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Steve Oxford Regular user Churchville,MD. 155 Posts |
Having just finished reading these two excellent books, it dawned on me that many will never get the chance to read them. If I am not mistaken, they are sold out and collectors items now. It is a shame that many just starting in magic will miss the opportunity to read and absorb the history of this man and that major portion of our art. I would think that magic clubs would start a library if nothing more than to make such valuable books available to its membership.
Most clubs spend far too much time on tricks and versions of the pass, but very little on the history and foundation that put us all where we are. Just my opinion S. |
Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts |
Who'd read them?
It is sad to say but I fear that even if every magic club in America was gifted with a set of these exquisite tomes that they would go unread by the majority of their memberships. Most clubs are geared toward those who want to learn tricks or show off sleights. When was the last time you heard of a club night devoted to history or had a lecturer in who only talked about a historical magic event. These books will eventually end up in a few lucky clubs libraries as when their current owners pass on and bequeath them to them.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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Luis Sirgado New user Portugal 90 Posts |
The magic of robert houdin is very good for the beginner and also for the expert. houdin was the father of modern magic, so I think we have a lot to learn from him
"One of the greatest accomplishments of magicians in the last century is the ability to take something inherently profound and render it trivial."
-Max Maven- |
owen.daniel Inner circle England 1048 Posts |
I am considering buying these books (yes, I do know where I can still get them!). Are they worth the price?
I am sure this sounds like a ridiculous question, as they are bound to be amazing, all the reviews I have read have been superb, etc., but it seems like a hell of a lot for a book. The most I have spent on a new book before was £120 for the Al Baker book, but it seems like a huge amount for what you receive. Could someone give me an idea as to why it is so expensive? Are there special features (not really knowing what a special feature of a book may be!)? What was the publication limited to? Any information would be well appreciated. Thank you. Owen |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
If the question is about The Magic of Robert Harbin, which seems to be the topic here, then maybe I can explain some of the reasons that it is so expensive ($1300) and why people want it. I can also explain why you probably won't find it in any magic club library.
I'll take the second part first. It is a VERY expensive book. The liability of owning a copy of this book is tremendous. Would you loan a copy of this book out? I don't think so. How are you going to ensure that it is returned or that it remains in good condition. Not to besmirch the reputations of any members of any magic clubs, but the normal instinct when someone borrows this book is to make a photcopy of it. This is very rough on the book. Soon the book will be in tatters. This is definitely not good. For $1300, a magic club can buy many very good books that will be quite useful to its members. Are the contents that wonderful? Well, it depends on who you are. There is good information in that book. It is the source for a lot of illusions on the market today -- ZigZag, the Harbin Walk-Away Suspension (Super-X Plus), and the Super Simplex Levititation, which David Copperfield used on his first special. And not all of the material has to do with illusions. But its chief value is that it is a low production book that is very desirable. There were considerably fewer than 1000 copies printed. I don't know the actual print run. But there are a lot of good fakes out there. I have seen real ones and fake ones. I can tell the difference. I will tell you one thing to look for if you ever have the opportunity to purchase a copy. The originals are on A4 paper. If you are offered a Harbin book on 8 1/2" x 11" paper, it's a fake. There are other details as well.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
Rennie Inner circle I think I have about 1826 Posts |
Bill,
I, like you, started reading this post and thought it was about Robert HARBIN, and after reading further I rechecked and saw it was Robert HOUDIN. However, your info about the Harbin book is very good, I recall when it came out and sold for I believe the unheard-of sum of $60.00, Boy did I blow it by not buying it at that time. I am probably not alone, though. Can I assume you have the book? Rennie
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve it is not.......
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owen.daniel Inner circle England 1048 Posts |
I am getting my copies later this week!!!!
Can't wait to start them (Crime and Punishment is going to have to go on the back burner for a bit)...I finally managed to get the money...and here I am,a heck of a lot of shows later.... More details once finished, Owen Bill, As you will most likely have realised by now I am actually refering to the new(ish) "Magic of Robert Houdin" books by Christian Fechner... |
owen.daniel Inner circle England 1048 Posts |
Well I now own "The Magic Of Robert Houdin: An Artists Life".
Sorry about the long waite coming back to this one...It took longer to arrive than expected, and then when I did finally get it I didn't have that much time to read through it thouroughly! The books are amazing. The detail is overwhelming. And the research must have been immense. Christian Fechner must have spent years making these books. I do not think that I have ever read something with so much detail...And then you go to the notes section at the end of each act...and there is even more detail. This, for me, was also the books major downfall. As I said above, the detail is overwhelming. It is difficult to read and be interested, as you find out about Houdin's Father's Grandfather's Half Cousin Twice Removed, who died during birth! (this is not part of the book, but is an exaduration...no the detail is not quite that good)! OF course some may say that detail is good...However, I thuroughly enjoy reading, not just magic, but biographies and fiction as well; but in this book, I just can't sit down and read it, and I think this is a real disappointment. What I suggest (and what I have done), is that you read a chapter that interests you. Do not start at the begining and read the whole book, because it is very difficult to do. Otherwise maybe you can concentrate on reading one chapter a week... The pictures and production of the book is brilliant, and there are no flaws here! It is a shame that a smaller, paperback version, without as many pictures is not available. £250 is a lot of money to spend on a book, and it is a shame that this is not going to be available to many people. Owen |
The Magician Loyal user Liverpool 267 Posts |
If I can find these two Robert Houdin books I will definately be purchasing them
The Magician
Expect the Unexpected |
prof.wonderfool New user Paris 19 Posts |
[quote]On 2004-09-21 17:26, The Magician wrote:
It is a shame that a smaller, paperback version, without as many pictures is not available. You know what, if such cheap edition occured it would be illisible because pictures, fac-simile, reproduced letters, archive need good -expensive- printing process. More, a big amount of these pictures are not free of rights and these rights increase according with the number of issues! It's a deliberate choice from C.Fechner who explains (in french) why, on virtualmagic.com a popular magician's forum. |
cardone Special user 860 Posts |
I have been reading magic books for 20 years + and I think this is my favorite one .
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SydBeckman New user Tennessee 92 Posts |
This is an old thread so I don't know if anyone will read this but if, per chance, anyone has a copy they would like to part with - I am interested in buying a set. To be clear, I am looking for: The Magic Of Robert Houdin: An Artists Life
Please send me a private message if you have a copy to sell. Thanks, Syd
Syd
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Tony Curtis Special user Bangkok Thailand 840 Posts |
I have a set of these books for sale if anyone is interested.
Tony
Over 100 previous Magic Wagon effects along with descriptions,
images & videos can now be viewed on my website. Click Here |
Jiceh Special user France 742 Posts |
In France, we write Robert-Houdin because the 2 words with the "-" between them are his name. Robert is not his first name but a part of his name.
His fisrt name was Jean-Eugène |
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