Levitation: Physics and Psychology in the Service of Deception

by Jim Ottaviani, Janine Johnston

Levitation tells the story of the most dazzling gravity-defying illusion ever performed on stage, and features a cast of characters that seems almost too good to be true: John Neville Maskelyne, the very proper scientist-magician and the trick's inventor; Harry Kellar, the brash American who fails to buy the illusion, so steals it instead; Howard Thurston, the handsome and charismatic performer who inherits the act from Kellar; and Guy Jarrett, the rough-and-tumble engineer who perfects the levitation and guides us through the unfolding drama. But true it is -- you'll never look at magic, or the mysteries of science -- the same way again.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science, Nonfiction, Comics, History, Psychology, Magic

80 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2007

About the author

I've worked at news agencies and golf courses in the Chicagoland area, nuclear reactors in the U.S. and Japan, and libraries in Michigan. When I'm not staying up late writing comics about scientists, I'm spraining my ankles and flattening my feet by running on trails. Or I'm reading. I read a lot.

Reviews

[HeavyReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I am not sure why. The art is ok, as is the story. I guess none of it was very exciting.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

One nice thing about this book: it honestly took about twenty minutes to read! Unfortunately, it's the weakest of the Ottaviani books I've read. The characters don't get much space to show much personality, and the build-up to the big reveals takes too long to keep my enthusiasm.

The book's about how stage magicians create the levitation illusion. So it's an interesting premise, but the narrative falls flat. Shame, Jim's other true-science books are mostly very good.

I recall Janine Johnston as the weaker artist on Dark Horse's original Tales of the Jedi series. She's gotten much better, capturing the essence of the characters (photos in the back of them look nearly identical to her artwork) and providing excellent body language and facial expressions. Layouts are clear and easy to read, which is important when the script's explaining how to pass a hoop over a person who's not really suspended!

[Daniel Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very little science and physics to be found here. The book describes a single magic trick (an impressive one, of course) and gives a little peek into the world of magicians over a century ago. Worth reading, but don’t expect to learn a whole lot.

[Jake Swanney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levitation is a short story about how levitation tricks are done. It covers part of the life of John Maskelyne, who created the trick "The Levi". An American stole Kellers trick and starts to perform it in America. Then, Howard Thurston continues Keller's legacy, but ends up ruining it by showing the wires to the audience.

The art is in black in white and is penned out. It is very detailed and lifelike. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&r...

I personally enjoyed this book, but it was a very quick read and not very detailed. The setting fits the story, as the battle between European magicians and American magicians shows in the audiance. I recommend the book, as it is a very fast read and enjoyable.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among my hobbies are magic and comics. I'm also quite fond of science, so this book really hits my sweet spot. I've long been a fan of Jim Ottaviani's work, and really like this book despite its departure from his usual fare. Quite a bit of this history I already knew, though I found the details fascinating. While I generally know how at least most modern stage levitations are done, I see that there are details I hadn't really thought about. Disappointingly short, but that's about the worst I can say about it. Jim, if you ever want to write about magic and/or magic history again I'll happily read it.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Follows the stories of a few magicians who performed Levitation back in the early part of the 20th century. Feels a little bit like The Prestige without as much twistyness and plot. I had a hard time telling between a few of the characters and the art wasn't my favorite. But it was short, and I always like hearing magician secrets. :)

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read(under 30 minutes)and informative. The dialogue and art explaining how the trick is performed is excellent and how it passed from one magician to another was clear enough. But, for me, some of the key characters looked too much alike which was confusing at times.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at the history of the levitation tricks in stage magic. While it isn't my favorite of Ottaviani's books, it is a quick and enjoyable read, particularly for those with an interest in magic and magicians.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little less engaging than some of Ottaviani's other work. A good story of stage magicians stealing each other's secrets, but it just didn't catch my attention as much as I wanted it to.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim O. has a talent for uncovering great stories and telling them in a fascinating way. All of his books are recommended.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, begitu toh caranya? Susah juga ternyata bikin alat levitasi. Mungkin sekarang alatnya sudah jauh lebih canggih.

[Kris]

unshelved review.