talkmagic.co.uk

I must say that Derren Brown is probably the most amazing person I have seen to do mental magic. His book 'pure effect' was out of print for some time but as soon as it was reprinted I paid the £30 for it. All I can say is that it willnot appeal to everyone...
IN the book there is a combination of mindreading effects and some excellent card magic. However the card magic, although extremely close-up is complex and I can sadly say that unless you are a top dog at card magic then you will fail to pull off these amazing sleights of hand and use of misdirection.
The book in itself is written very well and I'd be amazed if Derren Brown was did not hold a degree in English Language. His style of writting is not easy to interprete and I was continuously reaching for the dictionary.
Enough said on the drawbacks though, the information in the book on how to perform generally will be of use to all as his way of showing magic definately boosts the suprise and effect of the trick.
If you treat his book more like an autobiography instead of a teaching manual then most will find this an enjoyable and intriuging read!

I would say don't buy this for the tricks. However... it is an excellent source for looking at the true basics of magic.

The basics are not moves but attitude and an understanding of what magic SHOULD be.

This may help to make your magic seem more like magic and less like a puzzle for the spec to figure out.

Over all, I am glad I read this book. Was it worth $40 USD? Hummmm.... Yeah, I think it was.

If you want to add another trick to your collection, don't buy this book. But, if you want to generally improve the way you do magic, then this book is worth reading.

derren is supposed to be bringing another book teaching how to do mind control techniques it says so on his site.

Yeah, I saw that, I think it might be for the general public though, not oriented towards magicians. In some ways I think that is probably a good thing, all his mind control stuff would take a long time to learn and there are a lot of impatient magicians out there who woulsn't put in the effort and would ruin the whole idea for Derren and the rest of us. At the moment I think Derren has the monopoly on this stuff and I think it should stay that way. Having said that if the book does have anything in it useful for magicians I will be getting a copy!

After re-reading my review of Pure Effect, I want to make it clear that this book is NOT some simple minded "basics of magic" type of book. It is a book that can raise the level of your magic if you are starting out, but maybe ESPECIALLY if you are already "advanced".

It is a challenging book. It will stretch your vocabulary and your magic.

By basics I assume that you meant the underlying ideas? If the card stuff in the book is anything like his video (which I think it is as I know that smoked is in both) then it should be a challenge a good read, I am planning to try to get a copy on my next magical shopping spree.

It is very intellectual. I suspect that most magicians have never really thought too long or hard about the ideas in Pure Effect.

This was a great read, with some very good examples of illusions and tricks. I have noticed that it has become very difficult to get this book now. Has it been withdrawn?

jabba...

The book has actually gone out of print, and therefore is as rare as rocking-horse poo.

I agree with everyone who's praised this - it truly is more insightful than a selection of tricks. It deals with a lot of psychology and presentation, and Brown's narrative style is exquisite.

It is not really everyone's cup of tea, however, and as mentioned earlier, don't buy it if you're after the secrets of Brown's mentalism - they just aren't there. Neither is it aimed at amateur magi... some of the tricks refer to handlings and techniques without actually explaining them full, and assumes you are quite adept.

The book is a worthy addition to your collection (if you can get hold of it), especially if you are looking for an 'edge' to your performance.

Thanks that explains it then. I have to keep lending my copy out!!!!

The book has been reprinted and is available again now.

Although this new edition has been streamlined with two effects missing it does read very well as an essay on the craft just as his other publication did, Absolute Magic. Someone commented on the high skill level required for the card tricks and slights. I thoroughly agree here. So if anybody out there wants to master them I suggest you try and track down his lecture video and his Devils Picture Book Video as a companion for this volume. Everything is covered more visually in these.
Also Videos by Lennert Green are also useful as I see that Derren uses many of his moves in his card rep.
Paul

thinkofacard...

It must also be stressed here that anyone just starting out in magic would be ill advised to buy the Lennart Green videos just yet
Lennart Green's magic is awesome, and his effects seem like real magic (he's a Swedish card magician, who's act was once discounted by magic judges because they believed he used a gimmicked deck - that's how good he is!) - yet their handling and theory will be far beyond the capability of a newcomer.

It is disappointing to hear that Pure Effect has been re-released in an edited form. I shall treasure my 'director's cut' version forever!

As mentioned, the book is more of an insight into the roots of magic as opposed to a collection of Brown's renowned 'new age' mentalism. There are some effects in there, although the book itself holds more value as a reminder of what we're really doing this stuff for.

Recommended!

I was even surprised that there were any tricks explained in the book. I really didn't see a need. You certainly don't buy a Derren Brown book to learn tricks!

With the second book he focused on his philosophies which make these books such an interesting read. For that he should be congratulated!

The effects that he does explain are so close to his character that it seems almost offensive to try and perform them. Likewise with Lennart Green - Fractal Harmony is a beautiful effect in his hands, but when you see others copying the patter it grates to say the least...

Pure Effect is a book that should be in every magicians collection - but don't expect to learn any tricks!

Regarding Lennart Green - I agree with seige that these are certainly advanced routines. In addition they are routines which should form a basis for magicians to create their own, personalised routines.