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A review by thisotherbookaccount
Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear by Jim Steinmeyer
3.0
This dense book about the Golden Age of magic is no doubt the result of author Jim Steinmeyer's years exhaustive research. Yet, it can at times read like a history textbook.
It is clear that Steinmeyer is not the greatest non-fiction writer out there. His chapters do not work like chapters should because they are not divided by topics of themes. For example, for the chapter titled Houdini, we get eight pages (I counted) on Charles Morritt and his mirror illusions before Houdini even makes an appearance in the chapter. You would think that a chapter titled Houdini would have a greater emphasis on the legendary escape artist -- but no. The structure of the book, after the first four chapters, takes a rather messy turn. Steinmeyer begins to jump around chronologically, bringing names into the narrative as and when he pleased. It made for a heavy read that was hard to follow.
Otherwise, this is the all-encompassing book about magic that fans should read. It does provide interesting nuggets of information throughout, with explanations behind some of magic's biggest secrets (hint: mirrors). Steinmeyer's explanations tend to go over my head sometimes, especially without the illustrations, but it works for the most part -- just a little tiresome towards the second half. Yes, Steinmeyer, we get that Houdini wasn't that great a magician, and that certain magicians hated each other. Let's move the story along.
I feel that someone like Erik Larson would have done a better job with the material. Yet, since Steinmeyer's background is in the magic arena, I can think of no better candidate to write it. Maybe he could have used a ghostwriter, or at least an editor, to smooth things out a bit.
A little disappointed, because I expected more from this book. Then again, I don't think you can find a better researched book out there about magic and magicians.
It is clear that Steinmeyer is not the greatest non-fiction writer out there. His chapters do not work like chapters should because they are not divided by topics of themes. For example, for the chapter titled Houdini, we get eight pages (I counted) on Charles Morritt and his mirror illusions before Houdini even makes an appearance in the chapter. You would think that a chapter titled Houdini would have a greater emphasis on the legendary escape artist -- but no. The structure of the book, after the first four chapters, takes a rather messy turn. Steinmeyer begins to jump around chronologically, bringing names into the narrative as and when he pleased. It made for a heavy read that was hard to follow.
Otherwise, this is the all-encompassing book about magic that fans should read. It does provide interesting nuggets of information throughout, with explanations behind some of magic's biggest secrets (hint: mirrors). Steinmeyer's explanations tend to go over my head sometimes, especially without the illustrations, but it works for the most part -- just a little tiresome towards the second half. Yes, Steinmeyer, we get that Houdini wasn't that great a magician, and that certain magicians hated each other. Let's move the story along.
I feel that someone like Erik Larson would have done a better job with the material. Yet, since Steinmeyer's background is in the magic arena, I can think of no better candidate to write it. Maybe he could have used a ghostwriter, or at least an editor, to smooth things out a bit.
A little disappointed, because I expected more from this book. Then again, I don't think you can find a better researched book out there about magic and magicians.