Ella, or Ella: A Psychic Thriller, is a science fiction novel by Israeli illusionist and self-proclaimed psychic Uri Geller, first published in 1998.[4] The novel tells the story of Ella Wallis, an abused 14-year-old girl living in Bristol, England, who develops telekinesis, levitation, and other psychic powers and achieves fame while at the midst of a power struggle between adults who want to control her.[4]
 Cover of first hardback edition. The child on the cover is Geller's daughter.[1] | |
| Author | Uri Geller |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction, parapsychology |
| Publisher | Headline |
Publication date | 12 March 1998[2] |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 438[3] |
| ISBN | 9780747259206 |
| Followed by | Dead Cold |
Background
editThe book's themes marked a change for Geller, moving his focus away from illusions such as spoon bending and onto the power of prayer.[5] As part of his research for the novel, Geller spent two days at Saint Catherine's Monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai.[6] Geller said in an interview with Heise Online that he gave powers to Ella that he did have, but always wanted, and noted that a lot of the plot within the book that covered poor public relations stunts and bad press was inspired by the reactions he himself had received over the years, as was the criticism made by the book of skepticism.[1] He expressed his hope to The Times that Ella would be made into a movie, but as yet this has not been the case.[7] The Guardian suggested parallels between Ella's and Geller's lives, with the darkness in Geller's life being reflected in much of the plot of the book.[2]
Plot
editThe story concerns a fourteen-year-old girl named Ella Wallis, who lives in Bristol with her parents. She is bullied at school due to her family's poverty, and is abused at home, both physically by her fundamentalist Christian father, and sexually by his brother, Ella's uncle. Her French mother is an alcoholic. The stress and upset in her life result in Ella developing bulimia,[8] and subsequently paranormal powers, beginning with pyrokinesis, when she sets a Nativity scene alight at school. She then develops telekinesis in a response to her uncle trying to exorcise her, moving books with her mind.[9] As Ella's abilities become more widely-known, a series of people try to exploit her, including Icelandic psychic researcher Peter Guntarson,[10] Spanish public relations specialist José Miguel Dóla, and her own family, who realise the money-earning potential of Ella's abilities. Over time Ella develops further powers, including levitation, teleportation, remote viewing, and psychic healing. She gets ever thinner, from the ongoing impact of her eating disorder, and eventually appears to die live on television, with her final act being to heal the sickness of everyone in the world, with something known as the "Ella Effect".[8] The book hints that she was actually transformed into an angel.[2]
Reception
editPublishers Weekly described the book as an "acerbic portrait of the sensationalist media, [which] adds a new twist to this predictable but engaging tale".[11] In a highly critical review, The Jerusalem Post said that "There is not a single redeeming feature in any one of the ugly, unpleasant, and indeed revolting characters in this book", and that "as a thriller writer, Geller is a flop."[12] 10 years later, in 2008, Geller was still upset by the Post's review, and blamed it on the "intelligentsia" not accepting him.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b Kompa, Markus (5 February 2008). "Forget the Paranormal". Heise Online. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
- ^ a b c "Would You Believe It?". The Guardian. 28 February 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ Geller, Uri (1998). Text Stats. ISBN 0747259208.
- ^ a b Geller, Uri (1998). Ella - Uri Geller. ISBN 9780747259206. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ Goodkin, Judy (21 March 1998). "Where spoonbenders fork out; My favourite shop". The Times. Academic OneFile. p. 4. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ Barber, Lynn (9 December 2001). "The Magic Touch". The Observer. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
- ^ Ferguson, Donna (18 January 2015). "Fame and Fortune: Big money messes with your mind". The Times. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Uri's first book is memorable read". The Telegraph. 3 April 1998.
- ^ Lacy, Martin (8 March 1998). "Ella: Book review". The Evening Press.
- ^ Saunders, Bill (29 March 1998). "Book Scene". Daily Express.
- ^ "Fiction Book Review: Ella by Uri Geller". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ Eisenberg, Dennis (10 September 1998). "From Metal-Bending to a Thriller". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 2017-04-02. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ^ Golan, Ori (13 July 2008). "Uri Geller: A Mind field". The Story so Far. Retrieved 9 February 2018.