Devlin The Barber

by Benjamin Leopold Farjeon

The barber presents a narrative steeped in mystery and tragedy set against the backdrop of a struggling urban environment. The story centers on a narrator facing unemployment, whose ordinary life becomes entangled with a brutal family tragedy marked by the murder of a young woman. Early chapters contrast moments of hope, such as a relative’s anticipated inheritance, with the sudden devastation wrought by the violent death. The emotional upheaval experienced by those close to the victim unfolds alongside hints of hidden connections and secrets that weave an intricate web of relationships. Figures like a grieving admirer add layers of personal loss and complexity to the tale. The narrative’s tension arises from the collision of everyday hardship with unforeseen violence, as the characters grapple with despair and the search for truth. The novel probes themes of loss, social struggle, and the shadows lurking beneath the surface of ordinary lives, setting the stage for a gripping exploration of justice and human resilience.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1888

About the author

Father of J. Jefferson Farjeon, Herbert Farjeon, and Eleanor Farjeon.

Farjeon was born in London, the second son of a poor Orthodox Jewish family, and grew up in Whitechapel. He received no formal secular education, but at fourteen began training as a printer at a newspaper office. He came to Australia in 1854 and spent seven years on the goldfields, and then left to settle in New Zealand, where he established a successful literary career, before ultimately returning to England in 1868. Farjeon produced countless popular novels, many with mystery and adventure themes that drew on his colonial experiences, as well as plays, burlesques, short fiction and journalism. Grif: A Story of Australian Life (1866) was the most popular of his novels set in Australia. Originally published in New Zealand, it was later dramatised for the theatre and also reprinted in Australia, America and London several times.

Reviews

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like a 3.7 rounded up

While this book is by no means great, I seriously do not get the low, low ratings here. Two stars???? Sheesh!! It is in every sense of the word as different from contemporary Victorian crime as it can possibly be, and while I'm going to have to do some digging, it may just be a very early novel in the area of "psychic detectives." Considering it was written in the 1880s, it would be very early indeed. But most of all, it was just plain fun, a murder mystery with a seriously-unexpected twist, and was published in the same year that the Ripper murders began, which I do not think was coincidental given the nature of the crime.

It's also a tough book to explain so you can glean a bit more at my reading journal here:

http://www.crimesegments.com/2017/12/...

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sensation Novel featuring a mystery with paranormal elements. Mr. Devlin is a most unusual barber! A quick, entertaining read. Can be read for free at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53044

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an audio book from LibriVox.

http://librivox.org/devlin-the-barber...

[Cindy B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Psychic mind reader solves crimes. Narrated by Lee Smalley.

Librivox and Gutenberg have free copies

[MarilynLovesNature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining with a very unusual character.