(p. C8) “. . . like Mickey Mouse, Harry Houdini was a beloved little guy defying authority, beating the odds, standing up to the bully, making it on his own.”
For the full review, see:
Robert Wilson. “Houdini.” The Wall Street Journal (Saturday, March 14, 2020): C7-C8.
(Note: the online version of the review was updated March 13, 2020, and has the title “Two New Lives of Harry Houdini.”)
(Note: ellipsis added. The line in quotation marks is from Begley, as quoted by Wilson. In the print version this line is part of a longer indented quote from Begley.)
The Begley book, is:
Begley, Adam. Houdini: The Elusive American. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020.