Peerless Prestidigitation

De Caston, HerbertProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 40K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Peerless Prestidigitation by Herbert De CastonAuthor: De Caston, Herbert,Language: English, Class: GV: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Recreation, Leisure, Release Date: May 14, 2010

Editor's review

This book is an English-language work on magic technique by Herbert De Caston, belonging to the entertainment and leisure category of the free e-book series Project Gutenberg. Its value lies in preserving the operational ideas and performance language of early stage magic; readers can see the original way classic tricks such as card magic and sleight of hand were explained, which is quite useful for understanding magic as a historical form of performance art. The book is written in English, in a narrative style characteristic of old magic manuals, with step descriptions and performance tips given equal weight; it is suitable as supplementary reading for magic enthusiasts or as English reading material. In terms of reading situations, it can be read alongside practice, trying moves as you go, or browsed as material for studying popular entertainment publications; it should not be expected to be a systematic modern magic course.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Amateur enthusiasts interested in magic history and classic tricks
Readers looking for original English leisure reading to practice their reading
Culture enthusiasts studying early popular entertainment publications
Self-learners who like to try small tricks hands-on while reading

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking systematic modern magic instruction
Readers with weak English reading ability who are unwilling to look up words
Hands-on learners who need extensive step-by-step illustrations

Reading tips

First skim the table of contents and pick out interesting tricks, then try them step by step against the original text; there is no need to read straight through in order.
Keep simple props such as cards and coins at hand for practice, and note down unclear descriptions of technique while reading.
When encountering old-fashioned English expressions, first guess from context and then look them up, to maintain reading rhythm.
Read alongside other books on magic history and note the differences between early performance language and modern tutorials.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no magic foundation at all?

It can be read, but it should not be used as an introductory course. The book's explanatory style is old-fashioned, and its step descriptions are less intuitive than modern illustrated tutorials; readers lacking basic technique may get stuck on descriptions of moves. It is advisable to first master some basic moves, or treat it as supplementary material for learning about classic tricks, trying things slowly as you read.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The original is in English, and the sentences follow the narrative habits of old magic manuals; the vocabulary is not very difficult, but the expression is distant from modern English. Readers with intermediate English reading ability who are willing to look up words can finish it smoothly; if your English foundation is weak, it is advisable to use a dictionary or first read a Chinese introductory magic book and then compare.

Can the magic in this book still be performed today?

The book records ideas for early stage and close-up magic; some moves and props can still be used today, but the performance context and audience expectations have changed. Readers can treat it as a reference for technique and performance language, adjusting the presentation to modern occasions rather than copying the entire routine.

Is this a paper book or an e-book?

This book is a free e-book provided by Project Gutenberg, published in electronic text form rather than as a traditional paper publication. Readers can obtain the original text on that platform; it is suitable for reading on a computer or e-reader and is also convenient for searching specific trick names.

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About the author

De Caston, Herbert Author

Herbert De Caston is a magic author about whom very little is publicly known: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and real name cannot be verified from available sources, and only his English byline and a single surviving work can be confirmed. The one book held in the collection, Peerless Prestidigitation, appears from its title and subject to be a manual of close-up magic centered on sleight of hand with cards and coins, aimed at amateurs and professionals who wish to perform before an audience. Because public information is limited, the book's exact date of composition, its textual history, and its actual influence on the history of magic remain difficult to establish with certainty; only its title suggests an emphasis on teaching technique and designing routines rather than on theory. De Caston's name thus survives mainly through this work, and researchers generally regard him as a minor yet noteworthy compiler within early English-language magic literature.