talkmagic.co.uk

The Hateful Page by Iain “Abraxus” Dunford

Cost

£12.50/$25 from http://stores.lulu.com/uncle90

Difficulty

(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

1, bordering on a 2 if you’re new to mentalism.

Description

A book test for the modern day mentalist - no peeking, imps, bending, crimping, equivoque. No Canasta, Horwitz, Hoy nor Rodgers. No bodily fluids, chemicals or anything of that nature needed. And any paperback book in the world can be used... Two people are invited to help, neither are nor will be stooged...any paperback is chosen from a batch bought by the audience... No limitations, no top line, no bottom line, no miscalling...No pre-show, carbon, or similar needed. The presentation is easily adaptable, with a full script included for performing. Including what to do, and when. Tried and tested, used and performed... Can also be used with diaries, bizarre presentations and just about anything else...

Review

Some books are so bad they deserve to die, to be literally ripped apart.

For anyone who feels dissatisfaction with gaffed, less-than-impromptu book tests, the Hateful Page makes for interesting reading. What’s really interesting is that not only is it a free choice of book, but the spectator brings it along with them. It’s a book they hate and are prepared to destroy. This alone sets the Hateful Page apart, but there’s more. Here’s how it plays out:

The audience brings along books they hate, and are prepared to see ripped up - paperbacks for convenience.

Two volunteers, A and B, sit about 8 feet apart and A selects one of the books brought along for the experiment and the owner identifies herself in the audience.

The owner of the book is then to take the book and to rip pages out of it, letting them fall to the ground. She’s encouraged to really take out her anger by yelling at the author and saying how much she hated it until around a dozen pages lie on the ground. She’s then to pick up one of the pages at random, fold it and place it into the book, which she hands to you.

Remember person B? You walk over to her and open the book to allow the folded page to fall into her hand. You dismiss A and sit in her seat.

B unfolds the selected page and chooses a side. A random audience member shouts out a random number between one and about forty (no stooges are used), and B counts down to that line on the selected side.

There’s one more choice to make. Does the audience want a whole line or a single word? Someone shouts out a choice. If it’s a single word, you have a random number shouted out (between one and about twenty), and have B count along that many words on the chosen line.

Either way, you now take a large pad and a marker pen and write either a word or an entire sentence on it. Lifting your pad for all to see, you ask B to read the word/sentence she came to. They match.

Overall

This is deceptively simple, but very elegant stuff. The sheer choice of book, the ripping out of pages at random, the selection, and the fact that you never handle the folded choice make this very interesting strong effect. Any hated paperback, any page, any line and any word. Nice. I know it’s become something of a hackneyed phrase, but this really is one for the budding Derren Browns out there as well as the experienced performer. 10/10, for both ingenuity of method and for a fresh approach to a staple of the mentalist’s armoury.

agree with everything that you say there! I wouldn't put it at a perfect 10/10, but it is certainly one up there with the best of them!

Blapsing_Beard wrote:agree with everything that you say there! I wouldn't put it at a perfect 10/10, but it is certainly one up there with the best of them!

Yeah, I was going to give it a nine, but imagining it from the spectator's perspective, with the performer finding totally unexpected worth in a book you hate and have just destroyed yourself in a fun situationalist stylee just tipped it. I've never seen this approach before and I thought it showed real innovation.

This is really really terrific and fun. It costs very little to set up and will go for miles, and miles, and miles! Iain has added a very new dimension to booktests with this e-book....think of the mess you can make with Jilly Cooper and Joan Collins!

You beat me to that one, Dr. Todd! I was going to say something along the lines of "...so much Jilly Cooper, so little time..."

It's a very clever idea for a book test. The method is cunning, and Iain provides a lot of useful tips for the performer.

I really liked it, although I don't think it's going to be a book test that would appeal to everyone.

I'd give it 9/10, if only because the nature of the test (people providing books they hate, ripping up the pages) means it's not quite as versatile as some other tests. I have decided to save full marks for things that are wholly remarkable, rather than 'merely' excellent like this!

I have not come across anything like this before and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes the premise.

This is a great effect, and it really IS impromptu (well, as impromptu as doing a card trick!).

What I love here is the devious simplicity and lateral thinking which means that even though there are CHOICES here, there's no complex memory systems (yes, it's not forced—there IS free choice). There's no fishing as such, as the reveal is done on a large pad.

Another great thing is the explanation: it is precise, concise and to the point. No complex mass of quoting names of famous mentalists and principles, this is just straight down to business. We see too many effects these days with sprawling paragraphs of "how xxxx does it using the yyyy technique"—namesdropping ahoy—when all we really need to know is HOW DO WE DO IT!!!

But what I REALLY like most of all about this is that it is usable. It's real-world workable. And it's something which could be really quite memorable to the people involved.

The idea of destroying hated books is great. And the psychology of having the spectator actually physically destroy the book is excellent. The sheer comedy this creates both on and off the stage can be milked and milked, and provides the 'larger' action often spoken of by Vernon.

I do like this. I really do. I so wish I was a performer, just so I could try this to see the reactions.

Part-Timer wrote:the nature of the test (people providing books they hate, ripping up the pages) means it's not quite as versatile as some other tests.

I think that is a plus point.

For me it is definitely more of a stage/parlour piece but in that arena one of the strongest test I have seen and such a lot of potential for humour. I would love Graham Jolley to see this as I reckon it is right up his street.

You don't need to get the spectators to bring books, in fact the places I work this isn't always practical, but a trip to the local charity shop and a roll on book case and you are set up for many performances.

Nice work Mr. A.

bananafish wrote:For me it is definitely more of a stage/parlour piece but in that arena one of the strongest test I have seen and such a lot of potential for humour.

I agree absolutely (and also with seige's comments).

You don't need to get the spectators to bring books, in fact the places I work this isn't always practical, but a trip to the local charity shop and a roll on book case and you are set up for many performances.

In fact, there's no real reason why you couldn't use a given book more than once. Just explain that obviously more than one person hated that book!

If people wish to provide their own books, may I recommend any of the works of Thomas Hardy. From my limited survey, he seems to be an author who is particularly disliked, usually due to his misery being inflicted on English literature students.

many blessings upon all of your trousers gentlemen...

slightly over-awed by the reviews, so thank you all very much and i'll get round to sleeping with you all eventually...

for others reading that might not like the idea of ripping up printed books, in the pdf there's a mention of using an empty diary/notepad - you hand it out to the audience with a pen and pencil..ask them to fill it all in at random, drawings, words, randomness...phone numbers if they're pretty...

then at the end of the show, you do the same working, but you can reveal the images, the words...whatever has been previously written...

but it's nice and adaptable in my borrowed book...

Now you see I'm just spending every waking moment getting Tomo's naked book test just right in my mind and presentation, when along comes Abraxus with this!

see...i would honestly rate Tomo's above mine purely cos his is properly spookily over the phone or in a coffee shop kinda mind wrestling style nakedness...

mine isn't quite so naked..it's partially clothed though...

get both?! i would say that wouldnt i...

abraxus wrote:mine isn't quite so naked..it's partially clothed though...

Kind of a figleaf, artistically draped over the odd vital spot.

The alternate presentation (with the blank book) really appealed to me. It's almost two ideas for the (very reasonable) price of one!

Tomo took the time to review it, crud, now I have to buy it.

.:Ham:.

abraxus wrote:
get both?! I would say that wouldnt I...

Oh yes. I'll be getting it. I think this might go down a treat in the seance room. Tearing up an evil haunted book or some such. Does the idea sound workable?