The Juggler's Oracle; or, The Whole Art of Legerdemain Laid Open

Boaz, H.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.1

Word count: 156K words
Chapters: 16

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.The Juggler's Oracle; or, The Whole Art of Legerdemain Laid Open by H. BoazAuthor: Boaz, H. (Herman),Language: English, Class: GV: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Recreation, Leisure, Release Date: Jul 12, 2018

Editor's review

This is an old-style magic manual on card tricks and sleight of hand; the title translates literally as ‘The Juggler's Oracle, or, The Whole Art of Legerdemain Laid Open.‘ The author, H. Boaz, explains in instructional form the operating principles of various tricks, making this a historical work of the reveal-the-secrets type aimed at amateur enthusiasts. Its value lies not in a complete program for stage performance but in presenting the knowledge framework of early trick instruction: how to use everyday objects to create misdirection, how to order sleights, and how to control audience attention. For today's readers of magic history, performance studies, or vintage entertainment, it is a sample for observing how a craft was written down. Note that the methods described depend on paper props and live handling, and reading text alone makes it hard to reproduce the details of motion; moreover, as a public-domain e-book, the edition has no modern diagrams or safety notes. A suitable approach is to treat it as a historical text, trying simple props as you read, or working with a partner to test whether the descriptions are practicable.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Enthusiasts interested in the history of magic and the evolution of trick technique
Performance researchers wanting to understand how early trick-instruction texts were written
Amateur players who enjoy small tricks with everyday props such as cards
Readers collecting public-domain books on vintage entertainment and leisure skills

Not a good fit for

Magic beginners expecting modern diagrams and step-by-step photographs
Performers seeking complete stage program arrangements
Complete beginners who need Chinese explanations and safety notes
Readers who only want theory and are unwilling to try things hands-on

Reading tips

Read the table of contents first and try the tricks requiring the simplest props first.
Keep a deck of cards or coins at hand while reading and mime the sequence of moves as you go.
Rewrite the textual descriptions into your own step lists to test whether the instructions are complete.
Demonstrate to a partner and use their perspective to test whether the misdirection works.

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 about large-scale stage illusions?

From the data, the book's subject is ‘legerdemain‘—instruction in sleight of hand and card tricks—rather than the mechanics of large stage illusions. It is closer to a reveal-the-secrets work for amateur enthusiasts, suited to practice with small props rather than a manual for arranging a full show.

Can I learn the tricks in the book without diagrams?

Text-only descriptions do have limits for sleight-of-hand tricks; the details of motion and timing cannot be fully reproduced. It is best to read while actually practicing with cards or coins, rewrite the descriptions into your own step lists, and repeat trials as needed to judge whether the instructions are practicable.

What is the language and edition situation of this book?

According to the project data, the book is in English, classified under recreation and leisure (class GV), prepared and published by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain e-book. The text retains old-fashioned expressions, and the data does not indicate modern annotations or diagrams; some English foundation is needed.

What props do I need to read this book?

The tricks mostly rely on small everyday objects, with cards and coins the most common practice props. It is best to prepare an ordinary deck and a few coins first, then add other objects according to specific trick descriptions; there is no need to buy professional magic equipment at the start.

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About the author

Boaz, H. Author

H. Boaz is an author about whom very little public information is available. All that is currently known is that one work is attributed to this name: The Juggler's Oracle or, The Whole Art of Legerdemain Laid Open. Judging from its title, the book belongs to the literature of magic and conjuring and sets out to reveal "the whole art of legerdemain," combining exposition with instruction. Books of this kind once had a steady readership in the English-speaking world, aimed largely at amateurs and beginners, and were typically clearly organized and specific in their steps, offering both descriptions of technique and performance tips. Because the author's dates, nationality, and biography cannot be verified, scholarly and bibliographical sources say little about this figure, and whatever influence the author has had rests chiefly on this single work: in plain language it preserved and passed on the conjuring knowledge popular in its day, and it remains a useful text for understanding what early magical handbooks were like.