Readers' Comments for THE ILLUSIONISTS
In June, a select group of readers who participated in one of our One to Watch Contests won copies of THE ILLUSIONISTS by Rosie Thomas. Take a look at some of the readers' comments to give you more insight into this book... but watch out for spoilers!
Diana P. of Schulenburg, TX
Rosie Thomas, the master storyteller, spins a tantalizing yarn that lifts the velvet curtain over magicians and gives a peek behind the scenes. The book is set in 1880s London, with fascinating characters and wild inventions creating a different way of life. I would definitely recommend this book to my book group, and can already imagine the lively discussions we will have.
Ilyse B. of Howell, NJ
THE ILLUSIONISTS is a historical novel set in Victorian London in the late 1800s. The setting has clearly been well researched, and it comes across so strongly as to almost be another character in the book. The story takes place in the world of the theater, which is beautifully constructed. The book is character driven, so those looking for a lot of action may be disappointed, but lovers of literary and historical fiction will find a lot to love in this book. All of the characters are well developed, and most of the plot involves the interaction between the various personalities. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, and have already passed it along to its next reader.
Christine R. of Morris Plains, NJ
This is the first Rosie Thomas book I have read, and it won't be my last. Thomas writes well, with beautifully rich characters and settings. I really enjoyed this late 1800s London period piece. The subjects were interesting, the topic was new and fresh for a novel and I would recommend this book. I kept picking up this book during the week, as I felt compelled to find out what would happen next to the characters. In fact, I have already passed it on to a friend.
Lisa N. of Minneapolis, MN
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the theater, character studies and/or strong female characters. It is a story about ambition, romance, the fragility of friendships & regrets.
Initially, I was put off by the seediness of the characters and scenes, and wondered whether it was going to be my cup of tea. Very quickly, new characters were introduced and I became engaged in the story, making it a very pleasurable read. I particularly enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the sounds, smells, places & characters that made it easy to visualize being there. Especially striking was the sharp contrast between the lives of the rich & the poor and how that can affect relationships.
Rosie Thomas was a new author to me and I plan to read other titles by her.
John W. of Augusta, GA
Before radio, television and movie theaters, entertainment was afforded to all through the grand theater palaces, including those in 19th Victorian London. The audience would be entertained with acts of music, dance, comedy, and magic. Devil Wix, a young magician and illusionist, desires his own theater, which he hopes to transform into a palace of illusion. Finally, he is afforded the opportunity when he wins the Palmyra Theatre in a poker game. With four friends and fellow performers, he achieves his dream. Besides Devil, the fellowship includes: Carlo Boldoni, a dwarf and contortionist, who is a better illusionist than Devil himself; Eliza Dunlop, an artist's life model, who dreams of a life on the stage; Heinrich Bayer, an engineer and creator of automata, often closer to his self-operating machines than humans; and Jasper Buton, Devil's childhood friend, who owns a wax-modeling studio.
The reader becomes a member of the backstage crew as he or she experiences the lives of the five characters as they interact and support and bicker with each other as they work together to create a make-believe world. Although each have their hopes and dreams, each avoid but later must confront their personal demons. Some are more effective than others in doing so. The author, a writer of several well-received novels, now has written a historical fiction novel. I would recommend it to any interested in the Victorian entertainment and theater.
Jackie T. of Grayslake, IL
I devoured this book in one and a half days! I was so pleased that it was an easy read. From the beginning, it just flowed. There was nothing earth-shattering that happened in the book, but the pages just melted away. I will miss all of the characters now that I have finished it. I recommend this to anyone who likes strong characters. It’s about a group of individuals --- each unique in his or her own way --- who band together to form a theater troupe in 19th century London.
David R. or Roanoke Rapids, NC
I really didn't care that much for the story itself, but the style of writing was excellent and makes me want to read more from this author. That is the whole point anyway, right? I may recommend it to a couple of my Goodreads friends who live in the UK. I would describe it as a 19th century love/hate story with a sad and at the same time happy ending.
Muriel L. of Marion, IA
Impressions of the book: It was hard for me to become connected to or interested in the book until I had read about 150 pages. The book at first made me feel uneasy. This may have been due to the strangeness of characters such as Carlo and Heinrich, and also just to Hector's adopted name, Devil, and [SPOILERS] the fire he was responsible for when younger [END SPOILERS]. I kept feeling that something horrible was going to happen. I did like Eliza right away and the way she showed such compassion to Carlo when he was Ill. She was definitely the character who had the greatest appeal to me throughout the book. I wanted life to go well for her and for her to be safe.
The book started going quickly for me after Devil won the theater from Grady, and Eliza became more a part of the performance. I soon got to a point where I had difficulty putting the book down. I found the story intriguing and, of course, suspenseful when Eliza began to fear Heinrich.
My impression of the author, Rosie Thomas, is that she is a gifted storyteller who is a master at descriptive writing. I could easily picture characters and situations being written about.
Recommendations: I think people who enjoyed THE NIGHT CIRCUS would enjoy THE ILLUSIONISTS. The books are certainly very different, but both have that element of magic involved and are suspenseful. I do think this is one that takes some time to warm up to or get into. Maybe this was because the circumstances and characters are so different from what is the norm for me. This is a good book for people who like to step out of their own world a bit and enter a time period different from their own and associate with people from different walks of life.
Linda R. from Northborough, MA
The story revolves around four characters: unconventional Eliza; the charismatic and captivating Devil; Devil's partner, an irascible dwarf who has talents for all things magical; and an artist, Jasper Button. Thrown together by fortune, their lives are unusually allied. For one thing, the three men love Eliza, who is drawn into Devil's world and who learns that the theater may be too dangerous. All of their fortunes depend on one another.
Devil's desire is to become rich in the exciting world of Victorian theater. He will go to any lengths to achieve his goal of managing his own theater company.
THE ILLUSIONISTS starts off with varying degrees of malevolence, but after about 50 pages, it started to drag. The story just continued to plod along and I kept waiting for a climax, but there wasn't any. The story felt unfinished.
If I were to recommend this book to anyone, it would be with reservations. THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern and THE MUSEUM OF UNNATURAL THINGS by Alice Hoffman would be two of my choices. I'd also recommend it to historical fiction fans with an interest in the late Victorian era. It's a light read without much substance. Having been spoiled by Rosie Thomas's earlier works, I expected more.
Julie R. of Opelika, AL
The description on the book jacket is very intriguing. Although it says we meet Eliza at the beginning of the story, we do not actually meet her until page 59. In a 472 page book, I suppose this is still considered the beginning. However, I expected to meet her much sooner. When we finally met Eliza, I was not disappointed. She is a strong character and someone the reader will instinctively want to know more about.
The other characters are equally intriguing and have a lot of depth all their own. We meet Devil Wix on the first page of the story and I will admit, I immediately hated him. However, by page six or seven, he had already begun to grow on me. By the end of the first chapter, I was curious about Devil and had a whole new understanding of him.
The dwarf Carlo is very admirable. He’s a strong character with a lot of growth to his personality. I love that he is so hard and defensive to everyone but Eliza. She is the only one who can soften him, it seems.
Heinrich Bayer is also curious. His fascination with his automatons might disconcert some, but it was lovely to me. In a way, he seemed like an overgrown child who values dolls and toys over anything else. In another way he just seemed very lonely, as if he couldn’t quite connect with real humans, so he made his own.
Each character has his or her unique voic,e which makes this immensely easy to read and get caught up in. The writing is descriptive without being dry. There are multiple storylines going on and the book draws you in right away. I admit I thought I wasn't going to like it in the beginning. But the curiosity about who Devil was and where he came from and when Eliza would actually be introduced to me kept me reading. And by then I wanted to know everything about the characters. Some might not be interested right away. However, I would urge them to keep reading. This book has more than one payoff, and they are well paced, so readers aren’t waiting inordinate amounts of time for satisfaction.
I did have to exercise some patience. I had a couple of times where I jumped ahead eagerly, wanting to know how soon something would happen, but I never skipped any of the book outright. [SPOILERS] Just a peek ahead to see when Devil would own the Palmyra, for example, or to when Eliza and Devil would have their first kiss [END SPOILERS].
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Prestige or The Illusionist movies starring Hugh Jackman and Edward Norton respectively. If they make Rosie Thomas’s story into a movie, I would definitely put it with the other two and have an easy and compelling trilogy to watch. All in all, one of the best books I’ve read. I cared about the characters and cried more than once. I worried about them, and I wanted them to succeed. If an author can make her reader feel that way about her work, then I feel like shehas done her job.
Erica C. of Lake Zurich, IL
A quick-moving historical saga that centers on tortured theater owner Devil Wix and his troop of performers, who specialize in unique magic acts. While there are many compelling characters, the lengthy narrative could use more focus. There are many subplots which run the gamut from romance to mystery to drama and back with mixed results. The sections that focus on the magicians and the development of the magic acts are engaging and fascinating. Recommended for readers of historical sagas. A good read-a-like for fans of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS.
Emily M. of Charlotte, NC
Rosie Thomas is an award-winning novelist who has brought more than twenty stories to life with vibrant characters, engrossing plotlines and vivid settings. In her latest novel, she gives the reader a realistic glimpse into the world of theater and illusion in late 19th-century London, a time remembered for both the horrors of Jack the Ripper and the progress of modern electric and mechanical innovations. THE ILLUSIONISTStransports the reader into this volatile time in London, taking the reader deep into this world of drama, hardship and magic.
THE ILLUSIONISTSopens in 1885 in London, with Hector Crumhall --- or Devil Wix, as he wishes to be known after trying to forget a tragic event in his past. In the opening pages, he encounters a thieving child at a local public house near the Old Cinque Ports. When Wix, a self-proclaimed “man of talents,” pursues the child out of admiration for his quick fingers, he learns that the child is in fact a dwarf --- and a talented fellow illusionist.
This is the beginning of one of the central relationships of the book, between Devil and Carlo Boldoni (stage name of course). Carlo, a gifted illusionist, needs Devil’s showmanship, size and stage presence. Devil, a charismatic performer, needs Carlo’s size, ideas and abilities. The two devise a groundbreaking performance and find a home for it at the newly re-opened Palmyra Theatre as one of many acts in its debut lineup. The duo earns success and admirers throughout London, including Eliza Dunlop, an art student and independent young woman who dreams of becoming a stage performer herself. Through Devil’s childhood friend, Jasper, Eliza becomes friends with Devil and Carlo, and soon becomes a trusted confidante.
As Devil and Carlo’s performance continues to grow in popularity and becomes more crucial to the theater’s success, Devil aspires to something greater –ownership of the Palmyra himself. Through a clever partnership with Eliza and Jasper and a fellow performer, Heinrich Bayer, Devil risks everything he has to acquire the Palmyra from its greedy and dishonest owner, Jacko Grady.
The new partnership of five --- Devil, Carlo, Jasper, Eliza and Heinrich --- successfully takes over the beloved Palmyra, but the partnership is fraught with insecurities, jealousies, selfishness and, of course, unrequited love, as they attempt to stage thrilling illusions while also achieving personal fulfillment.
One of the strengths of the book is how Thomas brings each unique character to life with vivid descriptions of their hopes and dreams, as well as what haunts and drives each character to pursue a life in the world of illusion. Eliza is an especially compelling character as a very individually-minded woman and very much ahead of the time. Despite her personal ambitions, she is still vulnerable to love and heartbreak, which Thomas depicts masterfully. Her relationships with the rest of the group and their feelings for her provide the true backbone of this story, and are developed carefully.
This is a captivating piece of historical fiction, as Thomas gives voice to several unique characters of the time and explores an interesting world through a company of unique characters.
Barbara W. of Atlanta, GA
THE ILLUSIONISTS has a very interesting story, but felt slow to develop and something I could not get into. It takes place in Victorian London. One of the main characters is Devil, who is not a kind person. Devil is very into magic. He is the type of person who likes to gather people around him to entertain. Then you have Eliza, who is a kind person until she hooks up with Devil (who real name is Hector Crumhall), who she knew a long time ago. Eliza was taking classes at an art school. Eliza was doing well until she came across Devil, and then started to turn upside down.
THE ILLUSIONISTS did not excite me --- it was a so-so book. I’m a reader and I read all type of books but this one did not work for me.
Karen R. of St. Clair Shores, MI
Very good depiction of the world of the theater during the late 1800s. The story gets a little long and tedious, but good enough for me to keep reading. Don't think it's anything to rave about or recommend to anyone.
Jane M. of Monticello, AK
This is not the type of book I normally read. I thought it was rather slow moving. It took me a while to get into the book. After I got into the book it wasn't really too bad. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Victorian English novels. The book has an ensemble of characters that you would not normally find together, each fighting their own demons to find love and their place in the world. Each of the main characters is dependent on each other for their livelihood and their illusions of normalcy.
Doris W. of Huntington Beach, CA
I tried for three days to get involved with the story and the characters. I found it difficult get through some of the author's language. For me, it was a disappointment and not an interesting story. But I will pass it on to a friend.
