Twilight Lounge

by Andrew Normansell
Soft cover A5 booklet, 18 pages, 13 items, mostly cards and coins.
Reviewed by Al Smith


This is a glossy booklet, the inside work being flanked by covers sporting photographs of the author and an unidentified female. The idea seems to be to create a lounge lizard type of effect. Stark black and white. Not exactly noir, but not far removed.

I confess I’m not sure what the ee cummings/kd lang lower case type approach is all about. And the frequently wayward punctuation make it a bit difficult to follow. Not impossible, just not easy. Also, in an age when magicians are reluctant top read titles, let alone books, this could add up to a real turnoff. Added to which the lower case concept is not consistent, which is a shame. It’s a nice idea, but should have been more closely monitored.

So, what’s what. The material is fine. I’ve always had a soft spot for Nick Trost’s Eight Card Brainwave, a very strong effect, varied by many over the years. Andrew’s New Wave is a serviceable version and may persuade some to give it a try. That said, it does use the Hamman Count, which is not everybody’s favourite plaything.


Equilibrium is a nifty version of the perennial Do As I Do plot, its one disadvantage for me is that it requires a Stebbinised (or similar) stack. There are myriad versions that don’t. But if you like the Stebbins thing as I do, this is worth a pause or two for thought.

And there’s a fair bit more, some presentation ideas and odd thoughts on this and that.

I watched Andrew demonstrate some of this material at the recent Lincolnshire Convention and there’s no doubt that seeing it performed lifts the stuff off the page and brings it to life. And I think that’s where it scores, like all magic, of course. I also asked him the name of the unidentified female on the front, but typically, I’ve forgotten.

Worth checking out, but get Andrew to dem the stuff if you can. He’s currently lecturing up and down the land as well as appearing at a few conventions, so it shouldn’t be difficult.

 

Price £10-00 from www.andrewnormansell.co.uk

 

© Al Smith, July 2010

 

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