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A review by acton
Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
5.0
Carter Beats the Devil, by Glen David Gold, is both mystery and historical fiction. Many characters in the novel--Charles Carter, President Harding, Philo Farnsworth, Harry Houdini, Max Friz, and (Francis) Borax Smith--were real people. The author makes The Golden Age of Magic come alive for the reader in this engrossing novel.
The events that take place are completely fictional, by the way, but I adore the way Gold imaged Carter's childhood to be one of material privilege and emotional neglect, where a bright, creative child would imagine his own world and obsessions. As a creation myth for a famous magician, it works very well. I also enjoyed his relationship with his younger brother, James, and the depiction of his mismatched parents--his cold father, the warmer but unpredictable mother. In the novel, his mother begs him not to saw women in half, a trick she views as misogynist. If you think this sentiment is out of place in 1920, you're right! But it was a nice touch, an amusing way of fleshing out his mother's character.
There are so many wonderful nuggets and cliff hangers in this book, so many intriguing characters, both real and imagined...I recommend it. I've long found the Carter posters to be intriguing, some of my favorite magic posters, but I'm not judging this book by its cover! It's not informative about the real Charles Carter, but the time period is well researched and it's a great story. Actually, I can say that I did learn something, too: Philo Farnsworth invented television.
Bravo!
The events that take place are completely fictional, by the way, but I adore the way Gold imaged Carter's childhood to be one of material privilege and emotional neglect, where a bright, creative child would imagine his own world and obsessions. As a creation myth for a famous magician, it works very well. I also enjoyed his relationship with his younger brother, James, and the depiction of his mismatched parents--his cold father, the warmer but unpredictable mother. In the novel, his mother begs him not to saw women in half, a trick she views as misogynist. If you think this sentiment is out of place in 1920, you're right! But it was a nice touch, an amusing way of fleshing out his mother's character.
There are so many wonderful nuggets and cliff hangers in this book, so many intriguing characters, both real and imagined...I recommend it. I've long found the Carter posters to be intriguing, some of my favorite magic posters, but I'm not judging this book by its cover! It's not informative about the real Charles Carter, but the time period is well researched and it's a great story. Actually, I can say that I did learn something, too: Philo Farnsworth invented television.
Bravo!