The Beetle: A Mystery

The Beetle, a novel of the occult by Richard Marsh, was, at one time, outselling Bram Stoker's Dracula. Today, it is far less known, but still worth belonging in any collection of weird horror tales. The development is episodic, done from different character's viewpoints, much as Stoker's Dracula was, but the tale is much briefer. We are never given quite the 'in your face' explanation that Stoker had for his novel; instead, we are left with a mysterious being whose origin and nature are tantalizingly hinted at but never fully explained, which is just fine by me. The occasional Victorian sentiments about women and certain cultures must be taken with a grain of salt; after all, they are a product of their time All in all, a worthy read.

Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and Richard Marsh's "The Beetle" were both published in 1897. Surprisingly, "The Beetle" outsold Stoker's novel three-fold in the first few years of their publication. So why has this novel faded into relative obscurity? Because it does not translate well to modern times. Where Stoker's novel still holds many chills for its reader, "The Beetle" is so dated with its blaring xenophobia and chauvinism that the things which are meant to scare us do little more than provide mild amusement. At this point you may be asking why, if I feel this way, did I give this novel four stars? The answer is simple: it is a wonderful piece for its time and, if viewed through a historic lens, one can see why it was so wildly successful. In many ways, one can compare it to "Dracula", what with its shifting narrators, tightly woven plot, and shape-changing antagonist. If you're into supernatural fiction, Victorian fiction, or some some combination thereof, this is a wonderful book. If you're looking for a terrifying read I doubt you will find this novel satisfactory.