June 1, 2017
There was a time, not long ago, when many people believed that death was no barrier to staying connected with loved ones. The idea was enthusiastically embraced by none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the logically minded Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle saw nothing illogical in the ability of psychic mediums to connect the grief-stricken with their lost relations. A true believer and zealous evangelist for spiritualism, Conan Doyle believed such phenomena as automatic writing, frenzied trances, disembodied voices, levitating tables, ghost photography, and oral expulsions of ectoplasm were real and perfectly rational. Conan Doyle's friend Harry Houdini was dubious. The most renowned magician and escape artist of his time knew plenty about tricking audiences, and his investigations into these spiritual phenomena convinced him that mediums used trickery and illusion to dupe people like his friend. Noyes' engaging narrative explores how Houdini's public crusade to expose spiritualism as bunk and mediums as frauds strained his relationship with Conan Doyle. The account is illustrated with archival material and densely populated with odd, outrageous characters such as D.D. Home, whose levitation acts saw him sailing out windows feet first, and Eva C. who expelled "ectoplasm" from her mouth during seances. Sidebars take readers down numerous, entertaining detours. A compelling true story of magic, ghosts, science, friendship, deception, feuding, and sleuthing told with great flair. (photos, source notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
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Starred review from July 1, 2017
Gr 6 Up-Harry Houdini is best remembered as a magician and escape artist, but he also spent more than half his life tirelessly investigating mediums and seances-charlatans in disguise. Noyes's narrative blends the history of the spiritualism movement in the early 20th century with a biographical account of Houdini. Early in Houdini's career, between 1897 and 1899, he and his wife Bess performed as mediums and mind readers, but he later wrote that he regretted "trifling with the hallowed reverence which the average human being bestows on the departed." Influenced by the loss of his beloved mother in 1913 and his ongoing debate with friend and avid spiritualist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Houdini embarked on a mission to debunk spiritualism, which by 1924 "had become a full-on crusade." Noyes stresses that Houdini believed in an afterlife and probably hoped that communication with the dead was possible but he never found legitimate evidence. Since magic acts and fraudulent seances made use of many of the same methods, Houdini was adept at discovering trickery, which he exposed most notably in a 1924 lecture tour. Houdini is portrayed as a likable figure, motivated by his compassion for grieving people and respect for the deceased. The title has an appealing layout with frequent sidebars, copious photographs and archival theater posters, and a page border that subtly contributes to the book's Victorian flavor and spooky mood. Although some passages are a bit dry, the read is overall intriguing and likely to hook students. VERDICT Fans of magic, mystery, and debates on the supernatural will devour Noyes's take on Houdini.-Magdalena Teske, Naperville Public Library, IL
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
June 1, 2017
Grades 5-8 Plenty has been written about Houdini's iconic escape routines and stage magic, but in this biography, Noyes focuses on a lesser-known facet of his career: his mission to debunk spiritualists. After his mother died, Houdini wanted to believe in the possibility of contact from beyond the grave. But his career gave him singular insight into tricks mediums deployed during seances, and, angered by the thought of mediums swindling grief-stricken people, he became determined to reveal the fakery of spiritualism. While describing Houdini's campaign to unmask fraudulent mediums, Noyes offers compelling tidbits about the many ways spiritualists performed their tricks, and helpful historical context for the popularity of spiritualism. Houdini's feud with avowed spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle is particularly fascinating, though the details of their clash get a bit lost. Still, there's plenty of intriguing information here, often in eye-catching inset boxes with additional background, and Noyes' attention to Houdini's outsize personalitya key component of his campaign against spiritualistsadds compelling depth. A worthwhile addition to any nonfiction section, and ideal for kids intrigued by historical oddities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2018
Noyes uses Houdini's attempts to discredit the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century Spiritualist movement as her entry point into the intriguing phenomenon. She provides historical context and relates incidents from Houdini's life, including his friendship with staunch believer Arthur Conan Doyle and his attempts to unmask "flimflammers." The book concludes that humans will believe in those fictions they wish to. Websites. Bib., ind.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
November 1, 2017
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Spiritualist movement swept the nation. Noyes (Ten Days a Madwoman, rev. 1/16) uses Harry Houdini's attempts to discredit the movement as her entry point into this intriguing phenomenon. Starting with a population reeling from loss of life during a period of high mortality and large-scale events such as the Civil War, WWI, and the flu epidemic, Noyes sets the context for a vast group of people eager to contact deceased loved ones. She provides brief background on Houdini's life and work (briefly diverting readers' attention with Houdini's escapist feats) before exploring her main topics. These include his friendship with Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle, a staunch believer, and Houdini's attempts to unmask flimflammers who used a myriad of methods to trick their customers, including seances, spirit writing, knocking sounds, and visual illusions. Noyes ends on a chilling note, showing that the glamorization of the afterlife may well have led to a spate of suicides. Most chilling of all is Noyes's (and Houdini's) conclusion that humans, no matter how smart or educated, will, despite scientific evidence, believe in those fictions they wish to. Appended with chapter notes, a bibliography and webliography, and an index. betty carter
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)