I'm pretty sure that readers who enjoy some of the great classics of science fiction are already familiar with the name of Fredric Brown. I have particularly fond memories of several of his SF classics, such as Martians, Go Home. But I'm also fond of Brown as a mystery author. And, as a fan of Lewis Carroll, and the Alice in Wonderland books in general, I generally try to re-read one of my favorite Fredric Brown mysteries, Night of the Jabberwock, every few years. It's funny, medium-to-hard-boiled, and I think its plot is both unique and brilliant. It's not always available in the marketplace, but - as of May, 2019 - it looks like it's out there at least as an e-book. So here's what I had to say about Night of the Jabberwock when I reviewed it on the Classic Mysteries podcast several years ago. I've updated the information about the book's availability, but otherwise it's pretty much as I first wrote and recorded it.
- 0 -
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
I’m sure you recognize that bit of nonsense verse. It’s the opening of Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky,” from the second Alice in Wonderland book, Through the Looking Glass. The poem goes on:
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
Inspired nonsense, to be sure, in Carroll’s poem, a kind of nonsense version of a heroic epic, as a young man goes out to conquer the jabberwock, the mythical monster of the poem.
But…what if. What if that wasn’t nonsense at all? What if there was something strange – and definitely monstrous – behind that poem? Suppose somebody offered to show you proof that the nightmare behind the poem was real?
That’s the opening gambit for one of my favorite mysteries, Night of the Jabberwock, by Fredric Brown.
Let me make one important point right at the outset: Night of the Jabberwock is not a fantasy book. Although the author, Fredric Brown, wrote both science fiction and mysteries, this book has no fantasy involved, despite what I said at the beginning of this review. What it DOES have is a marvelous premise – a willingness to lead the reader along and lure him or her into a fantastic plot. And it is a traditional mystery, with plenty of clues for the reader about what is really happening – a book which really ventures into a hard-boiled mystery with some overtones of noir built around what, at its core, is a traditional mystery.
Here’s the setup: the hero of the book is a man named Doc Stoeger, who is the editor of the weekly Carmel Clarion newspaper. On one particular Thursday night – the night when the paper is edited and locked down, to be printed Friday morning, Stoeger is complaining about the fact that there is absolutely no news in the paper. Just once, he says, it would be nice to have some real news to report.
Well, it’s always wise to be careful what you wish for.
Doc Stoeger – who is, by the way, a huge fan of Lewis Carroll (and given to quoting him in bar rooms) – is approached by a mysterious little man, who tells him that fantastic story I outlined at the beginning – saying, in fact, that the fantasies of Lewis Carroll are not fantasies at all. And the man invites Doc Stoeger to a meeting late that night to demonstrate the truth of the story he’s telling.
That’s the beginning of what will be an incredible night for Doc Stoeger. Before it ends, there will be several murders and a run-in with some particularly brutal killers. And Doc will have more than enough news for his newspaper the next morning – if he can stay alive long enough to write it. Because, his survival is by no means guaranteed.
As I said earlier, this isn’t a fantasy. There is a rational explanation and reason for everything that happens and every complication that draws Doc Stoeger deeper and deeper into the nightmarish plot. And that explanation, those reasons, are well and fairly clued for the reader.
But if you’re at all like me, you’ll find things are happening so fast that it’s almost impossible to figure out the twists in this marvelous plot before they happen. It’s a short book – you can probably read it in one sitting – maybe two, if you can find a place where you’re willing to break off your reading for the night.
[Ed. note: the following information has been updated to reflect availability as of mid-May, 2019.]
Night of the Jabberwock is available currently in e-book format - at least as a .MOBI file for the Kindle. There appear to be at least a few copies of various paperback editions, for those who might prefer a hard copy of the book. Is it a traditional mystery? A hard-boiled one? Noir? It really defies easy definition. What you’ll find, I think, is that Fredric Brown’s Night of the Jabberwock is an absolutely first-rate mystery – and one that will stay in your memory long after you finish reading it.
- 0 -
You can listen to the original podcast review by clicking here.
Next: The Clocks, by Agatha Christie.
Comments