What a great discovery. This was an amazing Gothic horror, gripping and creepy.
Even if it's a bit slow at the beginning, it gets faster after a bit and keeps you hooked till the last page.
It aged well and I loved the style of writing, the character development and the world building.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Beetle is a classic, but often overlooked, gothic horror book from the 1800s. Fortunately, it has been given new life as part of the Horror Writers Association's collection of reprinted classics. These books come with gorgeous covers and perfect renderings of the original text. If you're a fan of gothic horror, then you simply must have The Beetle in your home library. It may not have been remembered as well as Bram Stoker's Dracula (which came out the same year), but in some ways, it's much better than its more famous literary cousin.

I was unsure what to expect going into this novel, however, this was an interesting read. Starts off with an intriguing premise, and is surprisingly easy to read considering it was written in the late 19th century. The issue though is the novel ends up being too long and loses it's way towards the end. I enjoyed the novel, would probably recommend for fans of gothic/period novels, however, if you're expecting something as riveting as Dracula you will be left wanting.

Poisoned Pen Press is an American publisher of (primarily) crime and detection novels, 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”.

For modern readers, it will seem as if Edgar Allen Poe meets X-Files in The Beetle, an arresting novel by Richard Marsh. There is so much to shock and awe in this fabulous novel--as there is in the details surrounding it and its author! I am indebted to #Poison Pen Press for deciding to re-publish this fascinating eerie mystery. In fact, my glee was palpable as I read through first Robert Rosenwald's introduction and then the commentary on style and point of view in The Beetle by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. Anyone with any desire to know what was significant to 19th century literary NEEDS this book: it joins several fascinations of its era like mesmerism, eerie literature, ancient Egyptian lore, typical habits of investment at the time, and Victorian romantic tangles. I don't think the early scenes could be more startling or creepy. That it moves into a love story (with lots of competition for one woman) brought in a different type of interest and lots of philosophical questions (like, does love turn us into monsters?) I am not surprised to read (at the end of the novel) that The Beetle was initially more popular than Bram Stoker's Dracula, which both came out in the same year. I am so glad I found this book! Thank you, #NetGalley and #PoisonPenPress

I don't usually do the Victorian/Gothic books but decided to give this one a try since I do enjoy a good end of the world type story (the title caught me) so I would recommend this one as it's got a very good old fashion type style. It's got the creepy feel and suspense to keep you wanting to see what happens next. That's all I will tell you!

The Beetle has been unleashed! This Victorian horror book, originally written in the late 1800s, has found new life, and is being re-released. I give this book major points for creativity. It takes you on a weird and unique journey that I've never experienced, with a villain I'd never met on the pages before. An Ancient Egyptian entity seeks revenge on a member of the British Parliament. Mix that with broken hearts, unrequited love, a secret engagement, and you've got the beginning of a rather engaging story.

The characters shine. Paul Lessingham is our tragic victim who can't seem to shake the Beetle, no matter how much he tries. He's a budding politician whose views differ from his fiancee's father. Marjorie Linton is his fiancee, although they are keeping their engagement a secret since her father won't approve. She confides in her long time friend Sydney Atherton, who confesses his love for Marjorie and asks her to ditch Paul and marry him. Oh, and Syndey is currently working on a weapon of mass destruction, a fun little side project borne out of revenge for his love not being returned by Marjorie. It's an entertaining cast of characters.

And then there is our Beetle. I don't want to give too much away. I'd much rather you experience the unfolding of that mystery the way the book intends.

The story is broken into parts, each part from a different character's POV. I found this helpful both in understand the motivation of the characters as well as keeping the pace moving. Since this story originated in the 1897, it follows the time period's literary style of writing. Meaning, it's laborious and full of exposition. At times, the plot is repetitive, which makes the book feel long. Luckily, the dialogue is realistic to the characters and breaks up the long chunks of description.

But what makes this horror story stand out is the Ancient Egyptian entity. I've read tons of stories about monsters and vampires and werewolves, but this is the first I've ever encountered originating from Egyptian culture that didn't involve a mummy. I'm a bit surprised this premise hasn't been revived in later works of horror fiction.

I recommend this book if you're a fan of Victorian horror. There's enough intrigue and horror mixed into the long winded descriptions that you'll find yourself engaged. For me, sometimes the novel seemed a bit long and repetitive, but it was well written with a solid plot and strong characters.

An interesting and historical piece of strange fiction that definitely fits in the horror genre. It started off slowly but soon sped up in pace and I had to finish it all faster than I had planned. Full of suspense and quite creepy!