Houdini: Master of Illusion

Publishers Weekly

Cox (Come All You Brave Soldiers: Blacks in the Revolutionary War) offers a forthright, anecdotal account of the life of this complex and controversial individual, born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest in 1874. Frequently drawing from Houdini's diary and correspondence, as well as period newspapers and reviews of this quintessential illusionist's performances, the author illuminates both the personal and professional sides of Houdini. After describing his subject's early years in Wisconsin, Cox discusses the genesis of Houdini's career and then tracks his peripatetic life performing legerdemain and escape feats in many countries. This chronicle strikes a welcome balance between portraying Houdini as a brazen, masterful showman and as a deep-feeling, sometimes insecure family man. Like Tom Lalicki's recent Spellbinder, Cox emphasizes Houdini's devotion to his mother (he never recovered from the shock of her death) and to Bess, his wife of 32 years and sidekick on stage (though he allegedly had an affair with Jack London's widow). Cox also discloses lesser-known aspects of the eccentric Houdini's personality (e.g., his passion for making movies and his zealous campaign to expose fraudulent spiritualists). Two photo inserts offer a peek at the magician's posters and promo shots, as well as his family. What young readers will likely find most gripping are the particulars of Houdini's spectacular stunts, including fascinating backstage revelations of how he pulled some of them off. Ages 9-14. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

Harry Houdini was the greatest escape artist who ever lived. This fascinating, well-researched biography traces Houdini's life from his birth as Ehrich Weiss in Hungary to his poverty-stricken youth to his rise to fame and fortune. Houdini, who took his name from a French conjurer, possessed a tireless work ethic that enabled him to train his mind and body to a degree that no one before him had attained. This amazing ability, coupled with a terrific flair for showmanship, made Houdini a household name throughout the world. He performed such feats as escaping from manacles and prisons; being thrown, bound and gagged, into seas and rivers; being buried alive under six feet of earth; and escaping a "Chinese Water Torture Cell." Also examined is Houdini's personal life, including his devotion to his mother, his marriage to Bess, and his legendary ego and temper. Houdini spent the last years of his life grappling with the greatest mystery of all¾death. For several years he worked tirelessly to expose spiritualists and to debunk fraudulent mediums. Especially effective are the quotations excerpted from Houdini's diaries. An index, bibliography and two sections of photographs are included. You won't find many biographies as accomplished as this one. 2001, Scholastic Press, $16.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Christopher Moning

VOYA

His feats are legendary; his name has become part of everyday vocabulary. This beguiling biography portrays an arrogant man who never forgot a slight, was a genius at self-promotion, and always pushed himself to his physical limits in his performances of magic, escape, and illusion. There is nothing up the author's sleeve—he exposes not only the secrets behind many of the illusions but also Houdini's willingness to rearrange facts as he felt it necessary. Despite his fame, he always felt keenly his lack of education. Attempting to correct that, he amassed a huge collection of books on magic and spiritualism. Readers are told of Houdini's first successes in Europe, his friendship with Jack London and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his adoration of his mother and wife, and his homage to magicians everywhere he traveled. He is portrayed as a man of almost fanatical devotion to passing passions that included flying and making motion pictures. His final focus was on exposing fake mediums. He did not want others to experience the pain he suffered after many failures to contact his mother after her death. Cox succeeds in capturing the essence of this complicated and courageous man in an easy-to-read style. On the cover, Houdini's eyes seem to pierce through readers, and period photos appear within. Recommend this book for reports or recreational reading. Index. Photos. Biblio. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2001, Scholastic, 208p, $16.95. Ages 15 to 18. Reviewer: Pam Carlson SOURCE: VOYA, February 2002 (Vol. 24, No.6)

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-A concise and highly readable biography. The chronological narrative progresses from 1874 to 1926 in a well-organized and easy-to-follow manner. Descriptions of events and personalities provide an excellent backdrop as well as a historical context. Initially known as a masterful magician, Houdini's career really took off when he began his famous acts as an escape artist. As his fame grew, so did the seemingly impossible challenges he imposed upon himself. Diving underwater in shackles, being buried alive, the Chinese Water Torture Cell, walking through brick walls, and making an elephant disappear are just a few of the stunts that he presented to the world. The pace of the book moves along at an exciting clip, while each chapter unveils a new and unthinkable episode in the showman's life. Two eight-page inserts of photographs and reproductions help to bring the figures to life. Although there is a bibliography, Cox does not use footnotes to substantiate the dialogue and feelings attributed to various individuals. Nonetheless, readers will revel in Houdini's escapades and be enthralled by the mythical stature that has made his name a household word.-Elizabeth Fernandez, Brunswick Middle School, Greenwich, CT Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Among the outpouring of new releases and reprints on the life of Houdini comes Cox's (African American Teachers, not reviewed, etc.) biography with only Houdini's piercing eyes, now a symbol of the man still known as the world's greatest magician, gracing the cover. Born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest, Hungary, in 1874, Houdini and his family moved to the US in 1876. He grew up in poverty, until he bought a secondhand copy of the memoirs of Robert-Houdin, a famous magician of his time, and the rest, as the saying goes, was history. Cox reveals a man who, obsessed with breaking away from poverty and becoming famous, literally renamed himself and maintained a personal façade as illusive as his magic acts. Houdini's obsessive personality carried over into his relationships, particularly with his mother, and because he was uneducated, it led him to develop an extensive library of magic books, letters, and other realia. Later in life, it served him to discredit fake mediums, eventually leading up to testimony before Congress. And of course it was his obsessive nature that drove him to dream up new acts, train athletically, and perform death-defying stunts, all to the detriment of his health. What will really keep readers turning the pages are Cox's descriptions of Houdini's legendary feats, including the Metamorphosis, Milk Can Escape, and the Vanishing Elephant, and his genius as an escape artist. Cox sparks additional interest through depictions of the political sentiments of the time, such as the rampant discrimination the Jewish Houdini experienced throughout pre-WWI Europe. Gleaning information from Houdini's journals (perhaps Houdini's only truthful statements about himself) andprimary sources from the time period, Cox presents a well-researched and fascinating account of a man whose life continues to mystify us. (b&w photographs, bibliography, index) (Biography. 11-15)