The Magician

The Magician brings W. Somerset Maugham’s approach to horror, mystery work into clear focus first published in 1908. At its center are secrecy, evidence, motive, and the difficult search for truth, developed through the conventions and freedoms of horror, mystery. Rather than depending on topical novelty, the book builds its interest through the interaction of character, situation, and idea. W. Somerset Maugham relies on a carefully controlled structure that rewards attention to detail and shifting suspicion, allowing mood and structure to carry as much meaning as subject matter. At roughly 72,472 words with a fairly easy reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Readers still return to it because of its role in shaping the pleasures and conventions of detective and suspense fiction. For modern readers, the pleasure comes from entering its particular world while noticing how its central concerns still shape personal and public life.