The Beetle | 
so-soReleased the same year as Bram Stoker's Dracula, which it reputedly outsold to a significant degree. It's easy to see why it appealed to audiences at the time, given its facination with the Near East, its preoccupation with science, and the inclusion of copious amounts of humor at the expense of the lower class, all major elements of the then-current "trash" literature zeitgeist. Builds nicely to an exciting third act, but the ending's a fizzle.
I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join the fun if you want.
This is day 53 #bookstoread #tbrpile #bookstagram
pick#HalloweenRead nr 2: a bestseller contemporaneous with Dracula.
What do a homeless guy, a researcher into chemical warfare, a trust-fund princess, an up and coming politician and a pre-Sherlockian private investigator have in common? THE BEETLE!
This is a light, entertaining late 19th century supernatural shocker (so be prepared for outdated prejudices).
I will definitely try more books by Richard Marsh.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
How/why is Tara absolutely completely fast asleep in this position? She looks like a dying beetle. I assure you, this photo doesn't even do justice to her awkwardness!
Really, I'm just jealous... Too tired to read, too awake to sleep. Clearly, all there is left for me is to trawl Litsy and wantonly add to my endless TBR pile 😆 #litsomnia #bookishproblems #catsoflitsy
"I suffered from that worst form of nightmare,—the nightmare of the man who is wide awake."
Seriously, this may possibly be the best book I've ever purchased when used book shopping.
