Fu Manchu - The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu [Paperback]

British imperialism has never been so much fun. Civilization is in peril, Dr. Fu Manchu is stirring up just about everyone who isn't a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant member of the British upper class and turning their minds to murder. Soon Western man will be swept aside, yada, yada, yada.

Nayland Smith is not Sherlock Holmes (he's cooler). Dr. Petri is as big as an enigma as Dr. Watson. (Sax Rohmer never lets first person Dr. Petri describe himself except as an unreilable narrator, but the guy mus must be one handsone fellow because Fu's sexiest spy falls in love with the good doctor at first sight). The Fu Manchu novels are fun because these two bunglers constantly thwart the evil genius with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan. Never mind, it's pure period-peice fun and could almost be read as steampunk intrigue these days.

Politically correct or not, these books are a blast and one of the few reads from my childhood that still entertains me in late middle age (okay, old geezerdom).

Thank you Titan Books, and Amazon, too.

After beating my brains out and working my fingers to the bone as an undergraduate I would read Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars, Venus, or inner world books to unwind and perhaps to rid my mind of all the drivel I had just committed to memory. Perhaps it was the fact that I could just read for enjoyment or maybe it was the racy paperback covers that would appeal to any male college student that contributed most to my enjoyment. The stories themselves were certainly a bit fantastic but still enjoyable.

It may have been because I attended a state school that I never heard of Dr. Fu Manchu. My first introduction to him came from the Turner Classic Movie channel when the evil Fu Manchu was attempting to rid the world of the white race. I though, "Well, this is kind of interesting. You don't run across this everyday." Later I remembered the movie while surfing Amazon. The Fu Manch reviews sounded great and there were a whole bunch of the books. This might be better than ERB. I wanted to get the full impact of the early 20th century thought so I chose "The Return. . ."

Dang it! It wasn't that good. The first chapters feature some unknown assailants who are undoubtedly henchmen of the doctor attempting to knock off the two main characters. The doctor is in England, though the book never explains why, and he doesn't appear for the first hundred or so pages and then just briefly. He captures the two heroes toward the end of the book and he intends to torture one and eradicate the memory of the other. Of course he doesn't succeed as several new books follow. But the last chapters of the book have one more assailant chasing the heroes. The story seems fractured and develops no real story line or plot.

Nuts! I wish it were better. One more thing. I'm so old that most of what was presented to me as an undergraduate has been found to be false, e.g. behaviorism is a dead end and there is such a thing as plate techtonics. Being that old means I wear trifocals. The print was small and difficult to read. But you know what? I may just give the doctor one more chance. Maybe the one written in the 1930's where the doctor tries to get his candidate elected president of the United States. That sounds pretty good.

Sax Rohmer in his book, "The Return Of Dr. Fu Manchu book coverThe Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu" BookTwo in the Dr. Fu-Manchu series published by Titan Books brings us new adventures of Sir Denis Nayland Smith, Dr. Petrie and, of course, the evil Dr. Fu-Manchu.

From the Back Cover: "Imagine a person, tall, lean, and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan..."

London, 1913--the era of Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, and the Invisible Man. A time of shadows, secret societies, and dens filled with opium addicts. Into this world comes the most fantastic emissary of evil society has ever known... Dr. Fu-Manchu.

The insidious doctor returns to Great Britain with his league of assassins, the dreaded Si-Fan. He seeks to subvert the realm at the highest levels, but Fu-Manchu has his own secrets--which he will protect by any means.

Includes a special feature by Leslie S. Kilnger

He's back! Dr. Fu-Manchu returns and this time the danger is even greater for Sir Denis Nayland Smith and his partner, Dr. Petrie than their previous run in with him. Dealing with this tricky Doctor is like playing a high level chess game. Move, counter move, first Fu-Manchu is on the offensive and it takes all the skills of our heroic duo to keep up with him. Then Smith and Petrie take on the offensive and just when you think they have him he escapes to keep the game going. "The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu" is a thriller, no doubt about it. Smith and Petrie's lives are in great danger from page one and the danger grows with the body count. Just when you think you might know where the story is heading Mr. Rohmer tosses in another turn which you take at high-speed on two wheels. Mr. Rohmer writes in a breathless style that will keep you on the edge of your seat, flipping pages as fast as you can read them just trying to keep up with runaway roller coaster ride story. Yes, this book was originally written in 1913 and the characterization of Dr. Fu-Manchu is completely racist but fits perfectly with the atmosphere at the time they were written. If you can put that aside "The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu" is the perfect read to get your adrenalin going and root for the good guys to conquer a menace that is almost supremely evil. This is a wild ride read and I recommend it highly. This is a high-octane series and I am so glad that Titan Books is bringing the whole series back. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Titan Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."