David Copperfield's Tales of the Impossible [Hardcover]

David Copperfield (Editor), Janet Berliner (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995

An anthology celebrates the world of magic and illusions with the works of such authors as Larry Bond, Ray Bradbury, and Raymond E. Feist, and includes ""Snow,"" an original first story by David Copperfield.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A collection that includes, among other stories, a military tale from Larry Bond, a creepy puppet yarn by Joyce Carol Oates, an excerpt from an unfinished novel by the late comic-book artist Jack Kirby and the first published story by master prestidigitator Copperfield promises to be jarring, eclectic or just plain odd. This collection, built around the idea of magic and illusion, manages to be all three. Many of the 18 original stories here playfully or seriously embrace the weird, the supernatural and the bizarre?which is why Bond's war story, for its clarity and realism, seems to have wandered in from another book. High points include S.P. Somtow's "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which takes the idea that the world is illusion to a delightfully clever extreme; Eric Lustbader's "The Singing Tree," a moving story about death, reliving the past and new beginnings; a nifty F. Paul Wilson tale about an all-powerful word that, like all wish-fulfilling talismans, comes with its own curse; the haunting "Switch," by Lucy Taylor, in which a young girl's escape from reality leaves her with yet another reality to escape; and "Quicker than the Eye," a rare new tale by Ray Bradbury. Overall, this anthology, instead of celebrating that magic and sleight-of-hand that all good literature shares and evokes, reflects the merits of the Vegas-style magic extravaganzas for which Copperfield is known.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Public libraries will definitely want to buy this collection of original short stories by Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, Eric Lustbader, and others. The only question is whether to file it under sf/fantasy, horror, or general fiction; it is an exceedingly mixed bag, loosely held together by the theme of reality and illusion. Robert Weinberg's "Dealing with the Devil" shows us a priest gambling his own soul to save the already bartered souls of his parishioners; Matthew Costello's "The Last Vanish" provides an eerie answer to where things go when magicians make them disappear; Bradbury weaves a tale of a man who sees his exact double doing things he finds terribly embarrassing. Quality varies widely, as one might expect, but this is generally rewarding.?Marylaine Block, St. Ambrose Univ. Lib., Davenport, Ia.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 385 pages
• Publisher: Harper Prism; First Edition edition (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061052280
• ISBN-13: 978-0061052286
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #598,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great one from the Master Storyteller, April 16, 2005

By 

Elizabeth D. Allmon "Dawn Allmon" (Navarre, Fl USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: David Copperfield's Tales of the Impossible (Hardcover)

David is very kind and simplistic: A great gift for a growing child that you really care for.

3 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK IS A MUST HAVE!!, June 8, 1999

By 

---==David K==--- (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: David Copperfield's Tales of the Impossible (Paperback)

The GREATEST Illusionist of all time has created the GREATEST book of all time!! David Copperfield is by far an amazing person and this book proves it. If you love wonderful short stories, this book is for you!!

1 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a story of failure and faith, april 1,2002, April 1, 2002

By 

Charles Debarros (staten island NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: David Copperfield's Tales of the Impossible (Paperback)

David copperfield is a story that gives you courage and faith to deal with life during bad season in your daily life. David Copperfield grows up to be a lawyer, but he had a very hardtime growing up during his childhood.He had to face the consequences of his mother getting a new husband. During his childhood he met some wonderful people who made his dreams come true after the death of mother.