“Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices… Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”
Written by Matt Haig, The Midnight Library (2020) tells of a magical library where Nora Seed is able to see out different versions of her life had she made different decisions.
I’ve always been a fan of magic, The powerful to create something using powers that others don’t have for spectacular affect. Though I think Roald Dahl said it best when he explained that those who don’t believe in magic will never see it. How many of the films below can you work out?
Film 1 (1950s)
Film 2 (1970s)
Film 3 (1990s)
Film 4 (1990s)
Film 5 (2000s)
Film 6 (2000s)
Film 7 (2000s)
Film 8 (2000s)
Film 9 (2000s)
Film 10 (2000s)
Film 11 (2000s)
Film 12 (2000s)
Answers below
And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.
One of the writers I read most as a child, Roald Dahl (1916 – 1990). My fondness for Dahl has been obvious from posts where I rate him as one of my favourite short story writers, have a soft spot for his TV show and have mentioned him in award posts when talking about reading influences.
Magic makes people ask questions and I’m used to that. The whole point of magic for me is taking things that don’t exist and bringing them to life.
The outrageously gifted magician Dynamo (born Steven Frayne). His TV show Dynamo: Magician Impossible has been watched by over 250m people in 187 countries worldwide. The quote is from his interview with Katie Glass in The Sunday Times Magazine.
Come in close. Closer. As close as you can. Because the closer you are, the easier it will be to fool you.
J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) in the film Now You See Me (2013)
Never show anyone. They’ll beg you and they’ll flatter you for the secret, but as soon as you give it up… you’ll be nothing to them.
Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) in The Prestige (2006)
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Arthur C. Clarke
Alex Raphael 