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archergal's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Vict/Edw book club July 2023.
Decent. Starts out pretty spooky, kinda falls apart at the end.
Not for folks who are afraid of bugs, probably.
I started with the dead tree version. Then I had spinning to do for the Tour de Fleece, so I let the Librivox version carry me through the last half of the book.
Decent. Starts out pretty spooky, kinda falls apart at the end.
Not for folks who are afraid of bugs, probably.
I started with the dead tree version. Then I had spinning to do for the Tour de Fleece, so I let the Librivox version carry me through the last half of the book.
gaulien's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
strawbizzy's review against another edition
4.0
If you liked The Mummy, you’ll probably be into this. I was a little on the fence at first, but it was a fun time. I loved Marjorie, and there were parts of this book that really freaked me out. I can’t give it the full five stars because so much of it was so blatantly racist and it made me too angry.
alysian_fields's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Racism
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, and Animal cruelty
smalefowles's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, a star off for pervasive racism, but this books slaps.
bookishfaye's review against another edition
DNFing this because I just feel like I’ve seen this film before. Very very similar to Dracula:
- the intense fear of the Eastern “other” in this case pretty intense racism towards Egyptians, & in general Middle Easterner’s
- also the intense fear of homosexuality, & gender nonconformity
- there are some interesting conversations to be had about queer theory/studies, & breaking down homophobia & racism within later Victorian society & literature but overall I feel like I get it, & don’t care to experience any more of this
- the intense fear of the Eastern “other” in this case pretty intense racism towards Egyptians, & in general Middle Easterner’s
- also the intense fear of homosexuality, & gender nonconformity
- there are some interesting conversations to be had about queer theory/studies, & breaking down homophobia & racism within later Victorian society & literature but overall I feel like I get it, & don’t care to experience any more of this
rach_eb's review against another edition
3.0
In a recent interview on Queerly Reads, author K.J. Charles described this book with the following: "The plot really falls apart in the latter half but the first half is a sweaty fever dream of queerness and shifting gender and Orientalism, terrified and fascinated." I personally could not agree more. This was one of my more bizarre reads to date. It's certainly got major problems, the glaring racism of all of the narrators chief among them, but it was nevertheless an interesting peek into the fears of late 19th-century, upper class British white people.
laurenjpegler's review against another edition
3.0
*probably more of a 2.5 star read
The Beetle, published in 1897, initially outsold Dracula. Yet everyone knows the latter, and has never heard of the former. It's interesting how things go out of style.
The Beetle was a weird story. Paul Lessingham, the eminent politician, is being haunted by the Beetle, creature from the depths of ancient Egypt who is bent on revenge for crimes committed against the disciples of a centuries-old cult.
I quite enjoyed Marsh's writings style - it was an easy read and the change of narration was engaging. I liked hearing the story from multiple perspectives. I also found the story every interesting; it kind of reminded me of The Mummy (which is a film I LOVED when I was younger).
However, at times, it got a little boring. I found myself disengaging with the story. I found the ending very unsatisfying and a little too easy.
Glad I was asked to read it for uni, otherwise I probably wouldn't have picked this up so soon!
The Beetle, published in 1897, initially outsold Dracula. Yet everyone knows the latter, and has never heard of the former. It's interesting how things go out of style.
The Beetle was a weird story. Paul Lessingham, the eminent politician, is being haunted by the Beetle, creature from the depths of ancient Egypt who is bent on revenge for crimes committed against the disciples of a centuries-old cult.
I quite enjoyed Marsh's writings style - it was an easy read and the change of narration was engaging. I liked hearing the story from multiple perspectives. I also found the story every interesting; it kind of reminded me of The Mummy (which is a film I LOVED when I was younger).
However, at times, it got a little boring. I found myself disengaging with the story. I found the ending very unsatisfying and a little too easy.
Glad I was asked to read it for uni, otherwise I probably wouldn't have picked this up so soon!
lukija's review against another edition
3.0
No nyt oli menoa ja tekemisen meininkiä ja sählinkiä ja jännitystä ja kauhuällötystä ja hihitystä ja sen sellaista tässä 1800-luvun lopulta ilmestyneessä tarinassa. Neljä kertojaa, neljä tarinaa. Viihdyin lukumatkalla.
Blogissa jokin pikkusepustus tästä: kosminenk.wordpress.com :)
Blogissa jokin pikkusepustus tästä: kosminenk.wordpress.com :)
jeansbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0