Krishna
This book is interesting and tells us the story of Henri Lambert, who is the greatest magician France knew at the time of Napoleon III. He is bored with his shows and wants to live as a recluse in a castle manned by robots, his other passion (inventions). His wife Emmeline lives a loveless marriage with him, still trying to make him notice her. He seems oblivious of her existence.
Colonel Deniau, one of Napoleon’s commandents in Algeria, involves him in a brilliant plan to subdue Algeria. Algerians have united in rebellion against the occupying forces of France, and have sought the help of Marabouts or religious heads who they believe have magical powers due to the grace of God. Napolean invites Henri and Emmeline to a party and to a world that they had never encountered, and then sends him to ‘enhance the glory of France’. The idea is for Henri to show that he is a marabout of the Christian Faith that has powers far beyond any marabout that Algerians can muster, and thus throw them into doubt and confusion about the rebellion until a reserve force can be sent over that will completely subjugate them.
Henri sees this as his moment of glory, something he can do to outshine his career as a trickster (in essence who a magician is). Emmeline goes along with it, half succumbing to the flirtations of Deniau. When Jules, the assistant falls very sick and she has to take his place in the most important magic demonstration of Henri’s life, she is petrified…
Slowly Algeria changes her too, in the meanwhile and she wonders if French domination is such a good idea for a country like Algiers. The faith and simplicity of Algeria’s most famous marabout, Bou-Aziz, also begins to win her over….
It is a gripping story, directly told, without much of deep descriptions. The prose flows simply, yet bringing to mind the stark desert environs of Algeria, the opulence of Napoleon III’s court as well as the simple, private, and comparatively impoverished life of Henri and Emmeline in the castle.
A good book to read, and easy to follow. Let us say a 6/10
— Krishna