"Every magic trick consists of three parts, or three acts. The first act is called 'The Pledge': the magician shows you something ordinary. The second act is called 'The Turn'. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. But you wouldn't clap yet because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to make it reappear. Then you look for the secret, but you won't find it, because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled."
It is with these words that Christopher Nolan's masterpiece, The Prestige, begins – a dark film that immerses us in the world of magic and Victorian England.
A kind of vengeance, in the style of The Count of Monte Cristo, heated white-hot by the industrial revolution, and fueled by the coal of blast furnaces. A Steampunk tale that also deals with Art and devotion to it.
If you enjoyed this atmosphere, you absolutely must read a brand new series of novels, titled Le Cabinet des Illusions (a fated title to appear on this blog!) created by Jean-Luc Bizien (member of the Ligue de l'Imaginaire and winner of numerous literary prizes).
This first installment, Enquête à Vienne, 1902, introduces us to William Ellsworth Robinson, better known as Chung Ling Soo, "the wonderful Chinese magician."
Chung Ling Soo
In an era marked by colonization, many fields were affected by the "Orientalist" trend, lending an "exotic," "unknown land" aspect, contrasting with the uniformity of a world that had become industrial, and, for many, boring.
Live entertainment and magic were not spared: Indian Trunk, Chinese Rings, Fakir's Rope, Spirits of Japan, and other "indigenous sorceries" were presented and staged in all the fashionable theaters.
First, it should be known that the magician Chung Ling Soo was actually American, born on April 2, 1861, to a family of Scottish immigrants. His real name was William Ellsworth Robinson, and he created his character and changed his identity in the eyes of the world, becoming Chung Ling Soo.
This character was inspired by Ching Ling Foo (1854-1922), a Chinese magician (a real one!) who became known in 1898 in the United States, notably with a act titled "The Invulnerable Man." Ching Ling Foo issued a challenge to reproduce this trick identically, in exchange for a handsome sum.
Robinson succeeded, but never received the promised sum, likely due to Ching Ling Foo's lack of funds. From then on, he sought revenge by drawing inspiration from his acts... even his name!
The two artists then engaged in a verbal sparring match through the media!
It was upon Robinson's death during a performance on March 24, 1918, in the "Defying the Balls" act where the bullet actually hit him, that the deception was finally revealed.
Chung Ling Soo thus dedicated his life to jealously guarding the secret of his character, forcing himself to disguise himself at every public appearance, to pretend not to speak English, in short, to sacrifice everything: his name, his origins, his life, everything that constituted his identity.
In this novel, Enquête à Vienne, one of his performances at a wealthy Viennese family's home turns into a drama: a murder is committed at the end of the show. He then becomes the prime suspect...
We are then plunged with him into the heart of a thrilling police investigation. Twists, revelations, and misdirection keep the reader on edge until the last page.
A story that devours itself like one of the most effective "page-turners" (so much so that the judiciously placed plot twists at the end of each short chapter make it impossible to stop reading!)
But beyond the appearances of the plot, there lies a very profound reflection on the nobility of magical art, as Chung Ling Soo will use the magical arsenal to solve this enigma.
All means are good for concealing or revealing the truth: observation, choice of props, illusions, deceptions, appearance, disappearance, shell game, prediction, foresight, misdirection, ability to construct a scenario, to anticipate audience reactions, climax... All illusions are good for bringing out reality!
In Christopher Priest's novel The Prestige, published in 1995, the magician Alfred Borden recounts how he attended the show of a certain "Ching Ling Foo" in London. This old Chinese magician is forced to pretend to be physically weakened, barely able to walk, at every public appearance to preserve the secret of one of his acts. A man totally devoted to his Art, in short.
In Christopher Nolan's adaptation, it's amusing to note that the magician's name was changed to... "Chung Ling Soo"!
This is therefore a very profound reflection on the art of magic that Jean-Luc Bizien invites us to, but also on the power of literature and art in general.
Don't miss the footnotes that offer valuable information on the history of magic throughout the text.
A second opus is already planned (an excerpt is also presented at the end of the novel), so don't delay in devouring the first, which delivers on all its promises!
Le Cabinet des Illusions by Jean-Luc Bizien, is published by Editions Maison Pop.
