I’ve listened to the podcast he does with TV producer Michael Schur and I have even ordered the dish named after him, Posnanski Chicken Spiedini, at a restaurant called Governor Stumpy’s on more a few occasions. I met him once, and he signed a copy of his wonderful book about Buck O’Neil, The Soul of Baseball. Posnanski is a sportswriter who was an award winning columnist in Kansas City for many years, and if I had a nickel for every story I read that he wrote about a horrible Royals teams during that time I’d be richer than Bill Gates. So why did I read this? Because I am a big fan of Joe Posnanski.
I don't really care about magic, and I'm not even that interested in Houdini although he certainly led a memorable life. Considering that this was a man who whose very name became synonymous with amazing escapes of any kind, that’s an interesting topic. Instead of trying to figure out who Houdini was and how he accomplished what he did, the book is more interested in examining how Houdini continues to fascinate and inspire people to this day. However, that’s not the main point of this book. Sure, we get the basic facts and educated guesses when necessary, and there’s a lot about various Houdini legends while comparing them to reality. What the writer has done here is to focus less on the details of Houdini’s life. So how do you write a biography about a man whose entire life was built around tricking people and sensationalizing himself? Hell, Harry Houdini wasn’t even his real name. Sure, we get the basic facts and educated guesses when necessary, and there’s At various points Harry Houdini lied about where he was born, when he was born, how he met his wife, and he routinely got fictional accounts of his escapes in newspapers. So how do you write a biography about a man whose entire life was built around tricking people and sensationalizing himself? What the writer has done here is to focus less on the details of Houdini’s life. Fueled by Posnanski’s personal obsession with the magician-and magic itself- The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini is a poignant odyssey of discovery, blending biography, memoir, and first-person reporting to trace Houdini’s metamorphosis into an iconic figure who has inspired millions.moreĪt various points Harry Houdini lied about where he was born, when he was born, how he met his wife, and he routinely got fictional accounts of his escapes in newspapers. No one has withstood the test of time quite like Houdini. His incredible transformation from Ehrich Weiss, humble Hungarian immigrant and rabbi’s son, into the self-named Harry Houdini has won him a slice of immortality. It is also about the power of imagination and self-invention. In California, an actor and Vietnam War veteran finds purpose in his life by uncovering the secrets of his hero.īut the unique phenomenon of Houdini was always more than his death-defying stunts or his ability to escape handcuffs and straitjackets. In Australia, an eight-year-old boy with a learning impediment feels worthless until he sees an old poster of Houdini advertising “Nothing on earth can hold Houdini prisoner,” and begins his path to becoming that nation’s most popular magician. In rural Pennsylvania, a thirteen-year-old girl finds the courage to leave a violent home after learning that Houdini ran away to join the circus she eventually becomes the first female magician to saw a man in half on television. Every generation produces new disciples of the magician, from household names in magic like David Copperfield and David Blaine to countless other followers whose lives have been transformed by the power of Houdini. The dog who vanishes and reappears in the neighbor’s garden? Houdini. The baby who frees herself from her crib? Houdini. The name Houdini still leaps to mind whenever we witness a daring escape. Nearly a century after Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926, he feels as modern and alive as ever. The baby who fre Joe Posnanski enters the colorful world of Harry Houdini and his legions of devoted fans to explore the illusionist’s impact on global culture-and why his legacy endures to this day.
Joe Posnanski enters the colorful world of Harry Houdini and his legions of devoted fans to explore the illusionist’s impact on global culture-and why his legacy endures to this day.