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Now You See It . . .
Maximilian Delacorte was once the world's greatest stage magician--until a mysterious disease ended his career forever. Now, after months of seclusion, Max has lured his family and associates to his lonely mansion for an afternoon of magic, madness, and revenge. Bodies disappear and reappear without warning, severed heads speak words of hate, and nothing is quite what is appears to be. As grisly tricks lead to ever more surprising twists, not even The Great Delacourt can tell where the illusion ends...and murder begins.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
54 people are currently reading
599 people want to read
About the author
Richard Matheson
760 books4,778 followersBorn in Allendale, New Jersey to Norwegian immigrant parents, Matheson was raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1943. He then entered the military and spent World War II as an infantry soldier. In 1949 he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and moved to California in 1951. He married in 1952 and has four children, three of whom (Chris, Richard Christian, and Ali Matheson) are writers of fiction and screenplays.
His first short story, "Born of Man and Woman," appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. The tale of a monstrous child chained in its parents' cellar, it was told in the first person as the creature's diary (in poignantly non-idiomatic English) and immediately made Matheson famous. Between 1950 and 1971, Matheson produced dozens of stories, frequently blending elements of the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres.
Several of his stories, like "Third from the Sun" (1950), "Deadline" (1959) and "Button, Button" (1970) are simple sketches with twist endings; others, like "Trespass" (1953), "Being" (1954) and "Mute" (1962) explore their characters' dilemmas over twenty or thirty pages. Some tales, such as "The Funeral" (1955) and "The Doll that Does Everything" (1954) incorporate zany satirical humour at the expense of genre clichés, and are written in an hysterically overblown prose very different from Matheson's usual pared-down style. Others, like "The Test" (1954) and "Steel" (1956), portray the moral and physical struggles of ordinary people, rather than the then nearly ubiquitous scientists and superheroes, in situations which are at once futuristic and everyday. Still others, such as "Mad House" (1953), "The Curious Child" (1954) and perhaps most famously, "Duel" (1971) are tales of paranoia, in which the everyday environment of the present day becomes inexplicably alien or threatening.
He wrote a number of episodes for the American TV series The Twilight Zone, including "Steel," mentioned above and the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"; adapted the works of Edgar Allan Poe for Roger Corman and Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out for Hammer Films; and scripted Steven Spielberg's first feature, the TV movie Duel, from his own short story. He also contributed a number of scripts to the Warner Brothers western series "The Lawman" between 1958 and 1962. In 1973, Matheson earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for The Night Stalker, one of two TV movies written by Matheson that preceded the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Matheson also wrote the screenplay for Fanatic (US title: Die! Die! My Darling!) starring Talullah Bankhead and Stefanie Powers.
Novels include The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man, again from Matheson's own screenplay), and a science fiction vampire novel, I Am Legend, which has been filmed three times under the titles The Omega Man and The Last Man on Earth and once under the original title. Other Matheson novels turned into notable films include What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes, Bid Time Return (as Somewhere in Time), and Hell House (as The Legend of Hell House) and the aforementioned Duel, the last three adapted and scripted by Matheson himself. Three of his short stories were filmed together as Trilogy of Terror, including "Prey" with its famous Zuni warrior doll.
In 1960, Matheson published The Beardless Warriors, a nonfantastic, autobiographical novel about teenage American soldiers in World War II.
He died at his home on June 23, 2013, at the age of 87
http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...
His first short story, "Born of Man and Woman," appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. The tale of a monstrous child chained in its parents' cellar, it was told in the first person as the creature's diary (in poignantly non-idiomatic English) and immediately made Matheson famous. Between 1950 and 1971, Matheson produced dozens of stories, frequently blending elements of the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres.
Several of his stories, like "Third from the Sun" (1950), "Deadline" (1959) and "Button, Button" (1970) are simple sketches with twist endings; others, like "Trespass" (1953), "Being" (1954) and "Mute" (1962) explore their characters' dilemmas over twenty or thirty pages. Some tales, such as "The Funeral" (1955) and "The Doll that Does Everything" (1954) incorporate zany satirical humour at the expense of genre clichés, and are written in an hysterically overblown prose very different from Matheson's usual pared-down style. Others, like "The Test" (1954) and "Steel" (1956), portray the moral and physical struggles of ordinary people, rather than the then nearly ubiquitous scientists and superheroes, in situations which are at once futuristic and everyday. Still others, such as "Mad House" (1953), "The Curious Child" (1954) and perhaps most famously, "Duel" (1971) are tales of paranoia, in which the everyday environment of the present day becomes inexplicably alien or threatening.
He wrote a number of episodes for the American TV series The Twilight Zone, including "Steel," mentioned above and the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"; adapted the works of Edgar Allan Poe for Roger Corman and Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out for Hammer Films; and scripted Steven Spielberg's first feature, the TV movie Duel, from his own short story. He also contributed a number of scripts to the Warner Brothers western series "The Lawman" between 1958 and 1962. In 1973, Matheson earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for The Night Stalker, one of two TV movies written by Matheson that preceded the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Matheson also wrote the screenplay for Fanatic (US title: Die! Die! My Darling!) starring Talullah Bankhead and Stefanie Powers.
Novels include The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man, again from Matheson's own screenplay), and a science fiction vampire novel, I Am Legend, which has been filmed three times under the titles The Omega Man and The Last Man on Earth and once under the original title. Other Matheson novels turned into notable films include What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes, Bid Time Return (as Somewhere in Time), and Hell House (as The Legend of Hell House) and the aforementioned Duel, the last three adapted and scripted by Matheson himself. Three of his short stories were filmed together as Trilogy of Terror, including "Prey" with its famous Zuni warrior doll.
In 1960, Matheson published The Beardless Warriors, a nonfantastic, autobiographical novel about teenage American soldiers in World War II.
He died at his home on June 23, 2013, at the age of 87
http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
January 15, 2013
I love books or movies that have to do with magic and I've been meaning to read more classic genre authors, so I picked this book up at the library. Definitely not a horror as it was shelved, this story is a very entertaining mystery with more twists than a yoga class and, of course, magic tricks. I thought that one of the plot aspects (the gender switch ups) strained the story's credibility as oppose to Prestige, for example, but suspending disbelief has always been the requirement for magic shows anyway. The book sort of read like a fun play due to its amusingly pompous melodramatic qualityand would probably make a fun play as it would require a great deal of overacting. I'm not sure to what extent it showcased Matheson's talent as a writer, since this is my first book by him, but it did impress me. I liked the ending as well. Very quick and fun read. Recommended.
March 10, 2022
In 1972, Joseph L. Mankiewicz directed the movie Sleuth which starred Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. The movie was a tour de force (at least in my youthful eyes) mystery thriller where, if the movie goer had heard nothing about it, continued to deceive and surprise throughout. It was full of trickery, disguises, and deceptions that begin innocently but, as with many practical jokes, result in fatal consequences.
Similarly, Richard Matheson's novel, Now You See It... contains much of the same literary blueprint but, interestingly enough, Matheson's story is told by a paraplegic invalid who can do nothing but helplessly sit and watch the drama unfold. Considering that Matheson published Now You See It... in 1995, I would wager that he saw Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth on stage (a Tony Award Winner) or, at least, the movie version starring Olivier and Caine and consequently, used that story for a basis for Now You See It.... Both stories are similar in that they occur in a very short time frame (within a day) within the same house (or even room) and the various players continue to deceive one another until the comedy turns serious and destructive.
I have enjoyed the writings of Richard Matheson for many years reading many of his books such as The Beardless Warriors, I am Legend, and The Legend of Hell House as a young boy, and others such as The Shrinking Man. I have also enjoyed his genius as I grew up watching Rod Serling's Twilight Zone. Now You See It... in my opinion failed to reach the levels of some of those earlier creations, but it did contain an interesting story that continues to keep the reader engaged and wondering. I believe, however, that one of the drawbacks (and it was also true with Sleuth) was that there really wasn't a likeable character throughout. Maybe, however, that is how it is with people that live by deception. Like they say, "if you live by the sword, you die by the sword." Is Now You See It... worth reading? If you like a good mystery with many surprises, you will probably enjoy this novel.
Similarly, Richard Matheson's novel, Now You See It... contains much of the same literary blueprint but, interestingly enough, Matheson's story is told by a paraplegic invalid who can do nothing but helplessly sit and watch the drama unfold. Considering that Matheson published Now You See It... in 1995, I would wager that he saw Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth on stage (a Tony Award Winner) or, at least, the movie version starring Olivier and Caine and consequently, used that story for a basis for Now You See It.... Both stories are similar in that they occur in a very short time frame (within a day) within the same house (or even room) and the various players continue to deceive one another until the comedy turns serious and destructive.
I have enjoyed the writings of Richard Matheson for many years reading many of his books such as The Beardless Warriors, I am Legend, and The Legend of Hell House as a young boy, and others such as The Shrinking Man. I have also enjoyed his genius as I grew up watching Rod Serling's Twilight Zone. Now You See It... in my opinion failed to reach the levels of some of those earlier creations, but it did contain an interesting story that continues to keep the reader engaged and wondering. I believe, however, that one of the drawbacks (and it was also true with Sleuth) was that there really wasn't a likeable character throughout. Maybe, however, that is how it is with people that live by deception. Like they say, "if you live by the sword, you die by the sword." Is Now You See It... worth reading? If you like a good mystery with many surprises, you will probably enjoy this novel.
October 24, 2022
A fun inversion of the classic closed-door mystery novel with a unique premise and way too many twists to be taken entirely seriously: Matheson was having some fun with the format here. A brisk and easy read, good for an afternoon (I read it in one sitting, a rarity for me).
September 1, 2023
Sad to say, because I generally love Matheson's work, this fell flat for me. While the premise was interesting, the story eventually became too ridiculous and farfetched. While the story revolves around magicians, the trickery was far too unbelievable. Ah well ...
October 20, 2023
Matheson has some fun on the expense of the genre.
May 2, 2022
This made about as much sense as a pop-up book about a Giraffe.
The twists and turns, from seemingly nowhere, seemed to be there only to get the reader to the end of the story, rather than explaining the plot.
Now you see it... could have only worked as a book (barely worked). If it had of been adapted into a movie or tv show it would have been ridiculous and nonsensical.
Despite the absurdity of the plot I was kind of entertained. Kinda.
Richard Matheson has written much better books than Now you see it... (I am Legend, Hell House, The Shrinking Man, etc.)
Do yourself a favour and read one of those. Give this one a pass.
The twists and turns, from seemingly nowhere, seemed to be there only to get the reader to the end of the story, rather than explaining the plot.
Now you see it... could have only worked as a book (barely worked). If it had of been adapted into a movie or tv show it would have been ridiculous and nonsensical.
Despite the absurdity of the plot I was kind of entertained. Kinda.
Richard Matheson has written much better books than Now you see it... (I am Legend, Hell House, The Shrinking Man, etc.)
Do yourself a favour and read one of those. Give this one a pass.
July 23, 2020
Fantastic! A must read.
January 5, 2015
Synopsis: "Some years ago, the Great Delacorte, a famed stage magician, came down with a stroke that left him in a vegetative state, able to move only his eyes. The entire action of the novel is witnessed through these eyes as Delacorte sits in the Magic Room of his country estate, a room custom-tailored to display stage illusions. Delacorte's son, Max, has taken his name and place as an illusionist in every effort to replace his father. Max is supported by his wife Cassandra and her amazingly identical lookalike younger brother Brian. But for the past year, Cassandra has been trying to break away from Max. She wants the act all for herself--but Max has his own ideas, which include a heaping helping of revenge."
This story does not deliver on its promises. An longer-than-necessary extended short story that gets so convoluted towards the conclusion that all you really want is for the book to end. I was very disappointed in this book. It's not worth your time.
This story does not deliver on its promises. An longer-than-necessary extended short story that gets so convoluted towards the conclusion that all you really want is for the book to end. I was very disappointed in this book. It's not worth your time.
May 7, 2016
Чудесна криминална сцена, перфектно описана от Матисън.
Великият Делакорте, известен илюзионист от години е в състояние да движи само очите си, в следствие на инсулт. Синът му, продължава семейната традиция до въпросната вечер. Цялата история се разказва от парализирания баща, който е перфектната публика за последното шоу на сина.
Множество сюжетни обрати, подвеждащи връзки и преплитащи се интриги ни водят до разплитането на трагедията, която се разиграва в магическия кабинет на сина.
Историята те държи на ръба на стола до последно.
Много ми хареса, нормално. Комбинацията от надарени илюзионисти, отмъщение и действие развиващо се само в една стая е комбинация от любими мои, а явно и на автора елементи.
Препоръчвам горещо.
Великият Делакорте, известен илюзионист от години е в състояние да движи само очите си, в следствие на инсулт. Синът му, продължава семейната традиция до въпросната вечер. Цялата история се разказва от парализирания баща, който е перфектната публика за последното шоу на сина.
Множество сюжетни обрати, подвеждащи връзки и преплитащи се интриги ни водят до разплитането на трагедията, която се разиграва в магическия кабинет на сина.
Историята те държи на ръба на стола до последно.
Много ми хареса, нормално. Комбинацията от надарени илюзионисти, отмъщение и действие развиващо се само в една стая е комбинация от любими мои, а явно и на автора елементи.
Препоръчвам горещо.
September 10, 2016
A book about a stage magician from the guy who wrote I Am Legend? Sign me up! (found it for a dollar at the Save The Children book-sale)
But it quickly falls apart - everything that happens is later revealed to be at least 2 or 3 twists in one, to the point that you as the reader just go 'meh' when something shocking happens, you learn quickly that nothing really happens, it suffers from the same ennui Shyamalan's career suffers from. Made even worse by the narrator, a wheelchair bound locked in ex-magician - he of all people should know that it's all an illusion, he raised the main guy to be a magician - but he still keeps on being shocked long after the reader has stopped caring.
But it quickly falls apart - everything that happens is later revealed to be at least 2 or 3 twists in one, to the point that you as the reader just go 'meh' when something shocking happens, you learn quickly that nothing really happens, it suffers from the same ennui Shyamalan's career suffers from. Made even worse by the narrator, a wheelchair bound locked in ex-magician - he of all people should know that it's all an illusion, he raised the main guy to be a magician - but he still keeps on being shocked long after the reader has stopped caring.
October 21, 2010
With it all taking place in one room over an evening, with a limited set of characters, I suspect this may have been developed from an idea for a play. Most of the characters are unfortunately unsympathetic, and the endless twists (and credulousness of the narrator) get to be a bit much. The end is satisfying and leaves you with a good feeling on finishing this mediocre novel.
August 10, 2008
this book starts out kinda slow but once you get into the book it has some really good twists.
June 2, 2019
Boy, I don't know about anyone else, but this book made my head spin and not in a good way. I'll admit I was scratching my head through most of the story, wanting to go back a ways and reread... and then go back and reread again... still scratching my head.
I guess the part I didn't really understand was how did Brian fool everyone by dressing up as Cassandra? He couldn't have been that much of a dead ringer for his sister, even if they were twins. It wouldn't have fooled me, I'm sure. (By the way, this is not a spoiler as the story opens with this premise.)
The really, really cool and unique thing here is the story's POV from a character who has suffered a stroke, leaving him in a vegetative state, unable to move or say anything. All he can do is report the story as it unfolds and the other characters, save for his own son, Max, pretty much ignore him, disregarding him as nothing more than a piece of furniture.
The story takes place in one place in one stormy afternoon, and could have easily been turned into a play for the stage... or, if my suspicions are correct, could have easily been adapted from a play for the stage that Richard Matheson once wrote, or wanted to write.
I guess the part I didn't really understand was how did Brian fool everyone by dressing up as Cassandra? He couldn't have been that much of a dead ringer for his sister, even if they were twins. It wouldn't have fooled me, I'm sure. (By the way, this is not a spoiler as the story opens with this premise.)
The really, really cool and unique thing here is the story's POV from a character who has suffered a stroke, leaving him in a vegetative state, unable to move or say anything. All he can do is report the story as it unfolds and the other characters, save for his own son, Max, pretty much ignore him, disregarding him as nothing more than a piece of furniture.
The story takes place in one place in one stormy afternoon, and could have easily been turned into a play for the stage... or, if my suspicions are correct, could have easily been adapted from a play for the stage that Richard Matheson once wrote, or wanted to write.
June 22, 2021
I teetered on a 4 star for this novel, and really tried to convince myself to do it, because I really, truly enjoyed the novel and it kept me intrigued and engaged from page 1 to page 220 (the last page). But in the end, it felt like more of an extremely long short story, making me crave more depth, with 67 twists in the last 25 pages, and for those reasons I have to go with my gut and put my rating right in the middle. The best part of the novel was the incredibly unique perspective with which is was told (from the eyes of someone in a “vegetative state” seeing the events unfold but being unable to interact) and that alone is enough for me to recommend the book to anyone. It wasn’t “horror” though still an all around good story.
August 29, 2024
Twisty
This is a story of twists, designed to keep the reader guessing. Many are predictable; a few are not. The voice of the narrator is too intrusive for my tastes, interjecting often, even when unnecessary, redundant, or obvious. The book reads like a play that would have been too difficult to pull off and so, instead, Matheson decided to make it a book. Unfortunately, as a book, it lacks in urgency and interesting action. I don’t mind a story of dialogue, but it’s really a lot of talking without much punch, particularly when it seems that none of the characters are likeable. Quick and easy to read, but probably not worth the time in the end.
This is a story of twists, designed to keep the reader guessing. Many are predictable; a few are not. The voice of the narrator is too intrusive for my tastes, interjecting often, even when unnecessary, redundant, or obvious. The book reads like a play that would have been too difficult to pull off and so, instead, Matheson decided to make it a book. Unfortunately, as a book, it lacks in urgency and interesting action. I don’t mind a story of dialogue, but it’s really a lot of talking without much punch, particularly when it seems that none of the characters are likeable. Quick and easy to read, but probably not worth the time in the end.
March 24, 2025
Fun, but occasionally irritating. You know, like all stuff that has to do with magicians. Points lost for super crappy characters.* A locked room mystery as viewed from the eyes of a man "locked inside" his body. Overly theatric and pulpy. I enjoyed the constant reveals until I didn't.
*Their dialogue was ok and all, but they just sucked. Like, they would suck to know. They kind of sucked to read because there didn't seem to be a non-sucky in the whole story, so no relief from these suckers. Places where everyone sucks are not even fun to visit.
*Their dialogue was ok and all, but they just sucked. Like, they would suck to know. They kind of sucked to read because there didn't seem to be a non-sucky in the whole story, so no relief from these suckers. Places where everyone sucks are not even fun to visit.
July 31, 2023
Fun, twisty, who-done-it/who-will-do it mystery from Matheson based on his own unproduced stage play. (What I wouldn't have given to see the play with the proposed lead of Jack Palance.) Super fast, snappy read. It is a bit similar to a couple of other classics of the one-room light mystery genre, but it is enjoyable nonetheless. Lots of twists, turns, and reversals. Not to repeat myself, but it is a fun, diverting read.
January 31, 2024
Twists, turns, and other surprises filled this superbly crafted murderous book. The story revolves around an aging magician, his adulterous wife and her brother, and the money grubbing agent. The story is narrated by the magicians paralyzed father (a retired magician) who is witness to it all.
Some magic tricks methods are revealed (nothing of the modern magicians craft) but nothing else is given away until the crescendo of the story. A great read!
Some magic tricks methods are revealed (nothing of the modern magicians craft) but nothing else is given away until the crescendo of the story. A great read!
May 11, 2021
Late Matheson that is essentially an experiment in narrative, it has to do with illusion and misdirection as it concerns the doings in the house of a famous illusionist who has had a severe series of strokes and is now a completely paralyzed, catatonic vegetable. He is also the narrator. Interesting in its execution, “Now You See it” is enjoyable as you read it, then becomes easily forgettable.
March 7, 2024
Was really looking forward to reading this because I love some of the film and TV adaptations of his work, but I had to force myself to finish this. I found most of the characters unlikable, aside from the narrator, and it was a little too far-fetched. Hopefully I’ll have better luck with some of his other books.
September 30, 2024
A murder mystery in the guise of a magic show where much of who when where why how is played out in plain sight and yet not all is as it seems and the true motives and even identities of the principal actors are still being unpacked right up to the end. I found myself pulled quickly and easily through this fast paced tale and entertained thoroughly along the way.
May 31, 2020
Como todo lo que he leído de Matheson es muy original. Me encanta la premisa, y no deja de sorprenderte en cada capítulo; pero no me gusta cómo está escrito, más que una novela parece un relato corto que se le ha hecho largo.
June 7, 2022
One half star: Maybe the fact that the author has written so many other great reads makes this effort so disappointing. Slow, uninvolving and annoying, it was a real disappointment. But no one can hit a home run each time at bat.
September 20, 2023
convoluted story about Max (a magician), his wife Cassandra, his agent Harry and his paralyzed father. Starts of interesting like an episode of Twilight Zone. However, the end has lots of twists and misdirection. Didn't like ending. Not recommended
January 28, 2025
A mediocre story from an amazing author. This one had a great premise but fell flat for me. For my full review, follow the link below to my website.
https://cl-phillips.com/a-review-of-n...
https://cl-phillips.com/a-review-of-n...
May 31, 2020
One of the best books I've read in years. The plot twists kept on coming. I've always loved every Matheson book I've read, but this was jaw dropping.
December 23, 2020
Decent! Found the narrator a tad bit annoying though.
January 31, 2024
Decent quick suspense thriller. Reminded me of a couple of Inside No 9 episodes— I wonder if this is where they got their inspiration.
September 12, 2024
This would make a great play.
Imaginative and gracefully written. This is a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read for a day at the beach or a short plane trip.
Imaginative and gracefully written. This is a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read for a day at the beach or a short plane trip.
April 6, 2025
Deliciously twisty. An inventive and entertaining story that was hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews