| Now You See It... By Richard Matheson |
| It's time to once again venture into the wonderful world of one of the genres most versatile voices, Richard Matheson. This story will probably seem more familiar to fans of Matheson's work on The Twilight Zone than it is to fans of his horror staples such as I Am Legend. Regardless of what kind of ground he's treading on though, Matheson's storytelling is strong as ever. This time, we're treated to a whimsical tale of magicians and murder, double cross and triple cross, and more plot twists than you can shake a severed head at. |
| The storytelling is very theatrical, and the structure fittingly follows suit. The entire narrative takes place in one room of a sprawling Massachusetts estate. The estate belongs to the Great Delecorte, or rather, the former Great Delecorte. Now reduced to a catatonic state by a stroke, Emil Delecorte has since passed the title on to his son Maximillian. Emil is in fact our unlikely narrator. The stroke has left him a vegetable physically (which he often reminds us of), yet he remains alert and attentive mentally; not that anyone would know it to look at him. |
| After a brief introduction, Emil jumps right in to the events of that fateful night. It seems that his son Max's health is failing as of late. His wife and agent feign concern for his health as they also plot to turn his grand act into a cheaper but more profitable Vegas act. This is how things start out at least, but delving further into plot details would surely ruin the fun for anyone who hasn't wandered into this maze of deceipt and illusion. Suffice it to say, nothing is ever really what it seems and there are major plot twists at the ends of almost every chapter. The only perceptions we can trust are those of our astute observer, the unflinching vegetable. |
| As was noted earlier, the structer of the story is very theatrical. The one room setting is perfectly suited for the stage, and there is an apparent act break halfway through. Matheson masterfully crafts the story in a very visual manner. Everything in the magic room retains a sense of wonder and mystery, but the story never breaks off into a completely fantastical realm as to lose touch with reality and the conept of illusion. The laws of physics are never broken for the sake of cheap thrills. |
| While this isn't shooting to be the most original novel ever written, it lands a bullseye in that it's simply one of the most enjoyable books I've ever sat down with. I think the length was perfect, it felt satisfying and never threatened to outstay it's welcome. I must admit though, as I neared the end I was hoping it would go on for a while longer. Maybe Emil is just too charismatic a narrator to want to part from, although I couldn't help but be reminded of Uncle from the Ron Garcia film The Toy Box. |
| I would certainly recommed this book to anyone who enjoys a fast paced and somewhat lighthearted horror/mystery story. It one of the more difficult books I've found to put down. The chapters are short and punchy. The cliffhangers at the end give the story a serial feel at times, which kept me telling myself 'Just one more chapter...' It's hard for me to say whether most hardcore Matheson fans will dig this, but I would think that it would be embraced by fans of his Twilight Zone work. It's interesting to see a more recent work of literature over 40 years after the landmark horror story I Am Legend. |
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| Review by Joe Canistro 07.29.2005 |