The Magician · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Magician by W. Somerset Maugham.
Chapter 1
I
Arthur Burdon arrives in Paris ostensibly for surgical study but primarily to see his fiancée Margaret Dauncey. He dines with his old friend Dr. Porhoët, who reflects on Arthur's practical, unimaginative nature and his deep love for Margaret. They discuss Arthur's two-year engagement and plans to marry. Dr. Porhoët mentions a fellow student of the occult, Oliver Haddo, whom Arthur dismisses with scorn. The chapter establishes Arthur's character, his devotion to Margaret, and introduces the mysterious Haddo.
Chapter 2
II
Margaret Dauncey and Susie Boyd await Arthur Burdon's visit to their Paris flat. Susie reflects on her own life and her affection for Margaret, while Arthur and Margaret's romantic history is revealed: Arthur was her guardian and secretly paid for her upbringing and art studies. Margaret discovers this and confesses her love, leading to their engagement. During tea, Susie observes Arthur's intense capacity for suffering and warns Margaret to be careful with his heart.
Chapter 3
III
At the Chien Noir, Susie introduces Arthur to the bohemian circle, including the bitter painter O'Brien, the irregular couple Rouge and Madame Rouge, and the aesthetic Meyer with Madame Meyer. Oliver Haddo arrives, insults several patrons to clear seats, orders his meal in reverse, and dominates the table with outrageous claims about lion hunting and his noble lineage. His unsettling presence drives away most of the party, leaving only Margaret, Arthur, Dr. Porhoët, and Susie.
Chapter 4
IV
The group attends a fair at the Lion de Belfort, where Oliver Haddo joins them uninvited. After a silhouette-cutting, they visit a snake-charmer's booth. Haddo demonstrates his power by causing a horse to tremble and later handles a poisonous viper, causing a rabbit's death. Arthur and Margaret are disturbed, while Susie and Dr. Porhoët are intrigued by Haddo's occult knowledge.
Chapter 5
V
Arthur, Margaret, and Susie visit Dr. Porhoët on the Île Saint Louis. Beforehand, Arthur and Margaret tour the Louvre, where Arthur is moved by a statue resembling Margaret. At Dr. Porhoët's apartment, he shows his extensive library of occult books, including the Clavicula Salomonis and Zohar. He recounts a story of a sorcerer using a mirror of ink to reveal his mother's death. Oliver Haddo then discusses Eliphas Levi and his attempt to raise the spirit of Apollonius of Tyana.
Chapter 6
VI
Arthur receives a long letter from Frank Hurrell detailing Oliver Haddo's past at Oxford and during a later expedition with Burkhardt. The letter paints Haddo as a brilliant, charismatic, but deeply unscrupulous and dangerous man. Arthur shares the letter with Susie, who replies that she has already invited Haddo to tea and insists Arthur must attend and be polite.
Chapter 7
VII
On the day of the tea party, Oliver Haddo sends Margaret an enormous quantity of chrysanthemums, transforming her studio. Arthur Burdon arrives and is dismayed he did not think to bring flowers. Susie Boyd and Dr. Porhoët join them, creating a peaceful, intimate atmosphere. When Haddo arrives, Margaret's terrier, which had previously cowered, suddenly attacks him. Haddo kicks the dog savagely, provoking Arthur to punch and kick him. Haddo offers a strange, abject apology before leaving. Later, Haddo returns to the studio and delivers a passionate monologue about alchemy and the creation of homunculi, recounting the story of Count von Küffstein's ten prophesying spirits.
Chapter 8
Chapter VIII
Susie suspects Haddo's sincerity after his humiliation by Arthur, but Arthur dismisses her concerns. Margaret and Arthur plan their marriage. Haddo feigns a heart attack to gain entry to Margaret's studio, where he performs a hypnotic ritual that subjects her to terrifying visions of lust, evil, and mythological figures. Afterward, Margaret is left ashamed and terrified, while Haddo leaves his address. Susie returns annoyed after a failed meeting with a friend, and Margaret hides her distress.
Chapter 9
IX
Margaret, disturbed by Haddo's hypnotic influence, struggles with an overwhelming compulsion to visit him. She yields to the temptation, agrees to marry him, and later experiences a moment of joy with Arthur at a dinner, though a dark undercurrent of malice and despair persists.
Chapter 10
X
Arthur Burdon learns of Margaret Dauncey's marriage to Oliver Haddo and struggles to comprehend her betrayal. Susie Boyd and Dr. Porhoët join him in the studio, where they discuss the possibility that Haddo used supernatural influence or hypnosis to change Margaret's character and force her into the marriage. Susie reveals Haddo's earlier malignant hatred and suggests the marriage was a calculated revenge. Arthur, devastated, tries to find excuses for Margaret while fearing for her future with Haddo.
Chapter 11
Chapter XI
Susie Boyd visits London and observes the dramatic changes in Arthur Burdon, who is visibly suffering from Margaret's marriage to Oliver Haddo. She also learns of the Haddos' scandalous life in Monte Carlo, including rumors of occult practices, orgies, and Haddo's cruel behavior. At a dinner, Margaret's coarse behavior shocks Arthur and Susie, leading to a tense confrontation where Margaret reveals she knows Susie's secret love for Arthur.
Chapter 12
XII
Margaret's health improves but she becomes increasingly agitated as her divorce trial approaches. She reveals to Arthur the extent of Haddo's psychological and possibly supernatural hold over her, confessing that she both loves and hates him. After she returns to Haddo, Susie discovers her gone and informs Arthur. They discuss the possibility of Haddo's occult powers, and Susie decides to consult Dr. Porhoët in Paris.
Chapter 13
XIII
Arthur Burdon, tormented by a growing sense of foreboding about Margaret's safety, returns to Paris and convinces Susie Boyd and Dr. Porhoët to accompany him to England. He recounts his visit to Venning, where he learned of Haddo's eccentric and reclusive behavior, and his desperate attempt to see Margaret. The chapter explores Arthur's psychological unraveling and his turn toward occult explanations, as Dr. Porhoët discusses the ambiguous nature of magical knowledge.
Chapter 14
XIV
Arthur Burdon confronts Oliver Haddo about Margaret's death, accusing him of murder. Haddo mocks him and dismisses the accusation. Arthur then visits Dr. Richardson, the local physician who attended Margaret, but the doctor refuses to cooperate, insisting her death was from natural causes. Determined to prove foul play, Arthur forces his way into Skene to confront Haddo again.
Chapter 15
XV
Arthur, Dr. Porhoët, and Susie prepare for a necromantic ritual to summon Margaret's spirit. After a day of fasting and tension, they go to Skene at night. Dr. Porhoët performs the invocation, causing supernatural phenomena—a sudden hurricane that leaves their immediate area still. He calls Margaret's name three times, and the weeping of a woman is heard, recognized as Margaret's voice. Arthur sees her apparition on the stone bench, confirming his suspicions.
Chapter 16
XVI
Arthur remains in Venning, consumed by hatred and a desire for vengeance against Oliver Haddo. Susie and Dr. Porhoët try to persuade him to leave, but he is resolute. During a tense, stormy night, Haddo mysteriously enters the room, and Arthur strangles him to death in a violent struggle. Later, the group discovers Haddo's laboratory filled with monstrous, failed experiments, confirming his dark work.
