The Magician’s Wife – Brian Moore
The Magician’s Wife – Brian Moore – 1997
Reviewed by: D.W. Cymbalisty Date: 30 July 2001
I feel that in this instance the great writer Brian Moore faltered just a bit. He consistently served up 5-star books like Judith Hearne, The Luck Of Ginger Coffey, The Statement, and my favorite of all, An Answer From Limbo… so with this in mind, I would not consider The Magician’s Wife to be the best introduction to his work.
If a reader is maybe terribly interested in and familiar with the actual story of the subjugation and conquest of Algeria by France in 1857, this book may provide a sort of fictional backdrop to those events, but none of the main characters grabbed me as being admirable (which means nothing concerning a review) or memorable (which DOES mean something as concerning a review). I will grant the author this: he made me loathe the religious chicanery of the fanatical patriot magician Lambert, and he made me sympathetic towards the Arab Muslims upon whom Lambert was attempting to foist his spiritual supremacy hooey! And since I see this as the author’s intention in the story (strengthened by Lambert’s wife Emmeline’s later disillusionment in the cause) I give it the three hearts. But seriously though, if you only have room for ONE Brian Moore book in your vacation luggage… I say, “pick a book, any other book!”
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