tritter72's Full Review: Glen David Gold - Carter Beats the Devil: A Novel
This book had been on my "to-read list" for quite a while. After finally sitting down and reading Carter Beats the Devil, I consider Glen David Gold to be something of a magician. In writing his wonderful novel, whose main character is the real magician Charles Carter, Gold magically transported me to another time and place. Since finishing the book, I can't stop talking about it. Rather than subjecting my husband to another rehashing of the unique and suspenseful events contained between the covers, I decided to put my thoughts into Epinions form. (My husband, by the way, thanks you.)
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...
OK, not really. But the story does begin with an evening of mystery, as Carter the Great's audience is treated to a dazzling display of illusions, from simple card tricks to much more incredible full-stage wonders. As part of the finale, called "Carter Beats the Devil," the crowd watches in shock and amazement as they see Warren G. Harding, president of the United States, apparently being eaten by a lion! The stunned audience breathes a sigh of relief moments later, when the president emerges from backstage, unharmed. This sense of relief is short-lived, however, as Harding actually is dead in his hotel room only a few hours later. Was Carter involved? Had the President shared an important secret with him? A terrific mystery begins here and remains unsolved until the conclusion of the novel.
Lest you think that the story's plot is rather simple, let me assure you that there is much more going on than the investigation of Harding's death. Wrapped within the novel you'll find a plot complete with the Secret Service, pirates, vaudeville entertainers of all sorts, and even a young inventor named Philo Farnsworth. You will see Carter grow in front of your eyes from a young boy who doesn't quite fit in with his family to a young man who can't quite get over the death of his wife. We are able to chart has rise to fame and his path to (please forgive the pun) disillusionment. As much a character study as a plot-driven novel, Carter Beats the Devil will have you cheering for Charles Carter; and along the way you may even learn a thing or two about magic!
I Feel Like I've Been There
Since Gold is writing a fictional story around a real-life figure, he sticks closely to the world that Charles Carter would have known. Though Carter does tour the world in parts of the novel, the tale is mainly based in San Francisco and Oakland, places that the real Carter called home. Taking place in the early 20th century, the book is filled with the world of vaudeville, Prohibition, and the aftermath of World War I. The period between the war and the Great Depression is vividly brought to life. Though I am far from an expert on the events of the times, Gold fills his book with such detail and life that I feel like I have a better understanding of all of them now. It is to Gold's credit that he is able to carry the reader into the world he's created. He gave me a real sense of nostalgia for a time I never actually knew! This is one of the things that I loved best about reading Carter Beats the Devil.
Wait a Minute--Who Was That Again?
Charles Carter, the main character of the book, is at first mysterious and a bit cold. It is only through a series of flashbacks and present-day observations that we get a real sense of the man. By the end of the book, however, Carter has been fleshed out to the point that I had a real fondness for him and wanted to know more about the man himself.
In the process of getting to know Carter, the reader is also introduced to quite an array of colorful and interesting subordinate characters, such as Carter's family, his nemesis, Mysterioso, and a down-on-his-luck Secret Service agent by the name of Jack Griffin. Gold paints his characters so richly that at times I could have sworn that I was backstage among the performers, just another member of the company.
Keep a sharp eye out as you read, for one of the remarkable things about Carter Beats the Devil is Gold's use of characters. Many, many of the characters we meet in the context of the flashbacks show up again later. Some were such minor characters that you may find yourself paging through the book, trying to remember their earlier roles. I did this more than once, and it gave me a real appreciation of the master plan that Gold had in mind from page one.
Is My Library Right?
When I took Carter Beats the Devil from the shelf, I saw that my library had labeled it with a "mystery" sticker. In my opinion, however, a strict definition as a mystery book is not accurate. As much as the events surrounding Harding's death are mysterious, I also found the novel to tell the story of Carter coming to terms with himself, with his choices in life, and with his future. Though the Harding plotline is clever and does indeed frame the book, what you'll find inside is a study of an interesting man. That balance between suspense and emotion is part of what drew me into the book and made it seem real, despite the fact that most of the events are historical fiction.
Oh, If Only...
For me, Carter Beats the Devil was a book that just kept building momentum page after page. By the time I reached the end of the book, I found myself wishing that I could have been in the audience of one of Carter's spectacular productions. To be there, in the Golden Era of magic, now seems much more exciting than I ever would have imagined. Gold opened my heart and mind to a time about which I new little, while drawing me into a story so wonderful and full of hope and optimism that I left the book with a smile on my face. Carter Beats the Devil changed me in little ways while being as interesting a page-turner as I could have wished for. When Glen David Gold's next book is published, you can bet I'll be in line.
Filled with historical references that evoke the excesses and enthusiasm of postwar, pre-Depression America, Carter Beats the Devil is the complex and...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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