The Amazing Harvey
Don Passman
It is continually amazing to me
how authors can invent new ways of working with a standard group of tropes, a
process that makes many stories seem familiar while retaining an element of
freshness. On some level, The Amazing Harvey
is a fairly boilerplate mystery novel, a lawyer-heavy procedural that traces
the story of a narrator falsely accused of a crime, down to the twist that
brings together some minor details mentioned in passing earlier in the story and
conveniently wraps everything up rather neatly. The mystery genre's stereotypes
are so sturdy and reliable that the preceding sentence doesn't come close to
warranting a spoiler alert (I hope), but this book- this particular procedural
among many- is nonetheless a whole lot of fun, mostly because of the unique
elements that Passman brings in. The main character (and narrator) is a
magician, an inspired choice in a genre that relies so heavily on the keenness
of characters' and readers' observations. Who better to determine how the
impossible (in this case, very strong scientific evidence linking an innocent
man to a crime) is accomplished than someone whose goal in life is to perform
similar feats nightly on the Vegas stage? It is obvious that Passman is fond of
and reasonably knowledgeable about stage magic (he seamlessly sneaks in references
to greats like Houdini and contemporaries like David Copperfield), and telling
that he never reveals the secrets behind the big illusions mentioned in the
book, though he does refer to some of the well-worn tricks of the trade.
Utilizing a magician also allows Passman
to include some silly elements, like an endearing pet bird, and locales like
the Magic Castle
The Amazing Harvey's greatest asset is, perhaps, Harvey himself,
who proves to be a suitably quirky- and capable- narrator. His sarcastic banter and cynical asides make
the book enjoyable and set it apart from a slew of similar works: the story's
hardly new, the twist is clever but not earth-shattering (though it is, apparently,
scientifically plausible), and the supporting cast includes its fair share of
stock characters, but I constantly looked forward to returning to Harvey every
time I put the book down. He can be a bit thick, to be sure, but he has a
hidden cleverness about him; most importantly, he is a convincingly normal guy
in a genre strewn with the smartest, toughest, baddest, and best. Though the
book consistently has a ring of truth to it, largely because of Harvey 's mix of charm and
all-too-familiar flaws, Passman does occasionally err on the side of
over-inclusion, particularly during an utterly bewildering foray into a
completely irrelevant moral controversy that adds nothing to the book or to the
national conversation. Likewise, while he should be commended for his attempt
to flesh out some of the supporting cast, his efforts sometimes come across as
unnecessary padding or, worse, attempts to elicit unwarranted sympathy that
could have been earned through more productive methods.
In a way, though, Passman's
greatest trick is to weave what seems to be a collection of very small threads
into an entire novel. Aside from the error mentioned above, every subplot,
slight narrative distraction, and minor character adds in some way to the general
tenor of the book, from Harvey 's
many wry observations to his attorney's fluctuating level of tolerance for
them. The main plot alone wouldn't be enough to sustain an entire novel, even
one that passes by as quickly and pleasantly as this one, but somehow the story
comes together and captivates readers. The book's plausibility is never forced,
and events its occasional stock situations seem realistic enough; after all,
even the most familiar and worn stereotypes and tropes have to come from
somewhere. Thus we have a novel that is seemingly unexceptional yet somehow pleasant,
fresh, and a lot of fun. The Amazing
Harvey proves that the key to providing good entertainment doesn't lie in
having the latest, greatest, most difficult tricks up one's sleeve but, rather,
in cultivating and cashing in on the kind of charisma embodied in its eponymous
main character.
Grade: A-
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