Eventually, one begins to synchronize with the system and the story evolution begins to sweep the reader away. However, take my advice and read on (it takes about 25 pages or so before the real excitement begins) and you will encounter an exciting and page-turning story with images similar to the film, “The Prestige”.īefore being used to the format, the reader may stumble upon some confusion with the chapter layout which includes several storylines and jumps back and forth between current events and flashbacks/memories. This will reject some readers due to the novel’s somewhat flat beginning and lack of connection to the characters leading to a loss of depth and understanding of any underlying messages. What if I told you that there was a secret behind the machine depending on a dwarf which traversed murder, revenge, and espionage? If those images spark your attention, then The Chess Machine by Robert Lohr is perfect for you.ĭon’t expect a traditional novel arc with The Chess Machine, as the book simply does not begin with the “usual” character introductions. Perhaps a novel about a chess-playing automaton is not your ideal storyline. There was no sudden, modern epiphany of "And so, the dwarf realized Jews really were okay after all!" - it just sort of quietly happens behind scenes, which I felt was much more realistic for the time period. Gradually they're thrown together enough that he comes to tolerate him and eventually they became close friends. At first the dwarf was really freaked out by the fact the guy was Jewish, and found all sorts flaws and annoyances in his character, and tried to avoid him. The one thing I did think was handled well was the dwarf's friendship with a Jewish craftsman who had helped to build the automaton.
I had to put it down halfway through because the plot was plodding along far too predictably. The main character is a dwarf who is a chess genius, and the real brains behind the automaton, but he is just as dull a character as the rest, vacillating between mindless religiosity and mindless sexual appetite. It takes a wonderful story from history - the making of a chess-playing automaton, which was in reality an elaborate hoax - and turns it into a textbook thriller, with characters who aren't particularly interesting or memorable, and without any of the whimsy or steampunk one would hope to get out of such a topic. Too bad the book itself is such a disappointment. It's an excellent cover, to be fair - all revolving cogs and wheels and jubilant aristocrats striking curious poses. I tried very hard to get into this, because, frankly, I had judged this book by its cover.
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