t orn ▁Al ger ia . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Review ing ▁the ▁book ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁Thomas ▁Mall on ▁said : ▁" Com bin ing ▁actual ▁and ▁invent ed ▁figures ▁requires ▁a ▁particular ▁sle ight ▁of ▁hand , ▁and ▁in ▁The ▁Mag ician ' s ▁W ife ▁Moore ▁accomplish es ▁this ▁m ing ling ▁without ▁giving ▁any ▁g limp se ▁of ▁a ▁false ▁bottom ▁or ▁secret ▁compart ment ... ▁The ▁Mag ician ' s ▁W ife , ▁combining ▁so ▁many ▁of ▁Moore ' s ▁long time ▁pre occup ations ▁and ▁them es , ▁proves ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁neat est ▁tr icks ▁yet ." ▁The ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁" de ft ▁and ▁absor bing ▁novel ". ▁John ▁M unc ie , ▁review ing ▁the ▁novel ▁for ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁Sun , ▁said : ▁" Mo ore ▁writes ▁with ▁prop uls ive ▁clar ity . ▁The ▁reader ▁is ▁immediately ▁ent ang led ." ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁ ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁preview ▁of ▁Brian ▁Moore ' s ▁The ▁Mag ician ' s ▁W ife , ▁chapter ▁ 1 ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 9 7 ▁British ▁nov els ▁Category : Nov els ▁by ▁Brian ▁Moore ▁Category : Nov els ▁set ▁in ▁Al ger ia ▁Category : F iction ▁set ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁Category : Nov els ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁Category : B lo oms bury ▁Publishing ▁books ▁Category : 1 9 9 7 ▁Canadian ▁nov