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Escape!: The Story of The Great Houdini Review
How did he walk through walls, escape drowning, and shatter iron chains that were tightly wrapped around him? The rare photos in this book might help you figure it out. So might the exclusive update about the rumor that Houdini was poisoned. But just remember, a true magician never reveals his tricks. . . . User Submitted Escape!: The Story of The Great Houdini ReviewsAugust 6, 2007 Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini Harry Houdini's showmanship made him a standout among magicians. Author Sid Fleischman uses the same technique to stand out in the crowded field of Houdini biographies. Escape! captures readers with its flamboyant vocabulary, humor, insider understanding, wonderful photographs with excellent captions and a clearly stated theme which shapes the details of an exciting life. Fleischman organizes this rags-to-riches tale around Houdini's shameless vanity that supported his "megaphone self-promotion" of his self-made legend: sharing that Houdini doctored facts and photographs. Fleischman analyzes Houdini's family relationships, evaluates his career and lasting fame, and explains them to youngsters as part human flaw, part the need to escape anti-Semitism, and part the drive to trump all competitors and fakes. The self-taught Houdini never had a magic lesson. Loyalty to fellow magicians keeps author-magician Fleischman from revealing Houdini's methods, although his bibliography includes books that tell all. Hungarian Jewish immigrant Ehrich Weiss, searching for a way to financially aid his poor family, finds vaudeville and his stage name, The Great Houdini. Ironically, Houdini later unmasks his youthful idol and name inspiration, Robert-Houdin. This biography dramatically recounts what Houdini got out of: handcuffs, milk cans, straight jackets, jail cells, frozen rivers and coffins. It also spotlights what he got into: airplanes and first-flight records; entertaining troops during World War I; supporting the sons of rabbis, who like himself, performed on the stage; movies; the Encyclopaedia Britannica; the Library of Congress and a crusade bashing phony spiritualists. Fleishman's rich, intimate account is possible from two special boosts to normal biographical research. He had access to material published privately for magicians and he knew Houdini's widow, Bess, who gave him information and photographs. From the clever table of contents to the sad postmortem, this book overflows with fun facts delivered by out of the ordinary colorful language proving reading can be magic. A treat for readers age 9 - adult. May 31, 2007 Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini The book was an interesting read. It showed how exciting Houdini actually was. It was well written and even though it's nonfiction, it was exciting. This information was well-done enough so I could use it for a sixth grade report. May 5, 2007 Okay This book wasn't my favorite biography, a couple of the photographs were kind of strange, like when a woman has ghost essence coming out of her ear and the "What-is-it?" monster. The story was pretty good, although I had to go back a couple of times and re-read the sentence to understand what it was really saying. I found out some interesting Houdini facts that I never had known before, such as his real name was Ehrich Weiss. He also didn't know his birth date. I might recommend this to others, although I don't really know. March 13, 2007 For Magicians Of All Ages! I bought this book for a Valentine's present for my husband, who has been doing magic tricks and illusions since he was a young boy. He has always been fascinated by the Great Houdini, so when I saw this book, I took a chance. We have both enjoyed this book tremendously. It is written in very nice, simple language, with large print, and wonderful never-seen before photos. I would highly recommend this little magical gem! January 29, 2007 A 2007 Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Book for Older Readers Biographies can be dull and plodding, but this one is just the opposite. Partly because of the nature of the subject - the fascinating magician, illusionist, and escape artist Harry Houdini - and partly because of the bright prose of the author, this biography is engaging, humorous, and a pleasure to read. It is full of colorful language like prestidigitator, bamboozler, razzmatazz, razzle-dazzle, ragamuffin, derring-do, braggadocio, boondocks, bunkum, and blunderbuss. It is also infused with the showman's Jewish side, recalling Houdini's birth as Ehrich Weiss to an impoverished but scholarly rabbi in a Budapest ghetto, his self-invention and brashness as an immigrant, the effects of anti-Semitism, and his lifelong love of learning. According to the author, Jews are significant in the history of magic. Along the way we get a history lesson in vaudeville and other popular entertainments in turn of the century America and Europe. We also see Houdini as quite the overachiever; in addition to his legendary feats, he was an author, editor, pilot, and collector of magician memorabilia. REVIEWED BY SUSAN BERSON (DENVER, CO) January 6, 2007 An excellent, lively text makes for a biography perfect for reports. Ages 9 and older will find ESCAPE a vivid story of master escape artist and magician Houdini, a man who could walk through brick walls and escape the most impossible circumstances. This biography comes from an author who was a former professional magician himself, and offers stories of how the son of an impoverished rabbi changed himself into the world-known Houdini. An excellent, lively text makes for a biography perfect for reports. January 5, 2007 Not for my 9 year old My 9 year old son was very excited to read this book to use for a school report. We read it together, and it's a good thing we do. The text is not simple enough for my son to understand. After almost every paragraph I have to explain what the author meant. My son is very literal and has a hard time understanding things like "the act found itself on a treadmill to nowhere.", and "It was sink or swim, and he was already a strong swimmer" (not actually referring to swimming), and "He had been struck by lightning. His own biograqhy would strike later generations with the same voltage." (No, he wasn't actually struck by lightning.) The book is interesting for me, as an adult. November 14, 2006 A great biography for all ages to enjoy What do you think of when you think of Houdini? If you're like me, you think of handcuff and straitjacket escapes. This book explores these traditional escapes, but also features the Chinese Water Torture box (featured on the cover of the book), and other new tricks such as making an elephant disappear and walking through a brick wall. Newberry Award winning author Sid Fleishman also introduces a Houdini that you might not know: magazine publisher, movie star, promotional wizard, debunker, flyer, and book collector. One thing that adds interest to this book is that the author is a magician himself, so he writes with a respect for the craft, and yet also with realism. He often repeats that there is no real magic, only tricks or sleights of hand, and yet, as a true magician, he never reveals the secrets. The back of the book does include a great bibliography for those interested in magic or Houdini specifically, and the author does alert the reader to which books do reveal the secrets behind the magic if that's what interests you. It also features photos and playbills, many from the author's own collection that have never before been published. I read this as an adult and loved it, as would any boy or girl interested in magic or the early twentieth century. November 6, 2006 A great book for magic lovers! Escape! is about Houdini, the great magician and con-artist. Houdini's real name was Enrich Weiss and he grew up poor. As he developed into being a famous magician, he traveled to Europe, to put on his show. Some of Houdini's more famous tricks include unlocking handcuffs, breaking out of jail and getting out of a strait jacket. A great book for magic lovers! October 19, 2006 Escape! into this showman's spirited triumph! Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini, a magician's tale conjured from a magician's top hat, is a showman's spirited triumph. Sid Fleischman, himself a magician as documented in The Abracadabra Kid, fills each page with enchanting insights not possible by writers outside the magic circle. Beyond that, the reader of both Fleischman books will soon discover many similarities between the author and his subject. Both Jews, both taken up by the magician's wand at an early age, both showmen, both devoted to lifelong sweethearts, and both eager to extend a hand to those just coming up the pike. No wonder Fleischmen had to write this book. In addition to facts and figures found in traditional tellings, Fleischman reveals absurdities of the magic trade in the same way that the Great Houdini did at the turn of the last century. Though an illusionist to the very end, Houdini grew to loathe spiritualists who preyed on the grieving relatives of young men lost in WWI and went to considerable lengths to expose them. Fleischman continues the debunking. Through the vagabond subject's experiences, the author deftly slips the history of the era--WWI, the advent of movies, the demise of vaudeville--into every chapter. Comparing the value of dollars then and now Fleischman gives the reader a strong sense of both history and economics. Inflation is no illusion. Literary allusions and theatrical terms abound in context, without confusing the unfamiliar reader. Fleischman's trademark promotion of reading slides in unexpectedly as he shows time and again how much this grammar school dropout relied on his books to improve upon his language, his image, his birthdate, and his country of origin and to sharpen his trade skills and to build his 5,000-book collection. The book is peppered with historic photographs, some from the author's own collection (he knew Mrs. Houdini), with captions that are a great read unto themselves. Yet Fleischman is no flim-flam man. When he discovers conflicting information, he explains that to the reader, allowing a rare look over the author's shoulder. The vocabulary is far from simplified, but the fast pace and clear language make it a winner for all ages. Safe for reading aloud in public classrooms and at home. The slim volume is easy to hold and there is ample space between the lines, making it an easy-on-the-eyes read. As well as being a great story well told, this is a brilliant example of a research paper. Though filled with anecdotes from the author's own magical experiences, references are made throughout the book to the many other sources he used--letters, diaries, handbills, and, of course, other people's books. The bibliography is chock full of personal annotations. Want to know about Chinese water torture, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or Machpelah Cemetery in Queens? Well, the index will send you to the right page for a magnified view. Whether starting with the pictures, the index, or the text, the reader can expect to learn a great deal during a fast-paced and satisfying read. Escape! into this highly recommended book. For more Escape!: The Story of The Great Houdini reviews click here.
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