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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
MORE FU FOR YOU!, February 12, 2002
In this, the third of 14 Fu Manchu books that Sax Rohmer gave the world, Comm. Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie continue to battle the evil genius Fu Manchu. This book introduces the Si-Fan, a mysterious Eastern organization dedicated to conquering the Western world. The book follows directly from the previous two volumes, and includes several familiar characters. Thus, a reading of the previous books is recommended before going into this one. I'd give this book one star less than the previous two, if only because, as good a writer as Rohmer is, some of the sections of the book are, for me anyway, too vaguely drawn. The geography of the Si-Fan house and of the chapel of Monkswell, for example, are quite hard to picture; your imagination will be working overtime in these sections. (Perhaps this is deliberate on the part of the author?) Several plot points (Hale's mysterious chest, a woman who may or may not be a supreme Empress of sorts) are left in the air, possibly to be resolved in future volumes. There ARE some outstanding set pieces in the book, including the forced operation on Fu-Manchu's bullet-ridden skull and the insect-guarded labyrinth under Graywater Park. The book also features poisonous flowers, an opium den, mysterious codes, a hashish house, kidnappings, fires, leopards, storms and on and on. The pace, as usual for the Fu books, is quite breathless. There's no way that a reader will be bored.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
FuManchu replies, April 1, 2008
Dr Fu Manchu has been a sort of anti-hero for me since I was fifteen and found a book about him at the Tulsa Public Library The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, That was 65 years ago. I had collected all of Sax Rohmer's books in hard-bound editions but had to sell them when I was forced, for medical reasons, to give up my house and library. I am therefore glad to find many reprints of the Fu Manchu stories in paperback so that I can replace some of my lost books at a reasonable cost.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Hideously wonderful, again., August 9, 2007
The Chinese Doctor I love to hate returns in another action packed mystery adventure. Each of these books is better than the last. Rohmer paints a vivid picture of early 20th century London, and the seething underbelly in which his stories take place. My copy contained quite a few typographical errors. I contacted Echo Library regarding these, as well as plans to print more of the Fu Manchu series, but it sounds like there are none. As most of the remaining books are out of print, I truly felt like I was losing a friend when I finished this book.
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