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2.5

I think I may have enjoyed this book if I hadn't seen the movie, because much of the book revolves around the big secrets of the two protagonists - Borden and Angier - and since I already knew what was going on, I never felt any real suspension or even much curiosity.

And I almost felt I was reading the wrong book at first, since it starts in the present day with the descendants of the two. At least that bit added something to the story not found in the movie, though, again, it revolved around the same secrets so...

I will say I found the style interesting. Basically we have two notebooks - one of Borden's and one of Angier's - which tells their story in diary format. The two were different enough to believe they were written by different people, but I would've liked a bit more personality in both of them, to be honest. (That said, I will say I preferred Angier's part, as it just seemed better written.)

There are, of course, differences between the book and the movie. Some things I preferred the way the movie had them, particularly the cause of the feud. (view spoiler)[In the movie, Borden and Angier being friends and then the accident when Borden tied the not and killed Angier's love.

In the book it's more, like, just because. Angier is faking being a spiritist and Borden attacks him on professional principle. Angier at least has cause for his hatred since Borden accidentally killed Angier's unborn child, but Borden just doesn't like him for professional reasons, at first, and doesn't even know about the child. (hide spoiler)]

Also, I liked that the movie made more of the secondary characters. Since the book is written in first person, all of the secondary characters, even the wives and lovers, are more sort of just there and not really given much of a life of their own. And Michael Caine's character is hardly there at all. I mean, the basis for the character is there, but the movie fleshed him out in ways the book doesn't even begin to do.

But I kind of preferred the ending of the book. It was darker, more morbid, and more fitting, in some ways.

In the movie I sort of got the feeling that Angier was meant to sort of be 'the winner', if there can be said to be one, but in the book everyone loses in some way - in ways particular to their lives and lies - and I appreciated the bleakness of it. It works better, as a morality tale, than the movie ending did.

Overall, just thinking of what actually happens, I think it could've been a very good book. But the writing, and perhaps, as I said, simply the knowing, both killed it for me. I was more bored than anything, which is a shame because it shouldn't have been a boring book, all things considered.