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kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, written in the mid 1880s, was a world-wide publishing phenomenon. The story of its publication deserves a book like Blockbuster!. Reviewed at Newtown Review of Books.
textpublishing's review against another edition
5.0
Lucy Sussex's engrossing read about a New Zealander's timeless impact on crime publishing gives us a lot to consider.
In fact, we can all learn from Fergus Hume.
1) It is possible to grow up in a sheltered environment surrounded by the insane and still turn out alright.
2) It is not advised to sell the story of the century for 50 pounds.
He would've been terrible at Deal or No Deal.
In fact, we can all learn from Fergus Hume.
1) It is possible to grow up in a sheltered environment surrounded by the insane and still turn out alright.
2) It is not advised to sell the story of the century for 50 pounds.
He would've been terrible at Deal or No Deal.
david_r_grigg's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating semi-autobiography of Fergus Hume and a full biography of his blockbuster crime novel, "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab". A huge amount of research has obviously gone into this book.
archytas's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Sussex uses the story of Fergus Hume and Hansom Cab as a window in pre-depression Melbourne, effectively weaving the stories of Hume and his collaborators into a broader portrait of the city's theatrical and literary colonial society. The result is a surprisingly affecting narrative, with stand-out chapters looking at the probability that Hansom Cab was financed with swindled money, and the possibility that Hume was part of the gay demi-monde. In addition to Marvellous (swindling) Melbourne, Dunedin also gets a starring turn, with an intriguing look at both the city and the insane asylums Hume spend much of his youth amidst. Sussex never makes this earnest - she is firmly, like her subject, in the business of entertainment, but she anchors her speculations with the evidence that led her there.
melbsreads's review against another edition
4.0
Trigger warnings: death of a family member.
This book was intriguing but also couldn't quite decide whether it was a biography of Fergus Hume or an examination of the publishing industry in the nineteenth century. Don't get me wrong, I was interested by both parts. But I did somewhat feel like it didn't end up QUITE doing either of them the justice they deserved.
Still, it certainly provides plenty of background to The Mystery of a Hansom Cab and how it became a worldwide smash, from Hume's preference for writing stage productions to his terrible decision to sell the international rights to Hansom Cab for fifty quid because he was convinced it wouldn't make any money outside of Australia. It was also fascinating to read about the way that copyright worked in the nineteenth century and how Hume screwed himself over once again.
I'm definitely glad I followed up rereading Hansom Cab with reading this!
This book was intriguing but also couldn't quite decide whether it was a biography of Fergus Hume or an examination of the publishing industry in the nineteenth century. Don't get me wrong, I was interested by both parts. But I did somewhat feel like it didn't end up QUITE doing either of them the justice they deserved.
Still, it certainly provides plenty of background to The Mystery of a Hansom Cab and how it became a worldwide smash, from Hume's preference for writing stage productions to his terrible decision to sell the international rights to Hansom Cab for fifty quid because he was convinced it wouldn't make any money outside of Australia. It was also fascinating to read about the way that copyright worked in the nineteenth century and how Hume screwed himself over once again.
I'm definitely glad I followed up rereading Hansom Cab with reading this!
kali's review
5.0
In 1885, Fergus Hume (an Australian New Zealander) wrote the first bestselling detective fiction, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, selling it for 50 pounds and missing out on the fortune earned by his patrons, publishers, and all manner of middle men and women. Sussex covers a great many aspects of the creation, distribution, and legacy of this novel. I read that she is a ‘literary archaeologist’, an apt description for the forensic detail contained within this book. For anyone interested in the origins of the detective fiction genre, literary history, and how some things have hardly changed for Australian authors trying to break into the overseas market. I enjoyed this thoroughly.
lizbarr's review
3.0
Interesting, but the paucity of actual information was apparent. Drinking game: take a shot every time the author says "would have" or "might have" or "perhaps" or "maybe" as she extrapolates. And take a shot every time she mentions Victorian utopian fiction, an early form of science fiction she has covered at length elsewhere.
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