Customer Reviews

A Rush of Dreamers: Being the Remarkable Story of Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico

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This book is not a biography of Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. It is instead a work of historical fiction, in which the Emperor is the foremost of a wide range of famous and eccentric characters drawn from real life (from Sam Clemens and William Tecumseh Sherman to Rufus Porter (inventor of the aerial locomotive) and Abe Warner (proprietor of the Cobweb Palace.)) It is also very good, especially for a first novel.

While the characters are presented as larger than life, they are not cartoonish. The character of Joshua Norton is especially painted with depth, or at least as much as such an enigma can be. Sure, most people today would write him off as a penniless bum, madman, con artist, or worse. There was much, much more to him, though. Invariably, those that knew him spoke of his dignity, moral strength, and kindness. If he were simply mad, in a city like San Francisco (then or now) he would hardly have merited a second glance. Yet for over 20 years he was accepted as Emperor. Newspapers printed his edicts, restaurants fed him for free, citizens accepted his currency, heads of state corresponded with him (Lincoln, Victoria, and the Tsar) - and over 10,000 turned out in pouring rain to attend his funeral at the Masonic Cemetery. Norton the First was respected, he was listened to, and his moral example was followed- there are many called "Emperor" that could not claim this much.

In addition, this book presents a colorful and detail filled picture of gold rush times in early California. The author has done his research. I was especially taken by how he got the details of placer mining correct. My only minor criticism would be his knowledge of firearms of the period- there are a few obvious inaccuracies there.

If you are looking for a formal biography, then try _Norton I, Emperor of the United States_ by William Drury. The author also lists it as his primary reference.

While Joshua Norton, aka Emperor Norton I is an incredible character, not just in San Francisco, California or Gold Rush lore, but in Americana, this book is only margainally about him. It seems actually that the author saw what remarkable qualities Norton represented as a story, but had to build around him another story.
This other story is of a young man's journey west, from Boston at the height of the rush to California.
He travels by boat, south past the Cape of Good Hope and through the Golden Gate. Then from a burgeoning San Francisco towards Sacramento and the Sierra Nevadas and Sutter's Fort, where anyone with a prayer and some tools seems to have come seeking the proverbial pot of gold and a life of luxury and joy.
Through this journey he meets other wild and interesting chracters, interspercing his relationship with Joshua Norton throughout. Eventually he, Norton and others we've met on the way venture for gold and find adventure, life lessons and violence.
All of this culminates as a backstory for who, what, why and how Joshua Norton, a South Africa of English and Jewish descent, became Emperor Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.
In truth that build up is interesting, engaging and vibrant. But perhaps a tact regarding this not as a historical and fictional biography, but as a historical fiction of San Francisco and environs as of the Gold Rush era would have been better. Because it is not just "the Remarkable Story of Joshua Norton Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico." It is other things and about other people.
But for San Fran lovers, natives or transpants, Gold Rush enthusiasts, eccentric character fans, or Westward Ho! affecianatos this is a good book. It paces along well, and retains a youthful attitude toward a rough time and seemingly barbaric place, where people with kind hearts, rascals, rogues, inventors, eccentrics and lost souls converged to create the most beautiful of American cities, one which I in all bias call home, and one which it may be said cherished and enjoyed (even to this day) the likes of Joshua Norton, aka Emperor Norton I.

I have made several purchases of books from 3rd party book sellers through Amazon, and ALL of the previous purchases were "Just like New" and I was VERY pleased with them all... Until now... This book has all kinds of library stamps on it, stickers from the library, and stains on a number of pages pages. Frankly I can't recall how the condition of this one was described but this one is in appalling condition, and I will make sure never to purchase anything from this particular seller again.

This fictionalized account of the life of Emperor Norton fails utterly to convey any sense of the man who is an icon in the San Francisco Bay Area. Reading this artless book is neither enjoyable nor informative.

Some excerpts from an interview with Malaclypse the Younger by THE GREATER METROPOLITAN YORBA LINDA HERALD-NEWS-SUN-TRIBUNE-JOURNAL-DISPATCH-POST AND SAN FRANCISCO DISCORDIAN SOCIETY CABAL BULLETIN AND INTERGALACTIC REPORT & POPE POOP.

GREATER POOP: Are you really serious or what? MAL-2: Sometimes I take humor seriously. Sometimes I take seriousness humorously. Either way it is irrelevant.

GP: Maybe you are just crazy. M2: Indeed! But do not reject these teaching as false because I am crazy. The reason that I am crazy is because they are true.

GP: Is Eris true? M2: Everything is true. GP: Even false things? M2: Even false things are true. GP: How can that be? M2: I don't know man, I didn't do it.

GP: Why do you deal with so many negatives? M2: To dissolve them. GP: Will you develop that point? M2: No.

GP: Is there an essential meaning behind POEE? M2: There is a Zen Story about a student who asked a Master to explain the meaning of Buddhism. The Master's reply was "Three pounds of flax." GP: Is that the answer to my question? M2: No, of course not. That is just illustrative. The answer to your question is FIVE TONS OF FLAX!