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schwimfan's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
carolynf's review against another edition
5.0
The terribly evil Dr. Fu-Manchu returns to London and completely baffles the entertainingly racist British detectives pursuing him. This is the second book in the series, and a lot of fun for two reasons. On one hand it is exciting and melodramatic, and on the other it is a glimpse into the mindset of the author, writing at a time when the "Yellow Peril" was seen as a scientifically proven reality. Reading this book is both an absorbing diversion and an interesting comparison to the hidden racism in our own time.
noonjinx's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first one. The racism/xenophobia is still a big negative and this time Fu Manchu’s plots didn’t seem fiendish and inventive enough to be a positive. I mIght still read number three though, as it’s free on Project Gutenberg.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
thereaderred's review against another edition
2.0
Not really much to say about this one. It's a sequel, but it feels more like a remake of the previous book as it follows the two leads, Smith & Petrie, getting into all sorts of scrapes with Fu Manchu. Lots of aimless galavanting, their confidant dies unexpectedly - thanks to you know who, Petrie falls in love with the exotic Arabic woman (again), and the ending is left ambiguous whether it really is the end for our Oriental criminal mastermind. *SPOILER*
(and Sax Rohmer just cranked them out right until the end) Insert footage of Rohmer during a rant - I won't get into specifics but you probably have some sort of idea.
Despite this I actually enjoyed it more than the first one, which kind of dragged, but I'd still hesitate to call it good. Rohmer's turgid prose and melodromatic descriptions do nothing to draw out the characters and what makes them tick (and this is coming from a person that's read countless stories of H.P Lovecraft), it simply presents them as bog standard caricatures of super sleuths who go on crazy adventures. The setpieces are well executed but the story feels like it's not amounting to anything, which also bugged me in the previous book. Still it's an interesting relic from the past, albeit one that has lost much of its shine.
(and Sax Rohmer just cranked them out right until the end) Insert footage of Rohmer during a rant - I won't get into specifics but you probably have some sort of idea.
Despite this I actually enjoyed it more than the first one, which kind of dragged, but I'd still hesitate to call it good. Rohmer's turgid prose and melodromatic descriptions do nothing to draw out the characters and what makes them tick (and this is coming from a person that's read countless stories of H.P Lovecraft), it simply presents them as bog standard caricatures of super sleuths who go on crazy adventures. The setpieces are well executed but the story feels like it's not amounting to anything, which also bugged me in the previous book. Still it's an interesting relic from the past, albeit one that has lost much of its shine.
bedneyauthor's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Slavery, Confinement, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
Prolonged scene in a creepy haunted house I cannot begin to describe how racist this is
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