alicihonest's review against another edition
3.0
I love magic history but this really isn't Jim's best work, it drags quite a bit. And it was pretty cheeky to put 'Houdini' in the title when he was a peripheral character of the peripheral characters. Still, Thurston is an interesting guy and I like learning more about him.
prof_pelon's review against another edition
4.0
So Ill admit I came into this book (a goodreads giveaway I won) expecting something like "The Prestige". No such luck, however I did get a fascinating look at the world of early 20thcentury magic something I didn't know much about. well written and fascinating but don't go looking for a thriller here.
omnibozo22's review against another edition
5.0
Fun read about the slimball reality of being a full time magician in the early years of the 20th Century. I used to buy stuff from Gerald Heany, one of the people who ended up with a lot of Thurston's gear after he died. Heany always tossed in extra stuff for me and wrote long letters to me about the things he included and how to best perform them. Years later I learned that was not at all like his usual behavior. Oh well, it was good for me.
bent's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent book. Steinmeyer does a great job of making Thurston's story come to life. I went to an exhibit of vintage magician posters at the Art Gallery of Ontario which sparked my interest in this story, and I'm very glad that I followed up by reading this book. Steinmeyer doesn't make Thurston look any better than he was - an excellent magician with lots of flaws, but ultimately a great showman. It's hard to believe how rapidly the entertainment industry changed from Thurston's childhood to his death. Even if you're not that interested in magic I would recommend it as it makes for a fascinating read.
christhedoll's review
4.0
'Everyone knows Houdini--but who was Thurston?' It's good. Not what I expected.
cspiwak's review
3.0
LIked it.
I feel the authopr used the better known Houdini to lure people to the book, only to then say a lot of negative things about him, but otherwise enjoyed the book.
I feel the authopr used the better known Houdini to lure people to the book, only to then say a lot of negative things about him, but otherwise enjoyed the book.
brizmus's review
3.0
Jim Steinmeyer knows magic, and he knows magicians, and he knows how to write about them. Put those three things together, and what you get in The Last Greatest Magician is one of the most intriguing and exciting biographies I've ever read.
To be honest, before reading this book, it had been AGES since I last read a biography. It's not that I'm not interested - reading about the lives of interesting or well-known (or sometimes not well-known) people has always fascinated me, but I've often found biographies to be somewhat dry. I've therefore always preferred fiction books laced with fact. In the Last Greatest Magician in the World, though, Steinmeryer has, for the most part, managed to avoid the dry stigma attached to biographies. There are definitely some parts that are dry (let's face it, when you're telling the life story of someone, that's just going to happen), but the majority of the time I actually forgot that I was reading a biography. It was exciting and intense and filled with good guys and bad guys and crazy plots of madness and revenge.
Steinmeyer takes subject matter that is, even at its core, exciting, and turns it into an utterly readable, magnificent story. I wanted to like Thurston, and it seems obvious to me that the author has a great respect for Thurston, but he approached the material in such an objective way that, even through the author's obvious bias, there were times when I hated him, when I desperately wanted Houdini to one-up him. Even now, after having finished, I can't decide if I liked him or hated him. One thing is clear, though, in the Last Greatest Magician in the World, Steinmeyer pulls you so completely into the world of Thurston that there is no grey - either you love him or you hate him.
Steinmeyer writes with knowledge, grace, and intelligence. As someone who has been interested in magic from a very young age (haven't we all?), I was thrilled to read the story of Thurston and his interactions with his wives and children and, especially, other well-known magicians such as Houdini and Thurston. If you have ever had an interest in magic, this book is definitely for you. Steinmeyer has turned Thurston's story into the story of all magician's, and it will satisfy your curiosity on all counts. Even if you're not a huge fan of biographies, I would recommend giving this book a try. (and plus, Neil Patrick Harris says it's awesome!)
To be honest, before reading this book, it had been AGES since I last read a biography. It's not that I'm not interested - reading about the lives of interesting or well-known (or sometimes not well-known) people has always fascinated me, but I've often found biographies to be somewhat dry. I've therefore always preferred fiction books laced with fact. In the Last Greatest Magician in the World, though, Steinmeryer has, for the most part, managed to avoid the dry stigma attached to biographies. There are definitely some parts that are dry (let's face it, when you're telling the life story of someone, that's just going to happen), but the majority of the time I actually forgot that I was reading a biography. It was exciting and intense and filled with good guys and bad guys and crazy plots of madness and revenge.
Steinmeyer takes subject matter that is, even at its core, exciting, and turns it into an utterly readable, magnificent story. I wanted to like Thurston, and it seems obvious to me that the author has a great respect for Thurston, but he approached the material in such an objective way that, even through the author's obvious bias, there were times when I hated him, when I desperately wanted Houdini to one-up him. Even now, after having finished, I can't decide if I liked him or hated him. One thing is clear, though, in the Last Greatest Magician in the World, Steinmeyer pulls you so completely into the world of Thurston that there is no grey - either you love him or you hate him.
Steinmeyer writes with knowledge, grace, and intelligence. As someone who has been interested in magic from a very young age (haven't we all?), I was thrilled to read the story of Thurston and his interactions with his wives and children and, especially, other well-known magicians such as Houdini and Thurston. If you have ever had an interest in magic, this book is definitely for you. Steinmeyer has turned Thurston's story into the story of all magician's, and it will satisfy your curiosity on all counts. Even if you're not a huge fan of biographies, I would recommend giving this book a try. (and plus, Neil Patrick Harris says it's awesome!)
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