Two 19th century stage illusionists, the aristocratic Rupert Angier and the working-class Alfred Borden, engage in a bitter and deadly feud; the effects are still being felt by their respective families a hundred years later.

Working in the gaslight-and-velvet world of Victorian music halls, they prowl edgily in the background of each other's shadowy life, driven to the extremes by a deadly combination of obsessive secrecy and insatiable curiosity.

At the heart of the row is an amazing illusion they both perform during their stage acts. The secret of the magic is simple, and the reader is in on it almost from the start, but to the antagonists the real mystery lies deeper. Both have something more to hide than the mere workings of a trick.

******

'I can't believe how far the two of them went to prolong their feud of pranks. It was great seeing two professionals unwilling to harm their craft still work around all the little niceties to get at one another.' Goodreads reviewer,

'Duelling illusionists' ongoing battle in the late Victorian era has consequences for future generations. This is a masterpiece of epistolary style writing. The Prestige explores issues relating to social class and gender, artistry vs science. One of the best novels in a structural sense that I've read. Well worth the time.' Goodreads reviewer,

'Gripping, eerie, hard to put down. Every time I thought I had a good sense of what was going on, Priest pulled the rug out of from under his plot and I'm still not sure what actually happened. Demands a re-read.' Goodreads reviewer,

'A suspenseful and gripping story, Christopher Priest demonstrates his storytelling skill in this compelling tale of two turn-of-the-century competing British stage magicians and their feud that trickles down through their descendants.' Goodreads reviewer,

'The setting is in present day, with descendants of two famous magicians trying to figure out what happened to their great-grandfathers. They do this by reading the journals/books of their forefathers. What they find out will really amaze you. This book will keep you guessing, and once the guessing stops, things get really weird. But it's a good kind of weird.' Goodreads reviewer,

'A brilliantly constructed entertainment, with a plot as simple and intricate as a nest of Chinese boxes...a dizzying magic show of a novel' WASHINGTON POST

About the Author
Christopher Priest's novels have built him an inimitable dual reputation as a contemporary novelist and a leading figure in modern SF and fantasy. His novel THE PRESTIGE won both a prestigious literary award and a major genre prize; THE SEPARATION won Britain's two major SF awards.

Reviews
Stylish, enigmatic and enthralling ... Highly recommended. * SFFworld.com *


Awards
Winner of World Fantasy Award 1996 (UK) and James Tait Black Memorial Prize 1995 (UK). Short-listed for Arthur C. Clarke Award 1996 (UK) and British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel 1996 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9780575099418
Author Christopher Priest
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Gollancz
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 269g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 28mm