Egypt, a supernatural, mystery, and an unknown creature are all found in this 1897 novel by Richard March. The Beetle is the story of a creature born of neither God nor man. This monsterous creature stalks British politician, Paul Lessingham. The creature uses its hypnotic powers to find Paul and exact the revenge it seeks for the defilement of a tomb in Egypt. Marsh uses the current interest of Londoners in hypnosis and animal magnetism to increase the terror in his story. This is a story not for the faint of heart.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Forgotten Classic Now Available,
By James "JK" (Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Beetle. A Mystery (Paperback)
I first came across references to this forgotten classic in the works of British occultist Kenneth Grant. Firmly rooted in the Victorian appetite for mystery and the supernatural, 'The Beetle' is a masterpiece of horror and occult fiction. Originally published in 1897, the same year as Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', Richard Marsh's highly original creation at one point actually outsold Stoker's famous vampire primer. Like Stoker's other masterpiece, 'The Jewel of Seven Stars', which was brought to the screen in the seventies with Hammer's stylish retelling as 'Blood From the Mummy's Tomb' (and the forgettable 'The Awakening'), 'The Beetle' would be well served with a film adaptation, although it might be hard pressed to find an appreciative audience today.
For those with a taste for occult-inspired fiction along the lines of H.P. Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, Bram Stoker, Sax Rohmer, Algernon Blackwood and others, 'The Beetle' will not disappoint. See also the cheaper Wordsworth edition, with a fine introduction by David Stuart Davies.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An early fiend find,
By
This review is from: The Beetle. A Mystery (Paperback)
"A face looked into mine, and, in front of me, were those dreadful eyes. Then, whether I was dead or living, I said to myself that this could be nothing human, -nothing fashioned in God's image could wear such a shape as that. Fingers were pressed into my cheeks, they were thrust into my mouth, they touched my staring eyes, shut my eyelids, then opened them again, and-horror of horrors!-the blubber lips were pressed to mine-the soul of something evil entered into me in the guise of a kiss."
Published in 1897, the same year as Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Beetle is a classic Victorian weird/sensation novel, written in wonderfully ripe, overwrought prose, and featuring (of course!) a sinister oriental figure with the power to transform himself. This fiend persecutes and hypnotically asserts control over an upstanding British man, the hero of the novel. In many ways, this sort of novel foreshadowed Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu novels, but it also fed into the late 19th-century fascination with all things Egyptian. Later this sort of tale would be the grist for 20th century mummy films and Boris Karloff's mesmerizing stare, but unfortunately The Beetle never seems to have made the leap into popular modern culture the way that Dracula did. A pity, as this is an equally engrossing supernatural tale.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it,
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This review is from: The Beetle: A Mystery (The horror classic!) (Kindle Edition)
A great find. I really enjoyed it. Full of suspense and action. A good old creepy thriller!!
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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toe terror, oriental friend, casual ward Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Paul Lessingham, Marjorie Lindon, Miss Grayling, Miss Coleman, Dora Grayling, House of Commons, Robert Holt, Sydney Atherton, Percy Woodville, Waterloo Railway Station, Rue de Rabagas, Scotland Yard, Lord Cantilever, Commercial Road, Paradise Place, Sloane Street New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
toe terror, oriental friend, casual ward Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Paul Lessingham, Marjorie Lindon, Miss Grayling, Miss Coleman, Dora Grayling, House of Commons, Robert Holt, Sydney Atherton, Percy Woodville, Waterloo Railway Station, Rue de Rabagas, Scotland Yard, Lord Cantilever, Commercial Road, Paradise Place, Sloane Street New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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