Customer Reviews

A Handbook of Volapuk

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I'll readily agree with everything Rick Harrison said above, and add that I found the 19th-century writing style as convincing as in any historical novel about the period I've read. The structure of the book, with the preface and postscript by the phrenologist who discovered Mr. Justice's papers and edited them for publication, and the main section with Mr. Justice's narrative of his travels interspersed with lessons in Volapük (more or less integrated into the narrative, in amusing ways) is very satisfying; and there are a number of nifty puzzles and Easter eggs for the sharp reader with some knowledge of the place and period (and the early international language movement), which don't, I think, impair the novel's readability for the person with only an average knowledge of 19th-century Scotland.

It's probably worth mentioning that there are some minor fantasy elements as well - it might be a spoiler to say what they are, but I'm tentatively planning to nominate this for the Hugo Award, depending on what other excellent new books I might read during the rest of the year.

This is a very entertaining historical novel with several scenes that made me laugh out loud. The narrator is involved in the census, the universal language movement, and in dealing with a difficult travel companion. Along the way he tries to teach Volapuk to anyone who will listen to him (and the lessons are included in the book, so you can actually learn the basics of classical Volapuk by studying this text). His conflicts with the proponents of other constructed languages are hilarious and will seem startlingly familiar to anyone who has been involved in this milieu. note: I got my copy from amazon.co.uk

An interesting and humorous historical novel that made me think of Carlyle's "Sartor Resartus". It might be a little obscure and difficult for anyone who has never heard of Volapuk, or the universal language movement but it is fun to read, and the Volapuk lessons sprinkled throughout the book give you a chance to see what it's all about.

The first sentence sets the pace and the flavor for this book:

"Since the successful conclusion of the affair of The Dilatory Calvinist, my promising young pupil, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, has been wont to correspond wth me in many cases, some of which must forever remain protected from the public gaze, for they involve the very highest personages of the Realm."

Set in the latter part of the 19th century, this novel captures the utopian enthusiasm shared by the advocates of invented universal languages. Drummand provides a powerful sense of the place and time, as this handbook tracks the travails and travels of the protagonist through Scotland. And yes, lessons in Volapük skillfully woven into the text provide a basic knowledge of Esperanto's predecessor.

It's erudite fiction, amusing, challenging, and an incredibly good trip, for the intelligent reader.