Chung Ling Soo on the East Coast

[Guest]

Chung ling Soo arrived in Richmond , Virginia

today on the cover and featured article of the

June Genii. Looks good but all I've had time to

do is flip through it.....Mike

[P.T. Murphy]

What a great issue! Richard you have really out done yourself. The layout of the Soo article is beautiful. The content and design of Genii keeps getting better and better. Thanks!

[Ken Becker]

WOW! Only the l8th of the month, and the June issue received today in Woodland Hills, CA.
Terrific issue; especially the Chung Ling Soo story. It's a teaser that should sell many 'Glorious Deception' books. My order is in!

[Steve Bryant]

I loved the article on Jules Lenier. Who would have ever guessed the origin of his name?

Jules is the only (other) magician to have ever kissed my wife. I brought her to the Magic Castle on our wedding night, and Jules was not one to pass up an opportunity to kiss a bride. Nowadays, decades later, whenever we part company, Jules says, with delight, "Say hi to your wife."

[Guest]

Happy to report that as of today (Thursday, the 26th) Amazon has books and is sending them off! Whew!

I just got a few copies yesterday. The publisher did a great job.

Many thanks to the Genii readers for their interest in the article, and for ordering it through this site. Good for the publisher, and good for the Genii Forum, as buying it here supports the Forum.

The book should be in your hands soon.

[Necromancer]

Terrific article, Jim, and outstanding issue, Richard. Thank you both.

Best,
Neil Tobin
www.SupernaturalChicago.com

[Rick Ruhl]

I got my copy, 3/4 through, this is a great book.

Rick

[Richard Kaufman]

Received my copy the day before yesterday, but I don't have a minute to read it! VERY frustrating.
Looks great, though!

[Rick Ruhl]

Finished it last night. I couldnt put the book down for long.

This was like BEING there. I got swept into the book and couldn't leave.

This is a wonderful read. Another great work by Jim.

[Tabman]

Rick, how do you find time to read?? I'm glad I read The Riddle of Chung Ling Soo years ago when I had the time. Sounds like a great book. The story of Chung Ling Soo is compelling for sure.

-=tabman

[Rick Ruhl]

I just sat down and took the time. It rained for 2 days, so not alot of magic building getting done.

Jim's also going to be on our local cable TV show (via phone) for an interview about the book (and him), on the 14th. I'm thrilled to death to be able to be in on that interview.

[Dale Shrimpton]

I cant wait to get mine, and am aching to write the review over here in the uk.
I have to wait another week, as Amazon here doesnt have it yet!!!
How frustrating is that!

[Dale Shrimpton]

Well, the book arived, and i am already over half way through. Its great.
In fact this book is rather like a realy good Columbo. You know that there was a death,but you enjoy the journey to find out more about victim.

[Rick Ruhl]

Had a nice interview with Jim today on the local TV show. Wonderful person to interview and it was very enjoyable.

Public thanks to Jim for his time, and for a great interview.

[Jim Riser]

I just finished reading "The Glorius Deception" and must say that it seems to me to be the best writing that Jim Steinmeyer has done to date. The story is masterfully told in an exciting and gripping manner.

I do feel that to get full benefit while reading this book, it is nice to have Todd Karr's "The Silence of Chung Ling Soo" at hand. This option will allow the reader to refer to diagrams of effects, beautiful posters, better photos, and additional info as the "deception" unfolds and various things are mentioned. It is also nice to have "The Howard Thurston's Illusion Show Work Book" (volume one) at hand to compare Thurston's version of the Crystal Lantern Illusion to the beautiful plated version of Soo's as described by Steinmeyer. Soo's show was, indeed, one I would have liked to have witnessed. There is plenty of new info in this book. For example - I had no idea that Soo ever had a version of Maskelyne's levitation. Was this built with the all important rollers like the Kellar/Thurston model for transport or from the partially correct "plans" Goldston published (and were repeated in the Dr. Q book, The Owen book, etc.)? Several of the illusions in Soo's show would go over very well today with slightly altered methods. Also, handy to have at hand would be the Goldston "Locked Books".

There could have been alternate titles for Steinmeyer's latest book. A few which come to mind might be:
The Importance of Getting a Prenup
One Wife is Enough
How to Have Your Life's Work Destroyed By Heirs
How To Destroy a Well Equipped Shop In One Day

Like many a good book, this text brings up a variety questions (what ifs) in the reader's mind - questions which can never be answered. Would Soo's ideas and versions of illusions have been lost to time without the Goldston exposures? If Dot had inherited the show with all of its apparatus/illusions, would they be in someone's collection today rather than frittered away at an auction and lost over the years? Is there any "fair" in life? Ah yes, tons of unanswerable questions are inspired by this book.

At the low price, this book is a true bargain. :D

Jim

[Lisa Cousins]

The thing that really sets Jim Steinmeyer apart as a magic writer is his amazing knowledge of theater history in general. Again and again he makes these interesting connections between magic and other popular entertainments of the day, allowing you-the-reader to perceive magic in its larger context as a theatrical art. The wide view lets in so much light.

He also comes out with these self-standing poetical sentences that are incredibly enjoyable to read and re-read, such as (describing the precision timing required between the shrouded assistant and the magician in a Black Art act): "It was a meticulous ballet in which the visible and invisible danced together."

There are plenty of these, but I won't list any others, as part of the fun is coming upon them unawares, and I know that you're going to read this book.

[Dale Shrimpton]

Already i have found myself grabbing books from my shelf mentioned within its pages. Tonight, since Jim has reminded me that the thing is in there, i will peruse my copy of thurston workbook vol 1, and look at the lantern.

I may be doing a little bit of further reseach myself this weekend, to find the last house Robinson lived in. Imagine my surprise when i found out that it was in my own vilage, Taplow.