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The Chess Machine |
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| Book: Paperback | 8.26 x 5.23in | 352 pages | ISBN 9780143114369 | 30 Sep 2008 | Penguin | 18 - AND UP |
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In 1770, Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen introduces Vienna to the Mechanical Turk—an unbeatable chess-playing automaton that, unbeknownst to an astonished Europe, is in fact nothing more than an illusion. The Turk is actually operated from within by a God-fearing dwarf named Tibor, whose chess-playing abilities and diminutive size make him the perfect accomplice in this grand hoax. But when a seductive countess dies under mysterious circumstances in the presence of the Turk, the machine and its inventor become the target of espionage, persecution, and intrigue. Based on a true story, this celebrated debut is a daring piece of storytelling, brimming with lust, scandal, and deception.
“ If you liked Perfume you’ll love it. . . . [The Chess Machine] will grip you from the very first page.”
—Harper’s Bazaar
“A promising debut.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“ Rich in detail and psychological depth . . . this is a work of such marvelously creative imagination that it makes little difference what’s factual and what isn’t—it all rings true.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“ Magnificent—a thinking man’s thriller brimming with politics both social and sexual.”
—Bookgasm
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