--- product_id: 312411376 title: "The Magicians" price: "€ 30.21" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.it/products/312411376-the-magicians store_origin: IT region: Italy --- # The Magicians **Price:** € 30.21 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Magicians - **How much does it cost?** € 30.21 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.it](https://www.desertcart.it/products/312411376-the-magicians) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Sir Charles Ravenstreet, in his mid-fifties, is unmarried and childless and lives only for his work in the fast-paced world of business. When he is forced out of his job to make room for someone younger, Sir Charles finds himself at a loose end and facing the dismal prospect of an empty future. Believing he can make use of Sir Charles, the sinister Lord Mervil seeks to enlist his aid in a scheme to earn a fortune by manufacturing a new drug that relieves its users of all anxiety and will reduce the masses to a state of docility and mindless euphoria. But a plane crash and an encounter with three strange old men determined to thwart Lord Mervil's plans will lead Sir Charles to the exciting discovery that when he suspected his life might be over, it had really only just begun. One of the most enjoyable novels by the prolific J.B. Priestley (1894-1984), The Magicians (1954) is both a whimsical story of the strange and fantastic and a sharply satirical fable of modern life. This 60th anniversary edition features a new introduction by Lee Hanson and the original jacket art by Val Biro. "Beautifully composed and splendidly written, it has great power and real point ... the command of the contemporary scene is masterly.... One of the best characters that have appeared in fiction for a very long time." - Walter Allen, New Statesman "[T]he story is novel in its incidents and he exploits skilfully the dramatic possibilities of extending human vision into normally hidden dimensions." - The Guardian "Mr. Priestley has always been a man of vision ... The Magicians has a theme of the first importance." - Spectator Review: Another great story from the great JB Priestley! - No one tells a story as brilliantly as JB Priestley and it is really great that his writing is making a comeback and that many more of his books are now available. Review: A book that is still an excellent read - I read Priestley's "Lost Empires" a few tears ago and was very impressed how well that book still reads and how the author created a good story with a clear sense of time and place. In trying Priestly again by reading "The Magicians" I have not been dissapointed. It has an intriguing plot, which as so often with Priestly, plays with the concept of time. As I find with many novels of this period the plot moves on quickly and I found myself wanting to read more to see where we aere going. I shall read more Priestly. ## Features - Brand: Valancourt Books - The Magicians - Product Type: ABIS_BOOK ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 393,974 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 824 in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction (Books) 7,264 in Fiction Classics (Books) 19,504 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 181 Reviews | ## Images ![The Magicians - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71am3zpcE+L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another great story from the great JB Priestley! *by M***Y on 14 December 2014* No one tells a story as brilliantly as JB Priestley and it is really great that his writing is making a comeback and that many more of his books are now available. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A book that is still an excellent read *by J***D on 8 March 2022* I read Priestley's "Lost Empires" a few tears ago and was very impressed how well that book still reads and how the author created a good story with a clear sense of time and place. In trying Priestly again by reading "The Magicians" I have not been dissapointed. It has an intriguing plot, which as so often with Priestly, plays with the concept of time. As I find with many novels of this period the plot moves on quickly and I found myself wanting to read more to see where we aere going. I shall read more Priestly. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gurdjieff and Maurice Nicoll *by A***R on 29 April 2024* Fans of Gurdjieff, Ouspensky and Maurice Nicoll will find this a hoot. It should be much better known. It has a strong message for these days of AI and talk of transhumanism. I asked ChatGPT about the novel and Priestley’s interest in Gurdjieff only for ChatGPT to tell me that J B Priestley had never written a novel by this name. The theme partly reappears also in his later novel The Shapes of Sleep with its Antiants Society, but I prefer The Magicians. Having seen Le Carre’s The Night Manager it’s difficult not to visualise Tom Hollander’s Corky as Major Prisk and the fact that Perperk is so obviously Gurdjieff is a delight and a mystery. J B Priestley is said to have read Maurice Nicole’s Living Time, but how did he come to capture so many facets of Gurdjieff’s character as well as his vernacular. If you read one J B Priestley read this one. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.it/products/312411376-the-magicians](https://www.desertcart.it/products/312411376-the-magicians) --- *Product available on Desertcart Italy* *Store origin: IT* *Last updated: 2026-06-17*