Yes he was a magician but he is the one we remember showing that he knew how to promote. Out of nothing and poverty but what I found interesting is that he was that I think the author was making a case that his showman ship and ability to keep headlines and promote himself as the best is what was more amazing than maybe his magical skills. It is hard not to know what Houdini was known for… escape artist… I mean we say it with toddlers who get out of cribs or clothes, “oh you little Houdini!”Īnd he was impressive and did these feats and roused up If nothing else, this author has inspired me to read another book on Houdini- one that isn't so tainted with opinions and doesn't have that old-man-long-story flair.Īfter my daughter read, from a recommendation on everyday reading blog, I wanted to read this non-fiction story on Houdini. I understand that he knew Bess Houdini personally, which is why he tells the story the way he does. It seemed to me as if this method of delivery would have been fantastic if orated- like an old crotchety uncle telling a story about his younger days- than written down in a book.
I did not care for how the author presented the information. It even encouraged me to look up some clips on youtube featuring some of his escapes. The pictures in this book are plentiful and fascinating. He made sure he was never far from the limelight which is why he stays there even today, 90 years after his death. People know his name because he was constantly putting himself out there- on posters, in movies, and in the newspapers. What surprised me was his shameless self-promotion- which, ironically, is what made him the legend his is today. I think I might be a little full of myself too.
He outdid any other magician of his era, time and time again. I suppose it makes sense that he was full of himself. There were several things I didn't realize going into this biography- one, that he was such a narcissistic, egotistical man, and two, that he seemed to have massive ADD- swapping his obsessions regularly. I knew Harry Houdini's basic story- that the name that gave him such recognition wasn't his birth name, most of his stage tricks, and his death.
One can hardly breathe the word 'magician' without referencing the escape artist. My father always spoke of Houdini with reverence- as if he had known the man or witnessed one of his death-defying escapes.
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