The Hum Bug [Mass Market Paperback]

Be prepared for many twists in the plot before anything resembling a resolution appears on the horison. Yet, competing with Barnum's own expansive character and the colorful personalities of his crew of 'freaks,' the plot often disappears into second place. Often, readers will wonder if they are reading a detective story or a comedy of manners. To be honest, I found this omething of a weakness.

The problem with recreating a literary force like Edgar Allan Poe is that, somehow, one must provide for the dark images of Poe that have been imposed on the general populace through high school, and well into college. Especially when turning the poet and writer into a detective and logician. If not done exactly right, the character will fail to ring true, and the story will read more like a parody than a product of its subject.

In this case, I'm not sure that Schechter didn't set out to write a wry imitation of Poe. Even the title of this work is something of a pun. P.T. Barnum, Poe's cohort in the effort to solve a gruesome crime that is in itself a parody, is depicted as original master of humbug. But Poe is equally guilty, using his place to puff himself up a bit and portray himself as perfect husband, brilliant artist, and finder of truth. Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin, if you will, reincarnated as a mid 19th century creative writer. And Schechter himself is not above a bit of 'humbuguity' of his own.

Even so, this story is beautifully researched. Countless details of Poe, New York City, and Barnum's American Museum (one of the many 'cabinets of curiosities' that preceded the establishment of the great natural history museums) abound. Unfortunately, research does not make a compelling story. As such, 'The Humbug' is more interesting than affecting, and a bit over-written.

I can accept the story, and some of its wilder escapes from the world of 'willing suspension of disbelief' as a parody of Poe's own writing style, but I would have been happier with a more natural Poe who showed more of the little defects of character that eventually undermined him. The freshness of 'Nevermore,' Schechter's first effort in this series, pardoned its inherent problems. But 'The Humbug' is simply too much of a good thing. Thus, I cannot give it a wholehearted recommendation.

Twain's insight is brilliantly illustrated in Harold Schechter's new novel, The Hum Bug, in which Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) joins forces with P(hineas) T(aylor) Barnum (1810-1891) to track down a psychopath.

The most impressive feature of Schechter's novel is not the tale itself, but rather the author's uncanny ability to find precisely "the right word" for every circumstance.

Longtime admirers of Poe (among whom I include myself) are cognizant of Poe's idiosyncratic style: the subtle nuances of his diction and vocabulary; the cadence and rhythm of his sentences; the haunting, melancholy mood of his essays, short stories, and poems; the aesthetic beauty of his poetic prose.

Beyond doubt, Schechter has immersed himself in Poe's world. As one reads The Hum Bug, one suspects that the real Poe, as opposed to Schechter's fictional Poe, is actually narrating the tale. Indeed, one wonders if Schechter has purchased a Ouija board and is receiving direct messages from the Great Beyond!

For example, here is one of many passages I could cite: "As the workmen commenced to lower the casket into the yawning pit, I was seized with a sudden paroxysm of dread. Every fiber of my being recoiled from this all-too-vivid demonstration of the hideous end that awaits every mortal. To lie, for all eternity, within the confines of a narrow box, deep inside the earth, surrounded by the unseen but all-pervading presence of the Conqueror Worm! The mere thought of this awful eventuality caused my heart to quail--to cringe--to sicken. I gasped for breath--perspiration burst from every pore--my soul was possessed with a vague yet intolerable anguish!"

In lesser hands than those of Schechter, such an audacious first-person narrative by the author of "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" would degenerate into maudlin purple prose--a ludicrous parody of Poe. On the contrary, Schechter succeeds with remarkable aplomb.

The time is 1844 in New York City. The venue is P. T. Barnum's American Museum, a vast assemblage of oddities, curiosities, and monstrosities. The plot centers around the search for a fiendish serial killer who is decapitating beautiful young women and leaving a long-stemmed crimson rose clenched between their teeth.

In addition to the well-developed characters of Poe and Barnum, the story features "Sissy" (Poe's wife: Virginia Clemm Poe); "Muddy" (Maria Clemm: Poe's aunt and mother-in-law); and the bizarre people who inhabit Barnum's menagerie.

Unless you are an astute detective, The Hum Bug will keep you guessing until the end, when the identity of the killer is revealed. Containing many allusions to classical works of literature, The Hum Bug is a crackling good yarn that both amuses and entertains.

Barnum is very impressed with Poe and visits the writer in his home when the media blames Barnum's American circus for causing a murder to happen. Poe who has solved murders before (SEE NEVERMORE) agrees to investigate. When the victim's missing arm is mailed to Poe's home, he concludes he is on the correct path and if can stay alive long enough he will solve the case.

Poe is clearly the star of this book as he uses his belief in his superior brain power to slice and dice everyone using self-deprecation so nobody will be offended. The HUMBUG is a serious historical mystery though Barnum lightens up the atmosphere with his unique brand of showmanship. Though a nineteenth century who-done-it, mystery lovers of all sub-genre persuasions will enjoy Harold Schecter's tale.

Harriet Klausner