Confessions of a Conjuror

Loved the beginning stream of consciousness writing. The history lesson/philosophy part that is a detailed journey of where the idea/word happiness came from is a little to much for me- but I’m trudging through it. He has obviously delved into where his own educated beliefs come from and his thought process that brought him to where he is. His intelligence is amazing to me and I love the the deepness of his investigation of his own ideas and beliefs. I bought Happy at the same time and am going back and forth in both( BTW- I don’t recommend).But when I get bogged down by one I go to the other. Both are brave revealing glimpses into an amazing mind. I mix up his books in my mind probably- easy to do for me. I think the way he admits his insecurity and stress he has felt also very hard for many to do- & it is amazing to think a person so unique ( and to me unique and special) has grown to a place where he openly lets a reader know of his minds thoughts. I would personally love to meet and just listen to him in person, but I’m sure I would be the giddy one & not have a thought in my head, probably would trip over my own feet, and blankly become the village idiot- I am someone who also sit in coffee shops, etc and wonders about people. While able to be successful in a career, I have to hide my deeply caring and very inquisitive nature. While I could never compare myself to him I find him Very endearing. He is so intriguing.

Derren Brown is now the most popular entertainer in the U.K., although he is practically unknown in the Western Hemisphere. That may change if his videos are released in Region One (North America) format, but as of now, only Americans with quirky interests are aware of him. I count myself among the Brown votaries, and I've watched videos of his stage performances over and over, because he is, I believe, the greatest performer of any kind in the world. As a magician he is as entertaining as Penn & Teller; as a mentalist, he takes up where the Amazing Kreskin left off; his powers seem to equal those of  Mandrake the Magician , and in addition to his charisma, Derren Brown (like both Penn & Teller) is erudite, knowledgeable and a sincere skeptic.Nevertheless, I warn you not to buy this book. Scattered throughout 327 pages is an explanation of how a common card trick is done (misdirection), but most of it reads like the words of a late-night phone call you may have received from a very needy acquaintance who has gone of his medication or into the bottle. It's stream-of-consciousness writing on the level of what a hyperactive eight-year-old who has taken a shine to you might say, but even worse, it's horribly overwritten, and Brown's talent as a writer is nowhere near that of his talent as a public performer.There is no organization to the book, and his accounts of quotidian activities include descriptions of handkerchiefs (for their original purpose, not for magic), his favorite toilet paper, his favorite reading while on the toilet, reflections on nose picking, what he sings while cleaning his teeth, and the technique of wiping one's anus. Most topics are interrupted by at least one agonizingly long and tedious footnote concerning something related, or -> zoom! <- off he goes on a tangent to something even more boring. (Earwax! Why did he neglect to contemplate the dilemma of earwax?)Now why, you may ask, would a fellow whom I've just touted as being so brilliant write such a ghastly book? A common guess might be that it was thrown together under the pressure of some contractual deadline, and I originally thought that Confessions of a Conjuror must have been dictated while traveling between shows on a tour, but no, he describes the toolbar of Microsoft Office (of course!), as he's typing in some restaurant.No, it's even worse than that. Although Brown reflects on moments of self-doubt and embarrassment, he's so confident (full of himself) that this is an attempt to duplicate  Ulysses . He already wrote  a normal book , so now the omni-tallented Derren will flex his mighty mind muscles and produce a work of avant-garde literature! Move over, James Joyce! Stand aside, Samuel Beckett! The entire journey through his mindscape takes place during the single card trick, and the style is gussied-up in a bravado display of literary prowess. Unfortunately, this means that all the typical habits of bad amateur writing are displayed, such as word inflation -- e.g., he uses "wastage" when he means plain old *waste.*There seems to be a danger zone in which popular performers try their hand at great aht or being profound. Think of the visual art of John Lennon, the  opera by Roger Waters , or the  poetry of Jim Morrison . This book is more on a level of  the singing of William Burroughs . I worry that next, Derren will try and write a mass for apostates or a novel told in the voice of his pet fish.To avoid the wrath of Derren Brown worshippers, may I recommend that if you have an interest in Derren Brown and are eager to read a book by him, his earlier book,  Tricks Of The Mind , is not only readable, but it's quite interesting. Get that one; avoid this one.

One of my favorite magicians. I stumbled upon him by mistake when I was watching you tube videos on close up magic and mentalism. He is a true performer and his showmanship to me is unmatched. If you ever have the opportunity to see him perform than you are lucky but listening to him speak is great because his books read, in my mind at least, just like he speaks.

This book arrived a full week earlier than the earliest estimated arrival date. The seller described it as "Very Good" and the book looks new. As far as the story, I am only about 25 pages in, but so far, it is good with Brown's signature style coming through every sentence.

I love the inside perspective to things only a conjuror would know (like how slick and smooth or slippery and clumsy a deck of cards can be, for example). DB's prose is EXTREMELY rich. it's enjoyable reading this book because of the author's first-hand account of so many of his enthralling (or at times embarassing)experiences. Derren's extremely rich, witty, and hysterical phraseology ("lubricated glutton" is one phrase that had me in stitches) has continued on (and is much richer I feel) from his first book into this one. This is definitely a treat. Also some of the immense detail in the descriptions of scenes depicted make this incredibly unique. It's not Joyce (but in a way, quite close), but for a book that's read primarily because of the author's non-literary profession (conjuring, hypnotism, and showmanship), this is a smashing good and incredible book. His savant-like attention to detail (indubitably vital to the completion of some of his tricks) is preposteroulsy funny and amusing at times.Derren's tricks for mnemonics and cognitive connections are back in a bold new (and even more helpful) flavor.It truly is a set of (humiliating and hysterical and fascainting and impressive) confessions. To anyone who admires derren's work, this book is incredible.Also reading this book I realized how much of Derren's nuance preferences differ from my own. I had liked to think I had more commonalities with Derren instead of differences, but it seems that the contrary is more accurate; I share less in common with him than I thought. Oh well, it's still a royally hilarious and informative books at moments.

He is a good writer with a very interesting life, and take on life.See his other book, HAppy... which is ten times as long! aNd still very easy read... This guy is a jack of all trades, see his magic on youtube, or go see a show if you can.

I winced a little as I read all the *positive* reviews that talk about how odd Derren Brown reveals himself to be in this book. For me, the strength of this funny, joyful autobiography is that it isn’t really about one person but about the tics and obsessions of *all* people, the patterns (based on fears and misapprehensions) we pick up as children that shape our hidden behaviour as adults. I happen to have been on earth for roughly the same period and in roughly the same class as Derren Brown, so perhaps the overlap of his ‘oddnesses’ with mine explains my belief that it’s more universal. Not everyone will have the same relationship with pens, perhaps, and not everyone is the right age to feel his thoughts on After Eights and Monster Munch as keenly as I did, but there are many things that young people will relate to. One passage - this will exclude young people - of lying down, unseatbelted, in the back of a car, rolling into the crease, feeling the door handle with your foot, was beautifully written, full of sensory memory. It would have been a great passage in a novel.On the language: one of my language betes noires is a reluctance to reuse the same word, to look for convoluted synonyms to avoid repetition, in a way that drags the eye and seems more clumsy than repetition would have. Derren does this throughout and it isn’t just okay, it’s a central part of the pleasure. It’s obviously tongue in cheek, and the joy he takes in finding comically wordy alternatives (again, I can’t find a better example than his discussion of Monster Munch) is transmitted without dilution to the reader.Autobiographies are my favourite genre. I’m currently rereading this while reading the most beautifully written, transcendent autobiography by Armistead Maupin, and they are giving me equal pleasure. This is not a book about an odd man, this is a book about an odd species, and to read it is to feel less odd, and more connected to that species.

Part autobiography, part keen observation of people's behaviour. Derren reads people by their body language, voice, behaviour. He's a very clever chap and shows how you can learn a lot just by understanding what you're seeing and knowing how to interpret the information. The book crawls along at times because the observational asides take up so much time. I read his book, Happy, prior to this and learned something about this fascinating writer.

I hugely enjoyed this entertaining collection of autobiographical and philosophical meanderings framed around an anecdote about performing a single card trick during his table-hopping days as a magician. There are some valuable life skills explored, and Derren talks very movingly about the values of kindness - a serious reader cannot fail but be moved by the contents of the book. I was astonished to find that the author wears the same socks as me, and for the same reasons... or perhaps he doesn't and it's a mindtrick? I look forward to asking him to sign one of his books for me. It won't be this excellent offering - that's my mindtrick back to him: if he dedicates the signed copy to A. Mason without prompting I'll know he really is a mindreader, and if he doesn't I'll know he knows that I know he's a normal bloke and that I've understood his works.

I was expecting an autobiography, and while it is one of sorts, and contains some interesting tidbits about the method and performance of magic tricks, mostly this contains overlong descriptions of irritating personal habits. I like Derren, and his work, but this book did little to enhance either my knowledge or opinion of him.

I like to read history books and fact finder type books. I haven't ever read a biography but i will consider reading alot more now i have finished reading Derren Browns Confessions of a Conjuror. A totally enjoyable experience that i infact didn't want to end. So many times i giggled and once or twice i found myself laughing out loud. So funny and very relative to much i have experienced in life and i know others will think this also. I really, really did feel slightly sad when came to the end of this book, i almost didn't want to read the last chapter as i didn't want to have to stop reading the joys Derren Brown has shared here within these pages. Thankyou for this book, it has set a standard for me aswell as made me want to read alot more, especially more about and from this truly wonderful man.