The Beetle

December 2, 2019
Ripe with melodrama and purple prose, this ripping horror classic from Marsh, first published in 1897, epitomizes the style of the Victorian penny dreadful. Four sections, each narrated by a different character, interlock to relate the tale of an ancient Egyptian entity known as the child of Isis, who has traveled to London to torment Paul Lessingham, a member of Parliament, and his fiancée, Marjorie Lindon, as revenge for an indiscretion Paul committed during his travels in Egypt two decades earlier. Marsh creates an eerie atmosphere by keeping his story’s supernaturalism tantalizingly ambiguous; it’s never clear whether the occasional transformations of the child of Isis into the insect of the title are genuine or illusory. An overly chatty cast slows the tale’s pace to a crawl and their penchant for conveniently fainting or falling into gibbering incoherence during dramatic moments reduces the novel to a clump of sensational set pieces. Though some readers will enjoy this novel’s maximalist gothic flourishes, others will find the tale a bit over the top.

January 1, 2020

Originally published the same year as Bram Stoker's Dracula, in 1897, Marsh's chilling story was more popular than the classic vampire novel during its time. This reissue includes broader historical context, lists of further reading, and discussion questions. Drawing on a Victorian fascination with the dark powers of the Egyptian scarab, the tale begins with Holt, a homeless man, who enters a deserted building. He sees an insect transform into a deformed man. The man then commands Holt to break into the home of a member of Parliament, setting the stage for a tale of intrigue, love, and revenge told through four narrators, each describing their personal encounters with the mysterious, shape-shifting Beetle, all while a visceral threat to the whole of England emerges. The plot itself, while bordering on silly at times, nevertheless manages to tackle some serious issues of class, gender, sexual, and ethnic identity while still providing plenty of satisfying chills. VERDICT Like many Victorian-era gothic tales, this will appeal to a wide range of readers. The universal ick factor of creepy crawlies additionally ensures that this crowdpleaser from the past will continue to strike fear in the hearts and minds of 21st-century readers.

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2020
The new Haunted Library of Horror Classics, produced by the Horror Writers Association and Poisoned Pen Press, offers a buffet of classic titles from the late Victorian and Edwardian period. The second release in the series (after The Phantom of the Opera, 2020) is a revenge story set in London with an Egyptian twist, a shape-shifting being who seeks retribution after being attacked by a member of Parliament who escaped the cult of Isis. Detective Champnell narrates the story as a series of four eyewitness accounts of the creature's mayhem, ending with his own. Modern readers will find the text greatly enhanced for their convenience by prefacing notes and a short essay on the book's importance. Helpful footnotes keep readers immersed in the narrative but do not overwhelm the text. A brief note about the author caps things off and leads into the back matter, where discussion questions and further suggested reading of the era are offered. Perfectly poised to be useful for group as well as individual reading, this series is a fun new way to encounter the spine-tinglers of yesteryear.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)