Confessions of a Conjuror

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Derren’s underlying message is that happiness is really found by having that fundamental awareness that our stories aren’t always accurate, having the freedom to laugh at the negatives in life, worrying less about what others think of us (because they seldom do), and being able to both work hard and find enjoyment in all areas of our lives. Ocr_converted abbyy-to-hocr 1.1.20 Ocr_module_version 0.0.17 Old_pallet IA18103 Openlibrary_edition

I loathed myself again. My heart pounded beneath my stupid blousy gay shirt, and as ever, I found it absurd that I had done this a thousand times yet still battled with the same weary desire to be veiled in the shadows of a corner, to keep out of everyone’s way and let them enjoy themselves in peace. I tried to recreate these sensations mentally, and considered, as I tensed and shifted in microcosm, that that was what he was feeling right now; that for him the experience of all life revolved in this instant around those sensations, and that I was (with my annoyance and self-hatred and reluctance to work) at most a blur in the corner of his vision. This was okay – not brilliant, not deeply philosophical – and even occasionally quite funny. The story about The Sun ‘outing’ him as homosexual was very amusingly told. (Now, Murdoch is someone who has a lot to answer for). I pictured them tumbling to the floor, myself bending over to gather them up, and the embarrassed derision of the silent diners as they watched me carry out the apologetic, uncomfortable process. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2020-06-03 10:03:06 Boxid IA1814417 Camera Sony Alpha-A6300 (Control) Collection_set printdisabled External-identifierI personally didn't laugh at what he was saying but it was very amusing. I'll end by saying that while it's a masterpiece I can imagine certain people not liking it because of the intricacy of the language. Learn about the pantomimes people play out to themselves to not appear weird; why you repeatedly do things you don't actually enjoy; and how to simply enjoy life more. Derren Brown being, I think, a genuinely kind man (or so a friend who's met him less fleetingly than me assures me) and intelligent and reasonably well-informed, I enjoyed reading his views. But I read them in the same way as I listen to the views of a friend on the great issues of the day. If I wasn't already predisposed to like him and pay him some attention, I'd probably just find him boring and opinionated. And, above all, he stresses the point that one of the things which ultimately makes life worth living is bringing other people joy. urn:lcp:confessionsofcon0000brow:epub:45622e84-4799-47ee-8944-5b795b3c1e71 Foldoutcount 0 Grant_report Arcadia #4281 Identifier confessionsofcon0000brow Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t70w79b11 Invoice 2089 Isbn 9781905026586

The one criticism I have I shall get out of the way pronto. (Though doubtless, in the unlikely event that Derren does ever read this, he would say that he had focused on this paragraph and this one only. Sorry!) he also admits, “means nothing.” For Brown, this is not a cause for despondency. His punters experience “surprise and delight”, and the “trivial nature of the variables is irrelevant”. And that, it seems, is the message of this strange, postmodern book. Brown elevates seemingly insignificant moments in his life and imbues them with drama. “To really know someone,” he suggests, is to “gently trace their dreamy associations”. He may be right. In Confessions of a Conjuror, Brown takes us on a meandering pleasure cruise downriver. It is worth the journey.”” It was this third section which was less captivating. It was brilliant, funny, and very interesting in small, but some of the time it did run on a bit. My captivation did go through phases of waning about halfway to two thirds of the way through book, though it did return later. If nothing else, I could listen to Derren talk for hours without growing bored of his voice. Perhaps it is that soothing quality that makes him such an able hypnotist, but whatever it is, I was happy to listen to him narrate his own audiobook. I love Derren Brown; I have such admiration for this man. This book should be made compulsory reading for everyone, especially teenagers.

It never gets heavy into instruction or preaching but tells these through amusing recollections of his childhood and just simple observations.

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! The content is mostly Derren's musings on a wide variety of topics, from the use of a handkerchief to the satisfaction of closing a drawer with a snap. I found myself nodding along and agreeing with a lot of his opinions and observations (especially the one that kindness is the most valuable trait a person can possess), however I was not hugely entertained. It was more like listening to a friend thinking aloud while you're on a long car journey together. A pleasant experience, but I don't need to have the same conversation again in the future. As with the idea that psychics use Barnum statements that appear to be very personal and accurate statements about you but would actually apply to most people, I would say that most of the ideas and experiences told in here are similar in that they are obviously very personal things about Derren himself but most of it will apply to everyone in some respect.

About Us

The inside of Derren Brown's head is a strange and mysterious place. Now you can climb inside and wander around. Find out just how Derren's mind works, see what motivates him and discover what made him the weird and wonderful person he is today. If you haven’t heard, Derren has a new book out called “Confessions Of A Conjuror”. Here’s a recent review from the Sunday Times: Those observations of people and situations are illuminating, and he has the imagination to dive into another world whether it be the thoughts of the inebriated man at the bar or his own past.

He relates his anxiety about losing his pens and dots them around his flat but still cannot find one when he needs it before dashing out of the door. I can relate to his 'slight' OCD and his curiosity about what would happen if chose to crash his car. In fact, I can relate to many of his observations. However, that is the first, last, and only bad word I shall offer about this book. I’m probably unduly biased anyway; the reason this book took me so long was because I was reading it during a very work-heavy week, probably leading to later frustration when I was only getting around to reading it after having left it for a few days. I was conscious that the grey eyes of the French barman, who had now seen me emerge from the disabled toilet three times in the last fifteen minutes, were resting on me with an appropriately mixed signal of curiosity, admonishment and condescension. From the start, he declares that it is the minutiae of life which reveals the person which he puts into practice to reveal himself and we are granted a dip into his thought processes.

I came away going 'oh my god' Derren is just a man. You put these people on pedestals and then now and then you realise they are just like everyone else and it's our perception of them that we see. Here's the thing. I love Derren Brown. I love his shows, his performances, his personality. I've seen him live twice and met him once (he's also a lovely guy) but this book is not it. I love Derren Brown, I think he is a terrific showman, a talented artist, conjurer and hypnotist, and (if it is possible to judge solely from TV appearances and interviews) a very kind and caring human being. I'm a big Derren Brown fan. I watch him on TV, I've seen him live, I've read stuff he's written and even – fleetingly – met him. So I was pleased to find a copy of this book under the Christmas tree.