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5.0 out of 5 stars
"If this is magic, let it be an art", Feb 2 2004
David Blaine's Mysterious Stranger is a very interesting and creative book. I was drawn to the mystifying cover and after thumbing through the book and seeing all the intriguing photographs and clever style and format, I knew I had to check this book out even though I was not aware of Blaine's work save for headlines for his sensational stunts.Blaine is a true expert in his craft. He is an historian of magic and this book includes stories about many of the important figures in the art of illusions and escapology: Dedi who performed for Cheops in Ancient Egypt, the stone eaters, Robert-Houdin, Max Malini, Alexander Herrmann, Titanic Thompson--a con-man who even outwitted Al Capone, the fascinating Stylites who lived atop high pillars to escape the evilness of earthly life, and, of course, Harry Houdini. Blaine puts his heart and soul into his magic. He includes stories of his childhood, how he became interested in magic (seeing a photo of Houdini who was clinging to a railing with his chin), and his devotion to his late mother. Accompany this history are guides to basic card tricks and illusions, so be sure you have a deck handy when reading this book. He also, of course, describes experiences that made him famous: filming his television show Street Magic, attending a voodoo ceremony in Haiti, braving the Venezuelan rainforest to meet the Yanomano Indians, and his daredevil stunts of being buried alive, standing in ice, and standing on a pillar. He describes his grueling regime of preparation which included learning to sleep while standing up while preparing for his ice demonstration. Blaine shows a deep appreciation for the tradition behind his stunts and illusions. His claim that magic brings all people together because people of different ethnicity, religions, and social status all come to see his stunts seems a bit much. One can say such things about many different spectacles, but when they are over, people go their separate ways. Still, the book is fascinating and some of the illustrations will stay with me for a long time. Anyone interested in the unusual will enjoy Mysterious Stranger.
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by Criss Angel
DVD ~ David Blaine
