Eventually, it arrives: ``A thousand secrets await you. Spying Houdini himself in a railroad station, he begs for his secrets and is promised a letter. He skillfully weaves together fact and fiction to create a compelling and very satisfying story.Īt the end of the story, Brian Selznick goes on to give his readers a biography of Harry Houdini and a very personal narrative in which he describes why and how he wrote and illustrated this book.A fervent admirer of Houdini, ten-year-old Victor tries to emulate his feats, but to no avail: getting out of locked trunks and holding his breath for 5000 seconds are beyond his powers. In this remarkable book, Brian Selznick explores the enticing world of magic, the life of the great Harry Houdini, and the power that lies within a dream that will not die. Victor hopes that he will finally find out how Harry Houdini does at least some of his famous tricks. Victor runs over to see his hero and Harry Houdini promises to write to him. Then one day Victor has the great good fortune to see Harry Houdini at the train station. Victor tries to do the same in the bathtub and he doesn’t even come close. Houdini can hold his breath for five thousand seconds. Next Victor tries to hold his breath for a long time.

Unfortunately, unlike Houdini, Victor has no idea how to get himself out, and his mother has to rescue him. And so Victor locks himself inside his grandmother’s trunk. He reads that the great magician can get out of a sealed container in less than twenty seconds. Victor, like so many ten-year-old boys, is fascinated by Harry Houdini’s work.

The houdini box by brian selznick