Are you convinced that sword swallowing is an art and not a trick?

[lesler]

I think it is an art, because not everyone can even be taught to do it. You have to have the correct physical traits to be able to swallow swords.

[Social Butterfly]

I name myself the skeptical soul and therefore believe that sword swallowing is definitely a trick as it is scientifically impossible

[eri1]

After reading the book (or at least the review), are you convinced that the character, Duke Raynolds, is not a fraud? Do you believe that sword swallowing is a practice that can actually be taught and learned? I'd love to hear your take on this.

Magic exists and yes sword swallowing is done by people who have the magical skill. people do so many crazy things in this world and sword swallowing is part of it

[Dael Reader]

If a real sword is used, I would say the swallowing part is a skill. The art would lie in crafting the show you put on for the audience while demonstrating the skill. I agree with others who say it would be a trick if a collapsible sword is being used to deceive others. But there can be an artistry to tricks as well. We know that a magician is deceiving our senses in some way. But we can still be entertained by the show he puts on.

[Helen_Combe]

I think it’s an art. I saw a sword swallower swallow a neon light and it lit up his throat and chest. Pretty convincing.

[Kristy Khem]

I think its an art, not a trick! It can be fatal, but I am certain it can be learned. Also, I'm sure everyone who does it has a terrible sore throat afterward.

[Kibet Hillary]

Nop. I am not convinced. I feel that it is more of a trick than an act. It would seem unimaginable to see one swallowing a sword despite the mastery of skills by various acrobats and 'magicians'.

[Kibet Hillary]

Duke definitely wants us to think it is the real thing and he keeps repeating that there are ony 14 sword swallowers left who know the ins and outs of this art. I would say it is merely a trick as I've also read how he carefully plans his performance and has a rehearsed monologue repeated to thousands to make the audience believe in the power of the illusion. I've been reading about this and I've learnt that it could be a gimmick with special trick swords, but this is not always the case. Considering that Duke got hurt and at some point he couldn't perform his act anymore, he must have been doing the real thing.

This is a nice perspective of view on the whole practice of sword swallowing in the book. It sounds more realistic when viewed from this angle.

[BriennaiJ]

I definitely believe that it is an art. He has to train so hard if he is swallowing actual swords. However, if they were collapsible, then it would be a trick.

[Elle Howard]

I think sword swallowing is a trick for some and a skill for others. It all depends on the artist, the audience and the illusion they want to create. I consider sword swallowing like magicians. Some are amazing. Others, not so much.

[Morgan Jones]

To me, it's a bit of both to be honest. I admire people who can actually do it and I never understood the trick behind it (because there must be a trick he's swallowing a whole sword! That's not possible even if the sword was fake or not!). All in all, I have to admit it's very impressive to witness.

[Carris72]

To me, its a trick. There's no way a human being can swallow a sword without discomfort or injury.

[Julehart1]

I believe sword swallowing is both a skill and a bit of a trick. I'm sure it takes a lot of training. It seems impossible to do it without hurting yourself but people just master it somehow. I don't know what the trick is but it seems very interesting to me.

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

I have never had the chance to witness an act of sword swallowing, nor am I sure that I can handle watching such a dangerous endeavour. The parts in the sample where the author described the instances of sword-swallowing kept me on my toes the entire time. I was afraid that this probably will be the time when Duke accidentally piercss his windpipe! I would like to read about this feat. Thanks for posting those links, I mean to check them out.

[daniya__shah3]

Alright, your topic of discussion is quite amusing. My take on this one is that sword swallowing is an art because in order to perform a trick, you need to be able to understand the art related to that trick. For instance, the more you know about the art of sketching portraits, the easier it will be to figure to tricks to sketch them more accurately and in less time. So yes, it is an art.