Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Penguin (1999), Paperback, 272 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Thriller. HTML: Richard Marsh's best-selling supernatural thriller The Beetle: A Mystery, was even more popular than Bram Stoker's Dracula when it was first released; both being published in the same year, 1897. Inflicting damage with his hypnotic and shape-shifting powers, a strange oriental figure shadows an English politician to London..
User reviews
LibraryThing member irkthepurist
So frustratingly nearly brilliant - the writing is thrilling, the idea is wonderful, the villain is horribly odd and bizarre and the climax is certainly one of the best of it's kind (also helps that I know the trainline in question from childhood)... yet... yet... so many flaws! Firstly the victim
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of sorts - Lessingham - comes across as a complete knob. The hero of a kind, Atherton, is a less likeable character in many ways but is also far more believable and enjoyable a figure to spend time with compared to the prissy politician. Certainly the major female lead comes across as even duller than the love interest in "The Woman in White" which I never thought to be possible. And similarly the final revelation of the link between the Beetle and Lessingham is a bit of a let down as well... good god, Marsh could have managed something *brilliant* if Lessingham were more flawed, Marjorie closer to Marion Halcombe than to Laura Fairlie and the Beetle had a bit more of a reason to commit his/ her/ it's reign of terror. As it is... it never quite worked. Close - so close - but so frustratingly far as well. Heigh ho. Show Less
LibraryThing member callumsaunders
Published in the same year as Stoker’s ‘Dracula’, and incidentally, more popular at the time, ‘The Beetle’ is an atmospheric and chilling piece of gothic Victorian Literature that is often (and unjustifiably) usurped by its literary cousin.
In writing ‘The Beetle’ and giving life to an
Taking up the multi-narrative format indicative of the period, the novel proceeds to build nicely, weaving a complex yet easy-to-follow plotline that points towards the mysterious past of an eminent politician – a shady past that is evidently to account for the current morbid occurrences that plague our cast of likeable characters.
Unravelling mystery after mystery, the book reads extremely well and Marsh has to be credited with building an exceptional state of tension and anticipation. The finale is nothing short of epic, clawing at and subsequently shredding the reader’s senses and nerves as it reaches its dramatic, evocative and rewarding ending.
Having consumed this book avidly over a week, I have to say that ‘The Beetle’ is an excellent piece of literature that remains able to cause chills despite the desensitised nature of modern readers. Another example of late Victorian / early Edwardian fascination with all things Eastern and oriental (see Stoker’s ‘The Jewel of Seven Stars), this is a thoroughly readable member of the gothic school, and fully deserves a reputation equal to ‘Dracula’. Highly, highly recommended.
In writing ‘The Beetle’ and giving life to an
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evil protagonist, eminent Victorian novelist Richard Marsh created a despicable embodiment of horror quite equal to Stoker’s blood-sucking vampire. Plunged straight into a world of gloomy horror from off, the initial pages reveal a vivid and genuinely disturbing account of terror that remains as fresh and effective as it did 112 years ago.Taking up the multi-narrative format indicative of the period, the novel proceeds to build nicely, weaving a complex yet easy-to-follow plotline that points towards the mysterious past of an eminent politician – a shady past that is evidently to account for the current morbid occurrences that plague our cast of likeable characters.
Unravelling mystery after mystery, the book reads extremely well and Marsh has to be credited with building an exceptional state of tension and anticipation. The finale is nothing short of epic, clawing at and subsequently shredding the reader’s senses and nerves as it reaches its dramatic, evocative and rewarding ending.
Having consumed this book avidly over a week, I have to say that ‘The Beetle’ is an excellent piece of literature that remains able to cause chills despite the desensitised nature of modern readers. Another example of late Victorian / early Edwardian fascination with all things Eastern and oriental (see Stoker’s ‘The Jewel of Seven Stars), this is a thoroughly readable member of the gothic school, and fully deserves a reputation equal to ‘Dracula’. Highly, highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member wandering_star
A rollicking read, complete with creepy chills and a good story - in fact, the story moved along so quickly that I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd been told it was a modern pastiche of the Victorian sensational novel. Also very much of its time with the evil Oriental villain and the terrible
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fear that a young white woman is going to be robbed of her virtue... Truly brilliant. Show Less
LibraryThing member AngelaJMaher
I came across this book quite by accident, and I'm rather glad I did. I really enjoyed it. It's written from the viewpoint of several characters, very successfully. The story is engrossing, and original, and the older-style language is still easy to read. Definitely worth reading if you like this
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genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member eleanor_eader
It's just a personal opinion, but classic Gothic horror should not be this dryly amusing - the tongue in cheek tone really makes it difficult to appreciate the otherworldly threat.
There's plenty that's sinister in this novel; however, with the exception of the first narrator (who has good reason
The author does take a while to get to the point; pieces of information that would not have given away the plot but might have made the story stronger in the middle were tacked onto the end in a sudden change of pace. The less said about the romantic theme the better.
There's plenty that's sinister in this novel; however, with the exception of the first narrator (who has good reason
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not to be cheerful), nearly all points of view are rather too smug for the storyline. That aside, this is quite an entertaining yarn, with some snort-out-loud moments and one cannot help admiring the choice of villianous aspect... beetles are not normally considered a proper manifestation of evil (a harbinger, on occasion) and the melding of an Egyptian sect with Victorian life one of those surreal touches that make Gothic horror work.The author does take a while to get to the point; pieces of information that would not have given away the plot but might have made the story stronger in the middle were tacked onto the end in a sudden change of pace. The less said about the romantic theme the better.
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LibraryThing member passion4reading
Apparently, this novel once outsold Bram Stoker's Dracula, and it is easy to see why. It tells the strange tale of the creature called The Beetle that plays tricks on and catch with London's polite society, a secret and ancient Egyptian cult, human sacrifice of innocent maidens, mesmerism, a nobody
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rising to political power who might be hiding a mysterious secret in his past, and you can see why it may have intrigued and fascinated its readership. It does have its faults: its language and settings feel quite old-fashioned today and some of the plot developments are full of melodrama and incredible coincidences. That said, it is still a cracking good read, with the plot gathering pace after the first third of the book, and the passages where the heroine, Marjorie Lindon, is left alone with the creature in her room are truly terrifying. Show Less
LibraryThing member pidgeon92
A most outstanding Victorian horror story. I must dig up more of Richard Marsh's work.
LibraryThing member pgmcc
This is a very entertaining book. It is regarded as a classic horror but it is also a mystery and a romantic comedy of the Victorian era. I would describe it as a cross between Dracula and The Importance of Being Earnest with a tiny bit of Sherlock Holmes thrown in.
The book also provides me with
The book also provides me with
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more supporting evidence for my “Do not read the introduction to fiction until after having read the book” belief. While I agree with most of what David Stuart Davies has to say about the novel, I would not have enjoyed the story half as much as I did had I read the introduction first. Show Less
LibraryThing member mabrown2
Great writing with a thrilling build-up but it lost me a bit at the end. From the descriptions I read of this novel, and with my previous experience with Richard Marsh, I was expecting a big twisty shocking climax at the end but instead was left feeling a bit disappointed. It didn't have that same
My favorite character was Sydney Atherton. Of all the characters, he was the most fleshed out and was surprisingly funny with his cynical personality and hyper activity. I agree with other reviews that Paul Lessingham and Marjorie were less interesting characters. I found I didn't really care what Marjorie's fate was in the end and Paul Lessingham came off as one note. Even Robert Holt (who was hypnotized through most of the novel) was more interesting. But everything that remained was still quite enjoyable. I thought Marsh did an excellent job setting the stage, building the suspense and drawing the reader in. I also liked that it was told from four different perspectives and thought they each transitioned well from one to the other.
I think anyone in gothic literature would enjoy this novel and should give it a read. My copy was published by Valancourt Books and they have provided a fantastic edition with all sorts of helpful footnotes and references.
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oomph you get at the end of Dracula, but the rest of the story was quite enjoyable. My favorite character was Sydney Atherton. Of all the characters, he was the most fleshed out and was surprisingly funny with his cynical personality and hyper activity. I agree with other reviews that Paul Lessingham and Marjorie were less interesting characters. I found I didn't really care what Marjorie's fate was in the end and Paul Lessingham came off as one note. Even Robert Holt (who was hypnotized through most of the novel) was more interesting. But everything that remained was still quite enjoyable. I thought Marsh did an excellent job setting the stage, building the suspense and drawing the reader in. I also liked that it was told from four different perspectives and thought they each transitioned well from one to the other.
I think anyone in gothic literature would enjoy this novel and should give it a read. My copy was published by Valancourt Books and they have provided a fantastic edition with all sorts of helpful footnotes and references.
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LibraryThing member Charrlygirl
First published in 1897, The Beetle is a strange little mystery adventure story. I mistakenly went into it thinking it was a horror or dark fiction tale. And while I guess it could be considered horror, only the very first portion was the least bit scary.
A blend of Isis worship, mystery, Keystone
A blend of Isis worship, mystery, Keystone
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Cop chases, hypnosis, politics, humor and romance, it's difficult to categorize The Beetle. It is well written-it's just all over the place. Even though it wasn't horror, I did enjoy this book-uneven though it was, but I only recommend it to those that think this description sounds interesting. I don't regret reading it, but in all honesty? I'm glad that it's over. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
It's been five years since I read The Beetle (this review is a tad belated), and I feel like I need to reread it to assess it. But I also feel like that would be the case even if I had just read it. It is a strange book, a weird window into Victorian exoticism and eroticism. It is not surprising,
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however, that while it originally outsold its contemporary supernatural thriller Dracula, Dracula has persisted while The Beetle has not. Both are very Victorian, but The Beetle is perhaps particularly Victorian. The kind of racialized and sexualized Other that haunts this novel no longer haunts us, or at least not in this way. The book is almost impossible to describe, though; when I find myself wanting to recommend it to someone (and that takes a very particular kind of someone), all I can really do is just shove it into their hands because anything I can say would be inadequate. Show Less
LibraryThing member Charon07
Classic Victorian horror, replete with racism, colonialism, English supremecy, xenophobia. It quite literally posits that the evil Isis worshipers want our (i.e., white, English) women. I prefer Dracula or H. Rider Haggard’s She. The Victorians must have found it very titillating: the most lurid
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of topics treated in the coyest way possible (e.g., more than one reference to the fate “worse than death”). Show Less
LibraryThing member ghr4
It is easy to see how Richard Marsh’s The Beetle: A Mystery was so wildly popular upon its publication in 1897, as it was quite different, in its horror and supernatural elements, than anything that had come before. Also, the public fascination with mesmerism (and its characteristic
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theories of mind control and animal magnetism), which is central to the action, was in full bloom at that time. This bizarre story of a repulsive man (or perhaps a woman?)/creature who can suddenly change into a giant beetle, control minds, and reduce his victims to zombie-like slaves, is told in four parts, each with a series of events from a different character’s point of view. While Marsh can get a little wordy in his narrative and a bit repetitive with dialogue, The Beetle still manages to move at a fairly brisk pace, though the story’s central love triangle inevitably slows things down occasionally. That said, the climax is perhaps a bit too melodramatic, a la “ The Perils of Pauline”, and Marsh doesn’t offer much of an explanation of the creature’s origin or motives, but overall it’s an entertaining book, and remains a classic of early weird fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member JosephCamilleri
As he came on, something entered into me, and forced itself from between my lips, so that I said, in a low, hissing voice, which I vow was never mine, “THE BEETLE!”
***
Paul Lessingham! Beware! THE BEETLE!
Poisoned Pen Press is an American publisher of (primarily) crime and detection novels,
One of the first publications in the series is The Beetle by Richard Bernard Heldmann, better known by his pen-name Richard Marsh. The novel was originally issued as “The Beetle: A Mystery” in 1897. This was the same year which saw the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and it may come as a surprise that The Beetle initially outsold Stoker’s cult vampire novel, going into no less than 15 editions before the Great War. Like Dracula, Marsh imagines a supernatural entity unleashed in Victorian London, except that the monster here is no vampire, but an entity rather more difficult to pin down: a “Nameless Thing” which, although vaguely bearing the features of a hideous man, scarcely seems to be human and, if it is, is of indeterminate sex. This Being, which calls itself one of the “Children of Isis”, and I therefore, presumably, of Egyptian origin, appears to have mesmeric powers and the magical ability to turn into a beetle – or rather THE BEETLE. Indeed, the characters who come across this infernal monster tend to lose their composure as soon as they hear the said two words, which Marsh generally expresses in GARISH CAPITAL LETTERS whenever they appear in the text. Although it is not clear how THE eponymous BEETLE ended up in Kensington, it seems that the main purposes of its City sojourn is to haunt one Paul Lessingham, an upcoming politician who, in younger days, made the fatal mistake of visiting a dubious Egyptian establishment, ending up a prisoner of an ancient esoteric cult. Lessingham’s past has caught up with him with a vengeance and threatens to put his and his fiancée’s life in mortal danger.
As is common in many Gothic and sensation novels of the era, each one of The Beetle’s four “books” features a different first-person narrator. In “The House with the Open Window”, unemployed clerk Robert Holt seeks shelter in a seemingly abandoned house, only to fall under the mesmeric powers of the Egyptian fiend. In “The Haunted Man”, the story is taken up by eccentric, hyperactive inventor Sydney Atherton, an acquaintance of Lessingham and his rival in love. The object of their attention is Miss Marjorie Lindon, who seems to be the most wanted young woman in London and is also being pursued by the monster him/her/itself. Marjorie is also the narrator of the third Book: “The Terror by Night and the Terror by Day”. The novel ends with notes “extracted from the Case-Book of the Hon. Augustus Champnell, Confidential Agent”, a Sherlock-Holmes-like figure who tries to bring his detective skills to bear on the lurid mystery of THE BEETLE and leads a feverish hunt all over London for the elusive Egyptian insectoid.
This edition opens with a rather convoluted warning that THE BEETLE and novels of its ilk might “exemplify ideas that are no longer current, attitudes and behaviours that are no longer tolerated, standards that are no longer judged valid”. You don’t say so! Like most examples of “Egyptian Gothic”, Marsh’s novel relies for its effect on racist and xenophobic fears, much as first and second-wave Gothic was often decidedly prejudiced against Southern Europeans and Roman Catholics. Knowing the cultural context helps one to turn a blind eye on ideas which are past their sell-by date. Even so, the constant references to “that Arab” and “diabolical Asiatic” and the idea that the civilised Western world is under threat from a creature hailing from the “dirty streets and evil smells” of Egypt starts to become jarring. And, frankly, the very thought that an ancient cult favours as choice cuts for human sacrifice, not just “white women” but, more specifically, fine examples of English maidenhood, is frankly ludicrous.
Marsh’s attitudes to women and the working classes are not much better. In that respect, however, the narrative has several redeeming features, not least the strong character of Marjorie Lindon (so much more than just a demure “damsel in distress) and the fact that he lampoons all sectors of society (the farcical figure of Marjorie’s politician father is a case in point).
This brings me to another aspect of Marsh’s novel which might be puzzling to a modern reader. Horrific though it is, THE BEETLE has an underlying comedic streak, which is particularly evident in Atherton’s narrative segment. This ambivalence might not be to everyone’s taste and, to be honest, I found that the changes in tone dampened the more horrific aspects of the novel and sometimes hovered towards self-parody. To a generation used to explicit horror or, on the other hand, to subtly unsettling psychological thrills, THE BEETLE might seem like a madcap roller-coaster ride.
There’s no doubt however that at its best, as in Holt’s encounter with the fiend, or the final, thrilling chapters, THE BEETLE still packs a punch and is a worthy addition to The Horror Library. This edition features an introduction by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, together with biographical details about Richard Marsh (including the fact that he is the grandfather of Robert Aickman, celebrated author of ‘weird fiction’), questions for discussion and suggestions for further “horrific reading”.
***
Paul Lessingham! Beware! THE BEETLE!
Poisoned Pen Press is an American publisher of (primarily) crime and detection novels,
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including the US editions of the highly successful British Library Crime Classics series which is resurrecting many forgotten classics of the Golden Age of crime fiction. Poisoned Pen has recently embarked on a new project which promises to be just as exciting Together with the Horror Writers Association, it is launching The Haunted Library of Horror Classics, a collection of classic horror novels presented in new editions, with commentaries and notes to introduce the contemporary reader to the historical and cultural context of the featured works. One of the first publications in the series is The Beetle by Richard Bernard Heldmann, better known by his pen-name Richard Marsh. The novel was originally issued as “The Beetle: A Mystery” in 1897. This was the same year which saw the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and it may come as a surprise that The Beetle initially outsold Stoker’s cult vampire novel, going into no less than 15 editions before the Great War. Like Dracula, Marsh imagines a supernatural entity unleashed in Victorian London, except that the monster here is no vampire, but an entity rather more difficult to pin down: a “Nameless Thing” which, although vaguely bearing the features of a hideous man, scarcely seems to be human and, if it is, is of indeterminate sex. This Being, which calls itself one of the “Children of Isis”, and I therefore, presumably, of Egyptian origin, appears to have mesmeric powers and the magical ability to turn into a beetle – or rather THE BEETLE. Indeed, the characters who come across this infernal monster tend to lose their composure as soon as they hear the said two words, which Marsh generally expresses in GARISH CAPITAL LETTERS whenever they appear in the text. Although it is not clear how THE eponymous BEETLE ended up in Kensington, it seems that the main purposes of its City sojourn is to haunt one Paul Lessingham, an upcoming politician who, in younger days, made the fatal mistake of visiting a dubious Egyptian establishment, ending up a prisoner of an ancient esoteric cult. Lessingham’s past has caught up with him with a vengeance and threatens to put his and his fiancée’s life in mortal danger.
As is common in many Gothic and sensation novels of the era, each one of The Beetle’s four “books” features a different first-person narrator. In “The House with the Open Window”, unemployed clerk Robert Holt seeks shelter in a seemingly abandoned house, only to fall under the mesmeric powers of the Egyptian fiend. In “The Haunted Man”, the story is taken up by eccentric, hyperactive inventor Sydney Atherton, an acquaintance of Lessingham and his rival in love. The object of their attention is Miss Marjorie Lindon, who seems to be the most wanted young woman in London and is also being pursued by the monster him/her/itself. Marjorie is also the narrator of the third Book: “The Terror by Night and the Terror by Day”. The novel ends with notes “extracted from the Case-Book of the Hon. Augustus Champnell, Confidential Agent”, a Sherlock-Holmes-like figure who tries to bring his detective skills to bear on the lurid mystery of THE BEETLE and leads a feverish hunt all over London for the elusive Egyptian insectoid.
This edition opens with a rather convoluted warning that THE BEETLE and novels of its ilk might “exemplify ideas that are no longer current, attitudes and behaviours that are no longer tolerated, standards that are no longer judged valid”. You don’t say so! Like most examples of “Egyptian Gothic”, Marsh’s novel relies for its effect on racist and xenophobic fears, much as first and second-wave Gothic was often decidedly prejudiced against Southern Europeans and Roman Catholics. Knowing the cultural context helps one to turn a blind eye on ideas which are past their sell-by date. Even so, the constant references to “that Arab” and “diabolical Asiatic” and the idea that the civilised Western world is under threat from a creature hailing from the “dirty streets and evil smells” of Egypt starts to become jarring. And, frankly, the very thought that an ancient cult favours as choice cuts for human sacrifice, not just “white women” but, more specifically, fine examples of English maidenhood, is frankly ludicrous.
Marsh’s attitudes to women and the working classes are not much better. In that respect, however, the narrative has several redeeming features, not least the strong character of Marjorie Lindon (so much more than just a demure “damsel in distress) and the fact that he lampoons all sectors of society (the farcical figure of Marjorie’s politician father is a case in point).
This brings me to another aspect of Marsh’s novel which might be puzzling to a modern reader. Horrific though it is, THE BEETLE has an underlying comedic streak, which is particularly evident in Atherton’s narrative segment. This ambivalence might not be to everyone’s taste and, to be honest, I found that the changes in tone dampened the more horrific aspects of the novel and sometimes hovered towards self-parody. To a generation used to explicit horror or, on the other hand, to subtly unsettling psychological thrills, THE BEETLE might seem like a madcap roller-coaster ride.
There’s no doubt however that at its best, as in Holt’s encounter with the fiend, or the final, thrilling chapters, THE BEETLE still packs a punch and is a worthy addition to The Horror Library. This edition features an introduction by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, together with biographical details about Richard Marsh (including the fact that he is the grandfather of Robert Aickman, celebrated author of ‘weird fiction’), questions for discussion and suggestions for further “horrific reading”.
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LibraryThing member IreneCole
When I saw that this was published in the same time frame as Dracula and was for a time even more popular than Bram Stoker's masterpiece I knew I had to read it. Now for me that comparison is a high standard to live up to, and The Beetle did not quite make it.
A homeless man climbs through a window
I received a complimentary copy for review.
A homeless man climbs through a window
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of what he thinks is an empty dwelling, in a desperate attempt to find shelter from the cold rain. Instead he finds himself under the control of a strange being with supernatural powers. After this fascinating start it began to lose me towards the middle and just did not measure up to it's contemporary. Others may enjoy it more than I did.I received a complimentary copy for review.
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LibraryThing member JBD1
An excellent creepy tale. Not hard to see why it competed with Dracula for a while, though also not too hard to see why the other ended up winning out in the end.
LibraryThing member john257hopper
This horror novel was published in 1897 at the same time as Bram Stoker's Dracula, whose popularity it initially rivalled. It is atmospheric, especially in the first and final sections of the novel, with a creepy feel and some dramatic events, though I thought the middle sections sagged a bit. The
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central villain and its eponymous insect form is quite striking, though I fear it was never going to rival a bloodsucking vampire for dramatic colour. Most of the human characters were fairly unmemorable, though there were some quirky and amusing minor ones. I thought the ending was a little sudden and a bit of a cop out. Good stuff though and I would read more by this author. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2023)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1897
Physical description
272 p.; 4.45 inches
ISBN
0141038799 / 9780141038797