In Confessions of a Conjuror, Brown details his life and all the nuances of human interaction that he has noticed until this point. From stories of his childhood, to his early adult years in University (where it is apparent that this was a crucial time for him), through to his current life as a popular television magician and illusionist. Structured around one individual performance, at a crowded, swanky restaurant in London, Derren takes us on a journey through the night, focusing on one corporate threesome – he enlightens the reader with the sleight of hand used, the psychological processes that drive the trick towards the payoff and reactions of those involved.
Written in a very analytical fashion, Brown notices small human ticks, features, tropes of all of those in the restaurant, which then fuels a rant about a particular subject – this includes everything from the history of magic (which I found the most engaging), to mundane discussions about his childhood want to sit with his feet perched three steps down, as opposed to two. The book contains various illustrations, which demonstrate classical card shuffles, and often features these interesting tables and graphs, which do provide the reader with a more concise, vivid image of how a particular trick is done, or how the art of misdirection is used in magic performances. Most interestingly is the table of ‘interesting and useful facts’ and the corresponding ‘less interesting and fascinating phenomena that they explain’ (i.e ‘we pay more attention to things that confirm our existing beliefs than those that done’ corresponds to ‘misjudged lucky streaks in gambling’).
This title humanises Derren, as he expresses his personal feelings of anger, disappointment and failure, but above all showcases his inquisitive and deeply analytical nature – not to mention his incredible robust knowledge of magic, psychology, history, philosophy and poached-egg making skills. There is also passages that seemingly foreshadow his next works, which are a condemnation of the self-help industry, and passages about the ancient philosophies of Stoicism, something he writes about in more depth in his later title – Happy. In conclusion, an engaging read if your a fan of the history of magic, and if your looking for a few technical card skills, they exist in this book, interspersed throughout. It is however, more so about his life, his thoughts and his lifestyle, habits, and those of the people around him, and society at large – set against the backdrop of an engaging account of a performance of a young Derren Brown, back in the days of being a struggling magician.
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