Magic Tricks

I love this book not only for the great routines for classic effects but how the stories Walt Anthony associates with the stories elevate the effects from just "tricks" to becoming the live action special effect that illustrates the magic of the tale. Connecting a trick with a story can infuse it with deeper meaning for the right audience and create truly memorable experiences. Although many of the tales are similar to fairy tales or folklore, they might not be the best choice for a Birthday party. Some are definitely only for the right adult audience, and might be disturbing in most contexts. But it is the thought process and the many examples of building a story around a trick to give it new context and greater depth that I found so valuable.

While the category of "Bizarre" magic occasionally applies here, I would broaden it in the specific case of Tales of Enchantment to "Storytelling magic." This is where I am most comfortable although I do like an occasional spooky story trick. However, some of the routines are probably fine for just about any audience. I think a routine like the one given for the rope in the bottle trick would be a lot of fun at just about any birthday party to add a little moment of eerie adventure and "genie in a bottle" flavor.

If you are a writer, storyteller, bizarrist, or even a filmmaker or dramatist in mindset, I think ToE would be a valuable item in your collection. I just wish this was the first in a series of volumes of similar material from the same author.