bellexxxxx

This novel, volume 6 of Sax Rohmer's 14 Fu Manchu books, is perhaps the best of the lot so far for the simple reason that we see more of the good Dr. in this tale than in any of the others. The best parts of any Fu Manchu novel are always when Fu himself is present, talking and scheming and gloating and explaining, and in this book we see a LOT of him. This book marks another departure in the series, in that we have a new narrator (the third so far in the series): Alan Sterling, a botanist buddy of our old friend Dr. Petrie. The setting of the book is unique, too--the French Riviera. As other readers have astutely observed, the plot of this book--spreading biological plague throughout the world--does seem to have influenced Ian Fleming in his later Bond novel, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." But there are other parallels as well. Fu Manchu's garden of deadly plants could be seen as a precursor to Blofeld's suicide gardens in "You Only Live Twice," and the character of Fu Manchu himself, as has been pointed out elsewhere, would seem to be an inspiration for the later Dr. No. Does anybody out there know whether or not Fleming was a Rohmer fan? Anyway, this is a terrific and fast-moving tale. The high point of the book occurs when Fu Manchu takes Sterling on a tour of his laboratory, showing him all the plant and animal monstrosities that he has created. This section takes up fully 1/4 of the novel, and is a real showstopper. We are also treated to the usual array of Burmese thugs, knockout drugs, opium use, hypnotism, "the Blessing of the Celestial Vision," a sea chase, and even (finally!) the arrest of Fu Manchu himself. Does Fu Manchu get convicted and serve a kajillion years in the slammer, as he deserves? With eight more books in the series to go, what do you think?!?!?!? Anyway, this is an exceptional entry in the Fu Manchu series.

2023-06-16 22:02