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| Carter Beats the Devil | 
 enlarge | Author: Glen David Gold
Publisher: Hyperion
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $0.01
You Save: $14.94 (100%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (183 reviews)
Sales Rank: 119135
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 496
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.1 x 2.1
ISBN: 0786886323
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780786886326
ASIN: 0786886323
Publication Date: September 18, 2002
Release Date: September 18, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
In Carter Beats the Devil, Glen David Gold subjects the past tothe same wondrous transformations as the rabbit in a skilled illusionist's hat.Gold's debut novel opens with real-life magician Charles Carter executing aparticularly grisly trick, using President Warren G. Harding as a volunteer.Shortly afterwards, Harding dies mysteriously in his San Francisco hotel room,and Carter is forced to flee the country. Or does he? It's only the first ofmany misdirections in a magical performance by Gold. In the course of subsequentpages, Carter finds himself pursued by the most hapless of FBI agents; falls inlove with a beautiful, outspoken blind woman; and confronts an old nemesis benton destroying him. Throw in countless stunning (and historically accurate)illusions, some beautifully rendered period detail, and historical figures likeyoung inventor Philo T. Farnsworth and self-made millionaire Francis "Borax"Smith, and you have old-fashioned entertainment executed with a decidedly modernsensibility. Gold has written for movies and TV, so it's no surprise that he delivers snappy,fast-paced dialogue and action scenes as expertly scripted as anything that'scome out of Hollywood in years. Carter Beats the Devil has a mustachioedvillain, chase scenes, a lion, miraculous escapes, even pirates, for God's sake.Yet none of this is as broadly drawn as it might sound: Gold's characters aredriven by childhood sorrows and disappointments in love, just like the rest ofus, and they're limned in clever, quicksilver prose. By turns suspenseful,moving, and magical, this is the historical novel to give to anyone whocomplains that contemporary fiction has lost the ability to both move andentertain. --Mary Park
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
In Carter Beats the Devil, Glen David Gold subjects the past to the same wondrous transformations as the rabbit in a skilled illusionist's hat. Gold's debut novel opens with real-life magician Charles Carter executing a particularly grisly trick, using President Warren G. Harding as a volunteer. Shortly afterwards, Harding dies mysteriously in his San Francisco hotel room, and Carter is forced to flee the country. Or does he? It's only the first of many misdirections in a magical performance by Gold. In the course of subsequent pages, Carter finds himself pursued by the most hapless of FBI agents; falls in love with a beautiful, outspoken blind woman; and confronts an old nemesis bent on destroying him. Throw in countless stunning (and historically accurate) illusions, some beautifully rendered period detail, and historical figures like young inventor Philo T. Farnsworth and self-made millionaire Francis "Borax" Smith, and you have old-fashioned entertainment executed with a decidedly modern sensibility. Gold has written for movies and TV, so it's no surprise that he delivers snappy, fast-paced dialogue and action scenes as expertly scripted as anything that's come out of Hollywood in years. Carter Beats the Devil has a mustachioed villain, chase scenes, a lion, miraculous escapes, even pirates, for God's sake. Yet none of this is as broadly drawn as it might sound: Gold's characters are driven by childhood sorrows and disappointments in love, just like the rest of us, and they're limned in clever, quicksilver prose. By turns suspenseful, moving, and magical, this is the historical novel to give to anyone who complains that contemporary fiction has lost the ability to both move and entertain. --Mary Park
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| Customer Reviews: Read 178 more reviews...
 Magic and Mayhem: Carter Beats the Devil August 3, 2008
This is one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a while, all the more so because of the historical figures who feature in it, including President Warren G Harding, the legendary stage magician and illusionist Charles Carter, Harry Houdini, and a cast of notables, including the most villainous of villains. I enjoyed both the mystery at its heart and entering into the fascinating world of magic and illusion. Engagingly written, cleverly plotted. What's more, I understand that the book has been picked up by the American Movie Classics Channel for an upcoming project. I highly recommend it.
 I tried August 21, 2007
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
I normally read non-fiction. Politics, science, and environmental policy are my usual fare. I mention this so you know that I am quite comfortable investing in and reading through relatively dry, boring material.
Having said that, I could not bring myself to finish Carter Beats the Devil. I started reading it on a flight between San Francisco and Portland, and tried, really, really tried, to continue it once I got home.
I couldn't.
This book meanders aimlessly through a plot and introduces characters I couldn't bring myself to care about. I made it just beyond where Carter visits his adult brother and to the murder in...in...where was it again?
Who knows? Certainly not me.
I stuck it on the shelf and cracked open Al Gore's The Assault on Reason.
Ah...much better.
I must admit - I'm puzzled by the glowing reviews of Carter Beats the Devil. I'm surprised anyone would rate this book highly.
Magic and Mayhem - What a Treat! May 22, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a great book. Set in the San Francisco area in the 1920s, it tells a tale of murder, mayhem, romance and magic that is, amazingly, mostly factual. It's true that the author does take some liberties with the facts in several places, but it's all in the spirit of fun at the core of this novel. You'll meet magicians, a US president, secret service men, entrepreneurs, inventors, pirates, lions and elephants before this book ends and if you're like me you'll be left wanting more. Author Glen David Gold captures the spirit of the age - the rapid pace of technological innovation, the profligate spending habits of those with money - with a clarity that made me see the similarities to the present era in a way I had never considered before.
Granted, this was a fairly long book by current standards, but it was a page-turner that captured me within the first few pages and carried me effortlessly along all the way to the end. When will Glen David Gold produce another novel? The sooner the better as far as I am concerned. Definitely recommended.
Humor, History, Adventure and Mystery May 18, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I can't remember the last time I read something this exciting-- just plain fun! This is a great read for anyone who enjoyed The Illusionist or The Prestige, but has the added advantage of humor infused throughout. Gold has expertly crafted the characters, written clever dialogue, and created an entertaining mix of historical fiction, mystery, adventure, and humor. This novel would translate well on the screen.
 Clever, fast-paced and entertaining March 14, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
A well done suspenseful intricately told story that surrounds the mysterious death of President Warren Harding.
The backdrop of magic and Vaudeville gives a colorful cast of characters including; an evil magician, a pet lion, a genius inventor, the money managing brother, Houdini and even a pirate.
Charles Carter is a sympathetic protagonist who we enjoy rooting for, sometimes from the edge of our seat. His magic reminds me of David Copperfield's, amazing and fantastic.
The many historical references add another layer of interest. I gasped out loud several times at the unexpected twists and turns in this story.
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