Review of The Beetle: “The weird horror of this Being grows upon the reader. It is difficult, if not impossible, to lay down this book when once begun. Mr Bram Stoker’s effort of the imagination was not easy to beat, but Mr Marsh has, so to speak, out-Heroded Herod. ” (Glasgow Herald 1897)

“In a world that was advancing at an unprecedented pace – where steam trains carved a path through the countryside and suspension bridges loomed large on the landscape – the Victorian era was also a golden age of belief. Sentimentality, superstition, spiritualism and magic pervaded every aspect of daily life, from literature and architecture, to fashion and social etiquette.” (Darby & Hoare 2016)

Summary of Darby & Hoare 2016: After Napoleon brought Egyptian artifacts back to Europe after conquering the nation, interest in Egyptian culture grew, and this exploded after England took over Egypt. The British suffered from a case of “Egyptomania” in Victorian times, decorating their homes with Egyptian themes, hosting mummy unwrapping parties, and taking a general interest in ancient Egyptian practices. The 10th Duke of Hamilton was even mummified and put in a mausoleum inside a sarcophagus he had bought upon his death. And people were fascinated by Egyptian curses and tales of magic. To them, Egypt was an exotic specimen to be studied, though the people’s wishes were not respected, as evidenced by the stealing of artifacts and blasphemous unwrapping of the dead.

[Review of] The Beetle. Glasgow Herald. 1897.

Darby, Nell & Hoare, James. Victorian Egyptomania: How a 19th Century fetish for Pharaohs turned seriously spooky. History Answers. 13 Dec 2016. https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/people-politics/victorian-egyptomania-how-a-19th-century-fetish-for-pharaohs-turned-seriously-spooky/