Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

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Dustin Stinett
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Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Dustin Stinett » January 6th, 2002, 9:38 pm

I was not sure where to post this (or if, in fact, I should). At first I figured that we “history geeks” are more likely to be readers in general – so I thought about the “History” area. However, I don't mean to say that those more into “tricks” don't read – I'm just trying to (blindly) hit the highest number of my intended “demographic.” While not a “magic” book, Carter Beats the Devil (Hyperion, 2001) by Glen David Gold, is certainly a book that should catch the attention of many magicians – especially those who love to read fiction. So, I am posting my thoughts on this book here in the “General” area for the benefit (?) of those who are considering whether or not to read it.

The first work of fiction I ever encountered in which the main character was a magician was William Goldman's Magic (Delacorte Press, 1976). In that work, the lead character, Corky, was a tragic figure that was also a ventriloquist gone mad: murderously so. Not exactly a happy or heroic image of a magician.

Later in life, William Murray's Tip on a Dead Crab (Viking Press, 1984) caught my attention, as did the rest of the series of mystery books that centered on its main character – a close-up magician. “Shifty” Lou Anderson also happens to be a gambler (horses and cards) who, occasionally, strays into the darker recesses of an already questionable vocation. So, you see, even the more heroic magic characters seem to need a “seedy” side. “Seedy” sells, I suppose.

So, when Glen David Gold's Carter Beats the Devil hit bookstore shelves, my instincts were to leave it alone. Having read Mike Caveney's wonderful biography of Charles Carter, I felt that any work of fiction that centered around him would either be woefully dull (Carter's life had some interesting moments, but, frankly not many that would make a terribly interesting novel), or so thoroughly warp his character that he either be an over-done “comic book” hero or a grotesque evil caricature of an honorable man. As well as the book seemed to be selling, my instincts further told me that it would have to be the later: seedy sells. But in either case, I felt, I would not enjoy the book.

Then I met the author and heard him speak on the development of the book. There was also one other very important occurrence: Mike Caveney recommended the book to me. There is no question in my mind that, though impossible for them to have ever met, Mike Caveney has a very real personal relationship with Charles Carter. Any biographer whose research goes to the depth that Caveney's did in putting together the Carter story has to feel as close to their subject as anyone possibly could. I felt certain that if Gold had done wrong by Carter the Great, Caveney would have said so. I hopped onto the bandwagon.

My favorite types of stories tend to be fast paced. Not necessarily “action packed,” but engrossing from the first paragraph. Carter Beats the Devil starts out that way, but just as quickly dives into a somewhat mundane and slow-paced series of events that are, so the reader would hope, designed to act as background for coming events. I say “hope” because at this point in the book, I was thinking that I had another Tom Clancy on my hands. This is in no way meant to be a compliment. In my opinion, Clancy is painfully over-rated: The master of the wasted chapter (pages and pages of information and/or dialogue that has no real bearing at all – ever – on the story being told). In fact, there was a point in the book where I wasn't sure whom the story was about: Carter or a beleaguered Secret Service agent name Griffin.

The story centers around the master illusionist Charles Carter, the mysterious death (assassination?) of a president (Warren G. Harding), his contingency of Secret Service agents and an inventor (who was also a real person and whose invention has had untold impact on the history of mankind). So, you can see where “center” is a stretch of the word. Perhaps part of the difficulty for me was my having some knowledge of historical fact and thus knowing the depth of the writer's prerogative that the author was taking. However, midway through the book, the patterns of the author's weaving began to appear for me, and the pages began to turn a little faster – and the book became less easy to put down. In fact, I finished the final section (Act Three at 131 pages) in only two sittings.

Besides the central characters, the author masterfully incorporates a cast of supporting characters (both “good” and “bad”) who could easily have been just names on a page; there to fill space. However, even the most minor play (or end up playing) important roles in the story. Some of these characters are names most will recognize, including that of Harry Houdini, whose actions in the story play a major role both at the beginning of the story and, indirectly, at the end. Some might recognize a few as caricatures of real people, only with different names and far different personalities, lifestyles and (so I don't give anything away) outcomes from their real lives.

The bulk of the book takes place during the “roaring twenties,” though there are forays into the later part of the nineteenth century and the turn to the twentieth. The author does a spectacular job of capturing the era without the usual overkill that marks many period piece books – an easy trap in which to fall. Though there are speakeasies and flappers, they are not over-described and dwelled upon in a weak attempt to drive home the era in which the story takes place. The backdrop descriptions have an almost documentary-like realism about them – but not quite so dry. They add well to the believability of the novel.

Gold's ability to weave historical fact and artistic license together grows as the book progresses. Harding did die under mysterious circumstances and the invention that is central in the story is all too real. It reaches a point where one begins to lose sight of where fact ends and fiction begins – and vice versa. It was not a stretch for me, by the end of the book, to imagine presidential historians scratching their heads and muttering, “why not?” It may have taken him a while, but Glen David Gold ensnared me into his world: a world both real and unreal, but never predictable.

After what I can only summarize as a “slow start,” Carter Beats the Devil becomes a nice roller coaster ride of “What's going to happen next?” intrigue. Though not true to his life, Gold's treatment of Charles Carter is, I feel, true to his character: honorable. I'm glad that I waded through the murky beginning of the novel, for the payoff is crystal clear and worth the journey.

Dustin

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Re: Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Guest » January 8th, 2002, 12:38 pm

Dustin,
You seemed to have passed over Clayton Rawson's The Great Merlini series (a total of 4 books, around the 1930s). In these books, the Great Merlini doesn't come off as "mad" nor "seedy."
Other than that, a well-done review.
Regards,
D

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Re: Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Guest » January 8th, 2002, 1:03 pm

Seedy or not, I sure love the Shifty Anderson books.

Don Spurrier
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Re: Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Don Spurrier » January 8th, 2002, 5:17 pm

Dustin:

Thanks for the erudite review. I, like you, think the Tom Clancy books, sometimes, beat a dead horse...but it is an interesting dead horse! Thanks to you, I will now search out the Carter book.

Bob Farmer
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Re: Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Bob Farmer » January 8th, 2002, 6:04 pm

Originally posted by Don Spurrier:
Dustin:

Thanks for the erudite review. I, like you, think the Tom Clancy books, sometimes, beat a dead horse...but it is an interesting dead horse! Thanks to you, I will now search out the Carter book.


I couldn't agree more about Tom Clancy: to sort of quote Nabokov "vast pages typed out by the thumbs of tedious hacks."

I'm about half way through the Carter book and I'm enjoying it immensely, especially for the sense of time and place (much like "The Alienist" by Caleb Carr.

As to magicians in fiction -- I collect these sorts of books and besides The Great Merlini there are lots of others. A good source is Michael Canick at Volcanick Press. He has written an excellent booklet: Magic In Fiction, A Short Title Checklist. Michael has alos done an excellent book on Clayton Rawson. He's at 1-212-585-2990.

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Re: Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Guest » January 8th, 2002, 8:15 pm

There are other threads regarding "Carter Beats the Devil" elsewhere on the forum. I have taken liberty to copy and paste some of my own comments from a 9/19 (just shortly after 9/11) "General" section post:

"I picked up a copy at the airport on the way to Chicago last Monday. Due to Tuesdays events, I had plenty chance to read it in the car on the way back to Los Angeles Thursday and Friday (*^%%!!).
While I agree it is worth the read and a real page turner in parts it is yet an uneven work. Certain character motivations seemed implausible even in the context of a mystery inside a mystery.
Still I applaud Mr. Gold for a first work and look forward to his next. He describes lots of "period" historic trivia/tales/characters that, perhaps due to the central magic figure reminded me of a San Francisco/west coast version of Doctorow's "Ragtime". And it was great to have a magical hero and backdrop! I gather from the credits that the cover poster repro and the several other printed internally come from Norm Nielsen"

If you use the search engine (seach for "Gold" or "Carter") you can view others comments as well.

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Brad Jeffers
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Re: Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Brad Jeffers » January 9th, 2002, 2:20 pm

If you enjoy this sort of book, Daniel Stashower has a "Harry Houdini Mystery" series, in which Harry and his brother Dash, team up to solve various crimes, ala Holmes and Watson. There are currently 2 (or mabey 3) titles in print, with more to follow.

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Dustin Stinett
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Re: Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Dustin Stinett » January 15th, 2002, 7:28 pm

Belated thanks to those who left kind words to me regarding the “review.” I wish I had seen the other comments on the Carter book, I would have posted there instead. Oops again!

In regard to the Clayton Rawson books: even though I have been deep into magic for well over 30 years now, I didn't become aware of the Rawson books until a few years ago (as my kids would say, “my bad”). Indeed, I need to get a hold of them. Just something else added to a looooong wish list!

Thanks again,
Dustin

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Re: Carter Beats the Devil – A “Review”

Postby Guest » January 16th, 2002, 6:39 pm

James Swain's "Grift Sense" is a fun read. It's basically about a big con in Las Vegas. Some details on blackjack cheating, and some great characters. It reads sort of like a 30's era detective novel.


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