tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post4200569052895330201..comments2024-03-28T08:03:31.442-07:00Comments on WILD ABOUT HARRY: LINK: Silverman reviews SteinmeyerJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-76679056749219727852011-02-03T13:18:33.524-08:002011-02-03T13:18:33.524-08:00I read the book back in November and had no proble...I read the book back in November and had no problems with it. Steinmeyer just tells stories from a non-Houdini perspective, so Houdini isn't on the pedestal we are used to seeing him on. Doesn't hurt Houdini, IMO.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-71653605859102357862011-02-03T12:55:10.039-08:002011-02-03T12:55:10.039-08:00Ok. I'll take back my comments until I read th...Ok. I'll take back my comments until I read the book.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-56381303921941837432011-02-03T12:23:56.836-08:002011-02-03T12:23:56.836-08:00BTW, Steinmeyer didn't write "New York Ea...BTW, Steinmeyer didn't write "New York East Side personality." He wrote "New York East Side MANNERISMS," clearly meaning Houdini's tough guy Bowery Boy combativeness.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-84847789313142237832011-02-03T11:10:07.280-08:002011-02-03T11:10:07.280-08:00I gotta say, Silverman really took Steinmeyer out ...I gotta say, Silverman really took Steinmeyer out of context in his review. My latest "review" (or a sort) here:<br /><br />http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2011/02/steinmeyer-vs-houdini-fans-and-battle.htmlJohn Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-82703180866661130692011-01-30T13:38:58.651-08:002011-01-30T13:38:58.651-08:00The snide comment about the Lower East Side seems ...The snide comment about the Lower East Side seems particularly strange, especially in light of modern sensibilities about poverty.<br /><br />It isn't even accurate: The Weiss's apartment wasn't on the Lower East Side, which is an area associated at that time with immigrants, particularly Jewish immigrants. Is Steinmeyer using Lower East Side as a code word? What's next -- callingEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-76832548285294032252011-01-30T09:41:57.057-08:002011-01-30T09:41:57.057-08:00Well said, Eric.
Dean, I posted some of my though...Well said, Eric.<br /><br />Dean, I posted some of my thoughts on the book here: http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2010/11/thurston-versus-houdini-not-really.html<br /><br />I'll probably update and repost the above article on release day.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-20657188627262608692011-01-29T18:25:10.136-08:002011-01-29T18:25:10.136-08:00Steinmeyer makes the same points about Houdini and...Steinmeyer makes the same points about Houdini and Thurston in the first chapter of his excellent book "Hiding the Elephant." He's referring mainly to Houdini's lackluster performance of conventional illusions in his 1926 show.<br /><br />And, of course, Steinmeyer's premise is that Houdini's escapes aren't illusions, which I think most of them are. But I won't Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-34717043776325345652011-01-29T15:28:24.942-08:002011-01-29T15:28:24.942-08:00John, what was your take on the book? I've not...John, what was your take on the book? I've not read it yet. I think Thurston really deserves the accolades, but as for beating Houdini, it just doesn't hold up historically. Thurston is forgotten by the public. People still visit Houdini's grave in NY, none magic people and magic people. Thurston's grave was essentially abandoned for years. Thankfully a preservation group is Carnegiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10142955905272650610noreply@blogger.com