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Confessions of a Conjuror
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Publisher's Summary
In Confessions of a Conjuror, Derren Brown invites you on a whimsical journey through his unusual mind. Structured around the various stages of a conjuring trick, performed by his younger self in a crowded restaurant, Derren's endlessly engaging narrative takes you from the history of magic, to speculations on the manufacturing of Monster Munch and the correct way to poach an egg, via discussions about psychology, what he hums while cleaning his teeth and the social niceties surrounding Parmesan cheese.
Hugely revealing, hilarious and unlike anything you’ve read before, Confessions of a Conjuror is a refreshing alternative to autobiography that will charm and delight you.
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars19
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Performance
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars22
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tom Williamson
- 01-01-2017
Beguiling
Hearing Darren narrate his book brings to life the often amusing and picturesque tales of him growing up and beginning his career.
As someone who listens to audio books in order to multitask, I often found myself distracted by Derren's poetic description and rarely finishing the second task I'd taken on.
I felt intrigued throughout the book but none more so than the final two words.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katherine
- 26-04-2019
Very entertaining!
This is such a great way to tell your own story, so entertaining! And how affirming to know I too have developed that same method for poaching eggs! 😂
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Conor M.
- 19-05-2019
Expected a little bit more to be honest
I love Derren Brown and was hoping for a bit more from the book. It is written in quite a clever way with one main "story" and then a lot of tangents I just feel like he was holding back a little bit. Nevertheless I enjoyed the book and would still recommend it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jehonatan Yosefi
- 26-04-2015
A great book
I just loved it, if you are looking for a great story, from a great person, buy it immediatly.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kristofer Jarl
- 28-07-2014
Derren Brown is the best there is at being him
What made the experience of listening to Confessions of a Conjuror the most enjoyable?
The fact that it is the author who reads the story. And how much he gives. He is completely naked and shows all his awkwardness and strangeness in this great book.
Who was your favorite character and why?
N/A
Have you listened to any of Derren Brown’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not, but I will soon.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Yes, it made me laugh at a few points. Derren's humor is subtle, and it's not often you laugh out loud. But I still did a few times.
Any additional comments?
This book is not for everyone. It's for those of us who love Derren Browns performances and his quirkiness. Because he is quite quirky. But then again, so are most of us.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Louise
- 10-04-2012
Smiled the whole way through
if you like Derren you will like this book.
it is witty and enjoyable.
Smiled the whole way through this book.
he is a great narrator and delivery of the book was really well done.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ronex
- 06-10-2017
Don’t clap at the end!
If you find yourself wanting to laugh and clap at the end, he got you ;)
A book to be heard, rather than read, as this strange version of an autobiography, is best presented by the author, whom happens to know his way with rhetoric :)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Hugh
- 13-11-2010
Witty
This is an interesting book - a more like (low-key) stand-up comedy than an auto-biography. While the seminal moments in Derren's life that lead him to magic are covered, they are not the central focus of his book. It is more a collection of memories, related by tenuous segues, with a little bit of conjuring theory thrown in. I found his vivid descriptions of childhood memories particularly good - maybe because we are approximately the same age and I could relate a lot to what he said.
The language and phrasing used are witty, without quite crossing the line into overwrought, and are a pleasure to listen to. Audio book listens are additionally rewarded by the fact the the author is also the narrator. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud funny bits, and I would recommend this to fans, as well as people who have only a passing interest in his actual shows.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Stephanie Jane (Literary Flits)
- 25-11-2010
He's really a nice guy
An interesting take on the standard celeb autobiography in which Derren uses a detailed description of a card trick performed some years ago as the narrative thread, and drifting off at tangents as he is reminded of incidents from his early life, prompted to create random lists, chooses to name-drop (just a little!) and espouses his philosophies on life and its general lack of kindnesses.
The sense with which I came away from this book was that Derren didn't seem to like himself at all until comparatively recently. His almost overwhelming self-criticism is evident from the first minutes of the recording and there is very little of the dark, sexy persona created for his earlier TV shows. Several of the childhood memories do not show him in a good light at all and I will admit to cruelly sniggering at his embarrassment re Hugh Grant. Sorry, Derren!
This is a revealing autobiography but it is not laid out easily so some work is required from the listener. I thought it was the more rewarding for this, and am surprised to read other reviewers expressing disappointment.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Tony
- 15-05-2011
Don't assume
I'm unsure how to describe this book, it isn't a biography really, and i think some people have been unfair in some reviews because of this. But I still find it fascinating and very well written, if a little disjointed, but I find this unstructured style charming, it jumps from subject to subject, just like a stream of conscious (abit beckett). It's funny, has interesting stories and some good advice throw in. Worth a listen too.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Lucy
- 18-01-2011
Absolute magic
Ah, what can I say about Derren Brown? Sharp-suited magic man? Pointy-beareded mind meddler? Both are true, but for me, Derren is simply this - a grand master of foolery, lovely with it, and very, very funny. Confessions Of A Conjuror is at once wonderful and insightful, utterly bonkers, entirely bemusing and totally entertaining. Derren lets us inside his mind, and here he reads his own work, so it really is like he's having an enthralling - if wacky - conversation with you. I challenge you to listen to this without guffawing out loud (I did within seconds). Put simply, there is much more to Mr Brown than the personna you see on the television or at your local theatre. Well worth an audible point.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sarah
- 24-07-2013
Not what I expected (but very good)
I laughed out loud to the ending of this audiobook, and if you listen to it, you should do too.
As my first audiobook experience, Derren Brown provided an enjoyable experience for me through his usual charismatic speech, but also threw in details which allowed me to see a slightly more vunerable side to him - for example his love of particular pens and that he bought two sets (one for indoors, one for outings) due to his unfortunate habit of losing them. Eccentric details and explanations of his behaviour added to my current knowledge of his charming brand which I, as many do, already admire.
Whilst it won't teach you any mind control tricks or similar, it will provide some further background about his particular characteristics and thinking, which you may enjoy if you are a fan.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Martin
- 04-04-2011
The Trick is...
I haven't finished this book yet but I love it. Like the films and books I enjoy it doesn't move in a predictable straight line but uses the device of a card trick, performed in a Bristol restaurant, as the central thread from which to launch off at various tangents. It is candid and self-deprecating but intelligently written and well read by Derren himself. It has often made me laugh out loud and has delivered some very well thought out, rational opinions on life. What it doesn't give is the story of a career but then I neither wanted nor expected that.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen
- 10-02-2011
Delightful and insightful ramblings and jottings
I found this book to be a delight from start to finish. Take it in the spirit in which it is intended, and you will too. It's an unconventional autobiography centred around the memory of performing a card trick, the various details of which send Mr Brown's mind spinning into anecdotes, eccentric (or maybe normal for some for us) confessions of behaviour, childhood memories, thoughts on How To Live and so much more. (If you want to know how to poach the perfect egg - look no further.) I found it laugh-out-loud funny, moving and thought-provoking. It made me re-assess parts of my own life. I am really going to miss the company of this lovely, fascinating man, so much so that I know I will listen to it again and probably buy the book.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Fiona
- 22-01-2011
Highly Enertaining
This is a really enjoyable book-very humorous & engaging, I enjoyed it from beginning to end. As well as being fascinating, Derren comes across as a really likeable guy & the way the card trick in the restaurant is merged with Derren's own life is very clever. I didn't want it to end-having said that-even the end made me laugh
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Chris
- 27-12-2010
Derren brown in a slightly odd light...
I'm a huge fan of Derren's, having watched the vast majority of his television programmes and specials, so was understandably very excited to see this new book. Part of Derren's appeal is the fact that he rarely fully discloses in detail his thoughts and personality, and this probably should have rang alarm bells before pressing play.
This isn't an autobiography, but an insight into Derren's mind. Although there were elements of Derren's personality which I identified with, the persistent nature in which he rattles of his often bizarre infatuations (breaking the foil seal on a new tube of toothpaste using the end of the cap, etc, etc) is funny at first but seems to go on and on throughout the book.
Derren uses a card trick he performed in a restaurant as a sub-story throughout the whole book, and although cleverly executed, the event itself doesn't quite feel interesting enough to describe in so much detail. It does however remind the listener how talented he is as a performer and how he picks up small cues about individuals to a remarkably accurate degree.
At times this was an interesting and enjoyable book, and Derren makes exceptional use of the English Language, but I still can't help feeling that I liked him more before listening to this...
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Dawn
- 24-12-2010
Brilliant
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, made even more intersting by the fact that it is read by the author. A momentary glance, a tiny insight into how Derren thinks and his observations of human behaviour. Fascinating stuff!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Mark
- 22-11-2010
A real surprise
I bought this without reading any reviews and really enjoyed it. I loved the way the way the narrative moved from early life (surprisingly candid), current times and the detailed description of the card trick. It is not an autobiography in the traditional I was born >>> now I am here variety and I enjoyed it all the more for that. Surprisingly funny as well. Recommended.
5 people found this helpful