.

Not like the movie much to my chagrin

I think the movie tells a more interesting story. Not into the letter writing style.

couldn't put it down

absolutely gripping the whole way through. this book will be in my mind for some time to come.

Very confusing mix

I liked info about adoption of electricity. Hated that I never could follow the plot

A Treasure From Beginning to End

Excellent narration and excellent content. This story perfectly weaves history, science fiction, fantasy and prose into a singular piece of literature that should not be ignored.

Amazing!

This book had me enthralled. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good read.