Drawing Room Deceptions was one of the first magic books added to our library. With many pages now tattered, it still remains on our top shelf. The discoveries found within represent cunning variations of classical concepts. Guy's ingenious design in constructing effects brings mystery and prestige back to the conjuror.
If you wish to ameliorate your repertoire of artifice, Drawing Room Deceptions will transcend your expectations.
Note from the publisher: Drawing Room Deceptions did not become our fastest selling book ever just by chance. It was the direct result of a series of specific events. The first ingredient was a young English school boy willing to invest a full decade of his young life in the study and practice of close-up card magic. He was not satisfied to mimic the tricks of others so he created a repertoire that was totally original. Along the way, he developed a distinct performing style that was gentlemanly yet steeped in sophisticated humor. Following graduation from university, Guy spent a couple of years traveling around the world performing and lecturing for club meetings and convention audiences. Add to this, television appearances around the world such as The World's Greatest Magic in America. This exposure to thousands of magicians established Guy's reputation for possessing impeccable skill along with an arsenal of original material. And one miracle that stood out among all others was his not-to-be-believed, piece-by-piece card restoration, now known to the magic world at large as The Reformation. The final piece of the puzzle was putting all of this knowledge into a single book, Drawing Room Deceptions. The added fact that this entire book was written, illustrated and designed by young Mr. Hollingworth simply makes this story that much more amazing.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the magic world was desperate for the release of this book and when it finally did appear, the response was overwhelming. The presses had barely stopped spinning when we ordered a second printing.
Customers knew they would be thrilled with the sleights, theories and routines that fill the 320 pages of Drawing Room Deceptions but they were surprised and delighted with the book's physical appearance. The two-color stamping on the cover, a vellum sheet hand-tipped over the author's formal portrait, marbled endsheets and distinctive typography and artwork give this book the appearance of a classic, nineteenth century magic textbook.
Description: 311 pages measuring 6 by 9 inches. Hardbound with 2-color stamping on cover and spine. Marbled endsheets and tipped-in tissue overlay. Published in 1999.
Guy Hollingworth literally stunned the magic community with his appearance on the television show World’s Greatest Magic. His techniques and handlings were innovative and flawlessly performed, fooling all and sundry. MAGIC Magazine quickly put the debonair performer on the cover with the caption "Who is this Guy?", as he had taken us all by by surprise. Mr. Hollingworth, it turned out, was a student in university, magic coming into his life not by any intense interest, but as a convenient way to avoid rugby practice!
He did some lectures, released some notes, even a limited edition video cassette of the fabled Reformation, his torn and restored card, as well as The London Collection and Routines videos. Everything was top notch and elegant. Then we heard that he had a book in the works. We waited with anticipation and were not disappointed. Drawing Room Deceptions came out, and it was truly wonderful. How he managed all of this, including illustrating the book himself, all while getting a number of degrees amongst other accomplishments, is beyond the ability of science to explain.
Reviews (4)
The book is, in short, amazing. Hollingworth has crafted tricks so amazing and deceptive it's a little wonder how they can even work. I'll tell you how they work, really really ballsy moves. Sleights so brassy and require so much misdirection that if this was my first magic book I might have given up already. If I hadn't seen him perform them live I might conclude that they were impossible. But that is exactly why his tricks are so astounding, they look impossible. The second version of "Waving the Aces" is one of those tricks you can watch yourself do, like "Dr. Daley's Last Trick". They are so beautiful and crafty that I'm enjoying just watching it happen in my own hand.
I'm very excited about the rest of this book. It really is one of those books that can take your magic to the next level. You are tempted into more difficult tricks and sleights because the rewards of mastering them are so high. This is a book you buy and read cover to cover.
I am docking it one star because, based on the title, I was hoping their might be a few non-card tricks and focus on old fashioned parlor tricks. Hollingworth did design card tricks in that frame, but I was hoping for something more rounded. Still a book worth having.
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