Magic, magic, magic. I love magic. Specifically, this sort of magic, not the thing you’ll find in fantasy books. And no magician of the modern age has distinguished himself quite like David Copperfield. Not just the fame, not just the recognition, not just the gazillion dollars he’s made doing it, but also the sheer breadth of imagination, the dedication to the craft and the spectacle of the craft, the range and magnitude of his stunts…it’s all pretty impressive.
The man’s been recognized by the magician community and community at large as a living legend, literally. With a legendary dedication to magic. So of course, of course, he would have a secret magic museum. And of course, of course, it would be awesome. I don’t travel much, but there are places I dream of visiting. Now I can add Copperfield’s magic museum to that list. Located at an undisclosed location somewhere in Vegas desert, this museum, whose front on a lovely gesture is crafted to look just like Copperfield’s father’s clothing store did back in New Jersey once upon a time, collects over 300, 000 magic-related artifacts. It all began with a 20, 000 item collection of another famous magician. Copperfield acquired it in bulk, so it stayed together and then added (prodigiously) to it over the years. Now, it’s a positively (and appropriately) magical place that features possessions of many if not all great magicians of the past, including things like a recreated magic shop of Copperfield’s youth. It’s like a wonderland for people who like magic. Thank goodness this book comes with photos, many photos, in color for proper effect. It isn’t quite like being there, but it’s the next best thing. Each chapter features a famous magician. The last one features Copperfield himself, though his voice comes through in other chapters, the man is a professional magician, after all, they aren’t exactly shy about self-promotion, plus Copperfield does indeed have a lot of accomplishments to be proud of. And he is genuinely passionate about magic, that comes through loud and clear. I’m not sure exactly how much of the writing he did himself, the book features two writing contributors (magic experts), but it reads quite nicely. You get to discover the many variegated lives of the giants of magic on whose shoulders modern magicians like Copperfield stand today. That’s his take and his words, meaning that’s his take on Newton’s famous quotation. A sort of a humble brag, for sure, but hey, why not, really. So much of magic is about showmanship, after all. And so, I leave the museum charmed, enlightened, and delighted, as I’m sure most magic fans would be after visiting the place for themselves. Recommended.
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December 2023
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