Houdini's Box

Houdini's Box,by Adam Phillips, is a spectacular examination of mankind's on-going fascination with ideas of escape. 'A rare achievement - as remarkable a piece of work as Houdini ever performed himself.' (Daily Telegraph)

This text explores the lives of four different escape artists: a little girl playing her own wayward version of hide and seek; Harry Houdini who electrifies the world through a series of escapes; a man always in flight from women; and Emily Dickinson who spends her life in solitary confinement.

In his most captivating book to date, Adam Phillips explores mankind's on-going fascination with ideas of escape. Taking as his starting point the life and works of Harry Houdini - 'the greatest magician the world has ever seen' - he considers why some people might become compulsive escape artists, whereas others appear to find freedom in self-imposed confinement.

'A rare achievement - as remarkable a piece of work as Houdini ever performed himself.' Daily Telegraph