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Hades #1
A House Boat on the Styx: John Kendrick Bangs
The premise of the book is that everyone who's ever died (up to the time of its publication) has gone to Styx, the river that circles the underworld. The book begins with the ferryman Charon being startled & annoyed by the arrival of a houseboat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed its janitor. What follows are 11 more stories which are set on the houseboat. There's no central theme. The purpose appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history & mythology. In the 12th chapter the houseboat disappears, leading into a sequel, Pursuit of the House-Boat. The book sold for $1.25 in 1895.
54 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1895
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359 people want to read
About the author
John Kendrick Bangs
476 books41 followersJohn Kendrick Bangs was an American author and satirist, and the creator of modern Bangsian fantasy, the school of fantasy writing that sets the plot wholly or partially in the afterlife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 23, 2015
After reading Mrs. Raffles a few day back, I was so fascinated by the works of John Kendrick Bangs that I took up some of his other books for reading, and the experience was really rewarding. Despite being one of the most prolific and popular humorists in the late 1800s John Kendrick Bangs is a largely forgotten author these days, yet I found the clever humor that is the signature of his works truly mesmerizing.
‘A House-Boat on the Styx’ is the third book I have read from the author and it was the most hilarious of the three and often at par with the wholehearted sense of humor that can be observed in the works of such greats like Mark Twain. This book can be seen as a prime example for Bangsian fantasy -a genre, which concerns the use of famous literary or historical individuals in plots and their interactions set partially or wholly in the afterlife – and the rich and intelligent comedy that permeates the narration will leave the reader chucking with pleasure.
The book begins by introducing the reader to the arrival of a spanking new houseboat on the Styx, the river that separates Earth and the Underworld. Charon who is the usual ferryman of the Styx is appointed as the new janitor for this houseboat by ‘Associated Shades’ - one of the swankiest organizations in the Hades made up of every famous historical and mythical figures who has ever died and gone to Styx - and the houseboat is made into a permanent clubhouse for its members.
The club has such luminaries from history like Sir Walter Raleigh, Cassius, Demosthenes, Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, Confucius, William Shakespeare and even Baron Munchausen as it’s members. And from this setting of a houseboat club thriving with ghosts of historical figures, John Kendrick Bangs creates 11 hilarious short stories, which will remind one of the Drones club and Angler’s Rest stories from P.G. Wodehouse. The stories don’t have any central theme and relies heavily on dialog-based humor than situational one’s as in each chapter the author pits some of the heavyweights of human history in to laughter evoking verbal jostling as they discuss various topics.
The verbal comedy, which Bangs generates while bringing historical figures into hypothetical conversations where they take a dig at each other, is seriously of first-class quality and will leave the reader laughing out loud. Members of the clubhouse often making jokes about Shakespeare’s works being ghostwritten by other authors and Baron Munchausen entertaining the club members with his incredible tall tales are two recurring and amusing scenarios with in these stories. The last short story of the book describes the mysterious disappearance of the clubhouse on the houseboat, which sets the stage ready for the sequel ‘Pursuit of the House-Boat’.
An excerpt taken from the short story ‘Washington Gives a Dinner’ which describes the birthday dinner of George Washington onboard the ‘floating palace’ can be a perfect sampler for these highly imaginative and hilarious dialogues between the club members of ‘Associated Shades’.
When originally published in 1895, ‘House-Boat on the Styx’ was immensely popular and was among the bestsellers in 1896. The book was followed by 2 sequels ‘The Pursuit of the House-Boat’ and ‘The Enchanted Type-Writer’ – with both of them being bestsellers – and I look forward eagerly to read them both.
Like other works from John Kendrick Bangs, ‘House-Boat on the Styx’ is loaded full of rich and insightful sharp wit. A classic made out of a perfect potpourri of fantasy, brilliant satire, shades of philosophy and Greek mythology, which makes perfect material for immensely enjoyable lighthearted reading.
An interesting trivia about this book: Alan Moore fans will recognize this houseboat from John Kendrick Bangs, as it is the same one, which Moore presents in his graphic novel Promethea.
‘A House-Boat on the Styx’ is the third book I have read from the author and it was the most hilarious of the three and often at par with the wholehearted sense of humor that can be observed in the works of such greats like Mark Twain. This book can be seen as a prime example for Bangsian fantasy -a genre, which concerns the use of famous literary or historical individuals in plots and their interactions set partially or wholly in the afterlife – and the rich and intelligent comedy that permeates the narration will leave the reader chucking with pleasure.
The book begins by introducing the reader to the arrival of a spanking new houseboat on the Styx, the river that separates Earth and the Underworld. Charon who is the usual ferryman of the Styx is appointed as the new janitor for this houseboat by ‘Associated Shades’ - one of the swankiest organizations in the Hades made up of every famous historical and mythical figures who has ever died and gone to Styx - and the houseboat is made into a permanent clubhouse for its members.
The club has such luminaries from history like Sir Walter Raleigh, Cassius, Demosthenes, Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, Confucius, William Shakespeare and even Baron Munchausen as it’s members. And from this setting of a houseboat club thriving with ghosts of historical figures, John Kendrick Bangs creates 11 hilarious short stories, which will remind one of the Drones club and Angler’s Rest stories from P.G. Wodehouse. The stories don’t have any central theme and relies heavily on dialog-based humor than situational one’s as in each chapter the author pits some of the heavyweights of human history in to laughter evoking verbal jostling as they discuss various topics.
The verbal comedy, which Bangs generates while bringing historical figures into hypothetical conversations where they take a dig at each other, is seriously of first-class quality and will leave the reader laughing out loud. Members of the clubhouse often making jokes about Shakespeare’s works being ghostwritten by other authors and Baron Munchausen entertaining the club members with his incredible tall tales are two recurring and amusing scenarios with in these stories. The last short story of the book describes the mysterious disappearance of the clubhouse on the houseboat, which sets the stage ready for the sequel ‘Pursuit of the House-Boat’.
An excerpt taken from the short story ‘Washington Gives a Dinner’ which describes the birthday dinner of George Washington onboard the ‘floating palace’ can be a perfect sampler for these highly imaginative and hilarious dialogues between the club members of ‘Associated Shades’.
“There is much in what you say,” said Confucius. “But there’s another side to the matter. If a man is an aristocrat by nature, as I was, his neighborhood never could run down. Wherever he lived would be the swell section, so that really your last argument isn’t worth a stewed icicle.”
“Stewed icicles are pretty good, though,” said Baron Munchausen, with an ecstatic smack of his lips. “I’ve eaten them many a time in the polar regions.”
“I have no doubt of it,” put in Doctor Johnson. “You’ve eaten fried pyramids in Africa, too, haven’t you?”
“Only once,” said the Baron, calmly. “And I can’t say I enjoyed them. They are rather heavy for the digestion.”
“That’s so,” said Ptolemy. “I’ve had experience with pyramids myself.”
“You never ate one, did you, Ptolemy?” queried Bonaparte.
“Not raw,” said Ptolemy, with a chuckle. “Though I’ve been tempted many a time to call for a second joint of the Sphinx.”
There was a laugh at this, in which all but Baron Munchausen joined.
When originally published in 1895, ‘House-Boat on the Styx’ was immensely popular and was among the bestsellers in 1896. The book was followed by 2 sequels ‘The Pursuit of the House-Boat’ and ‘The Enchanted Type-Writer’ – with both of them being bestsellers – and I look forward eagerly to read them both.
Like other works from John Kendrick Bangs, ‘House-Boat on the Styx’ is loaded full of rich and insightful sharp wit. A classic made out of a perfect potpourri of fantasy, brilliant satire, shades of philosophy and Greek mythology, which makes perfect material for immensely enjoyable lighthearted reading.
An interesting trivia about this book: Alan Moore fans will recognize this houseboat from John Kendrick Bangs, as it is the same one, which Moore presents in his graphic novel Promethea.
August 18, 2023
Wow, I'm amazed and even a tad embarrassed that I have hitherto never reviewed anything by JK Bangs, although I've read several of his works and own a few old editions... I have a hard-bound copy of this book, found in one of those musty "antique" stores that carry lots of dirt-encrusted household junk and by the way in the back have a shelf with a few moldy books that mostly lived in dark, damp, smoke-filled drawing rooms for decades...
I read this some years ago, so it's not very fresh in mind, but I recall frequently chuckling, often smiling, and I really liked that Sherlock Holmes is a major, if odd, character. The premise is amusing: a load of dead people thrown together in the literary equivalent of a sitcom, basically. (A similar premise was used, to very different effect, by Philip Jose Farmer many years later in the series starting with The Fabulous Riverboat.
I'm not sure how well Bangs' work stands the test of time for an audience that's never read anything this old, but it's amusing enough to read if you slow down, relax, and don't expect to be overwhelmed by the pace. You can find this in many paper editions, as well as free e-books if you scout around.
I read this some years ago, so it's not very fresh in mind, but I recall frequently chuckling, often smiling, and I really liked that Sherlock Holmes is a major, if odd, character. The premise is amusing: a load of dead people thrown together in the literary equivalent of a sitcom, basically. (A similar premise was used, to very different effect, by Philip Jose Farmer many years later in the series starting with The Fabulous Riverboat.
I'm not sure how well Bangs' work stands the test of time for an audience that's never read anything this old, but it's amusing enough to read if you slow down, relax, and don't expect to be overwhelmed by the pace. You can find this in many paper editions, as well as free e-books if you scout around.
March 26, 2011
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
John Kendrick Bangs (1862-1922) was an American humorist who edited some popular American magazines such as Harper’s Weekly and Puck. His satirical novella A House-Boat on the Styx is responsible for the term Bangsian Fantasy, which refers to stories about famous people in the afterlife (e.g., Philip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld series).
In A House-Boat on the Styx, Charon the ferryman is dismayed to discover that he’s got some competition in the transportation business — a posh new riverboat has appeared on the Styx and there’s no way his craft can compete. His fears of bankruptcy are relieved, though, when he’s asked to be the janitor of the new boat which belongs to an exclusive men’s club run by Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh and his colleagues spend their time playing cards and pool, smoking tobacco, and hosting fights (e.g., Goliath vs. Samson) and debates (Noah vs. P.T. Barnum: Which animals should have been saved from the flood?). They also have occasional business meetings in which they discuss agenda items such as whether or not there should be a Ladies’ Day on the boat (yes, but Lucretia Borgia and Delilah are not invited) and whether poets should have their own Poets’ Corner (yes, because then they won’t be lounging across all the chairs, scribbling drafts on the pool tables, and boring everyone else with their recitations).
There’s almost no action in A House-Boat on the Styx and no need for characterization since all of the characters are already known to us. The story is almost all dialogue as, for example, Shakespeare defends the authorship of his plays, Solomon’s Proverbs are called a hack-job, Confucius complains about the poets, the logistics of all of Henry VIII’s wives attending Ladies’ Day is discussed, Baron Münchausen is accused of making up stories, Sir Walter Raleigh is discovered to be setting up his witticisms so his biographer can record them, Jonah insists that his whale is copyrighted, and Eve laments that she never gets invited to Queen Elizabeth’s parties because she has no pedigree.
Much of this dialogue is very funny, but it occasionally comes off as a stand-up comedy routine when the jokes are transparently set up:
Sir Walter Raleigh: …Queen Elizabeth could have married a hundred times over if she had wished. I know I lost my head there completely.
John Dryden: That shows, Sir Walter, how wrong you are. You lost your head to King James. Hi! Shakespeare, here’s a man doesn’t know who chopped his head off.
Of course, it will be helpful to be familiar with these pre-20th-century characters and their “issues,” but most adults will understand most of the allusions and the others can be easily investigated on the internet. I enjoyed the banter, but it was non-stop, so I was ready for it to end when it did. However, at the very end of A House-Boat on the Styx, some action finally did occur when Captain Kidd showed up. So now I’m eager to read the next installment, The Pursuit of the Houseboat.
A House-Boat on the Styx and The Pursuit of the Houseboat are available on Kindle in the Halcyon Classics edition, which contains 48 works by John Kendrick Bangs for (at this writing) only $1.99. Both books are rather short and easily read in an afternoon.
John Kendrick Bangs (1862-1922) was an American humorist who edited some popular American magazines such as Harper’s Weekly and Puck. His satirical novella A House-Boat on the Styx is responsible for the term Bangsian Fantasy, which refers to stories about famous people in the afterlife (e.g., Philip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld series).
In A House-Boat on the Styx, Charon the ferryman is dismayed to discover that he’s got some competition in the transportation business — a posh new riverboat has appeared on the Styx and there’s no way his craft can compete. His fears of bankruptcy are relieved, though, when he’s asked to be the janitor of the new boat which belongs to an exclusive men’s club run by Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh and his colleagues spend their time playing cards and pool, smoking tobacco, and hosting fights (e.g., Goliath vs. Samson) and debates (Noah vs. P.T. Barnum: Which animals should have been saved from the flood?). They also have occasional business meetings in which they discuss agenda items such as whether or not there should be a Ladies’ Day on the boat (yes, but Lucretia Borgia and Delilah are not invited) and whether poets should have their own Poets’ Corner (yes, because then they won’t be lounging across all the chairs, scribbling drafts on the pool tables, and boring everyone else with their recitations).
There’s almost no action in A House-Boat on the Styx and no need for characterization since all of the characters are already known to us. The story is almost all dialogue as, for example, Shakespeare defends the authorship of his plays, Solomon’s Proverbs are called a hack-job, Confucius complains about the poets, the logistics of all of Henry VIII’s wives attending Ladies’ Day is discussed, Baron Münchausen is accused of making up stories, Sir Walter Raleigh is discovered to be setting up his witticisms so his biographer can record them, Jonah insists that his whale is copyrighted, and Eve laments that she never gets invited to Queen Elizabeth’s parties because she has no pedigree.
Much of this dialogue is very funny, but it occasionally comes off as a stand-up comedy routine when the jokes are transparently set up:
Sir Walter Raleigh: …Queen Elizabeth could have married a hundred times over if she had wished. I know I lost my head there completely.
John Dryden: That shows, Sir Walter, how wrong you are. You lost your head to King James. Hi! Shakespeare, here’s a man doesn’t know who chopped his head off.
Of course, it will be helpful to be familiar with these pre-20th-century characters and their “issues,” but most adults will understand most of the allusions and the others can be easily investigated on the internet. I enjoyed the banter, but it was non-stop, so I was ready for it to end when it did. However, at the very end of A House-Boat on the Styx, some action finally did occur when Captain Kidd showed up. So now I’m eager to read the next installment, The Pursuit of the Houseboat.
A House-Boat on the Styx and The Pursuit of the Houseboat are available on Kindle in the Halcyon Classics edition, which contains 48 works by John Kendrick Bangs for (at this writing) only $1.99. Both books are rather short and easily read in an afternoon.
December 14, 2023
Entertaining interesting listening 🎶🔰
This is a free kindle e-book novella from Amazon by John Kendrick Bangs.
This novella is quite interesting 👀with a number of historical characters part of a club in another world 🌎. They are discussing all kinds of stuff.
I would highly recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers looking for something very different in novels 👍🔰. 2023 😀😯😕🍸
This is a free kindle e-book novella from Amazon by John Kendrick Bangs.
This novella is quite interesting 👀with a number of historical characters part of a club in another world 🌎. They are discussing all kinds of stuff.
I would highly recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers looking for something very different in novels 👍🔰. 2023 😀😯😕🍸
July 6, 2013
A witty, entertaining, and wryly humorous book. A quick read, great for a weekend or roadtrip, and not hard or slow to get through at all. I also listened to it via free audiobook on Librivox, and it was definitely a book well-suited to audio adaptation, as almost all of it is dramatic dialogue between famous people. I would add, however, that it definitely helped to be familiar with literature/history, & classic philosophy, as it added to my understanding of the jokes and caricatures of the characters. They are all fairly recognizable historical figures (Napoleon, Diogenes, Confucius, George Washington, Ptolemy, Hamlet (the Danish one), Shakespeare, and other greater- and lesser-known people), thrown together in the afterlife in contrived situations just for the fun of it. Arguments and witty debates between the characters ensue. But while the book certainly can be read and enjoyed by those who don't know much or anything of the historical characters present, a familiarity with these names and their work is helpful in understanding the jibes and remarks that go back and forth, and does add further layers of meaning to the humor. Definitely recommended for someone who wants a funny & light read--it's not a book with non-stop action and can't-put-it-down plot twists, by any means, and the chapters can definitely be read independently of each other (out of order or with quite some time in between). But it's still worth a read if this kind of work interests you!
August 18, 2023
Moderately humourous and satirical tales about a private gentlemens club. Said club just happening to be in Hades and the various members being famous dead people from history.
Regular appearances by Raleigh, Dr.Johnson, Shakespeare, Diogenes, Napolean, Barnum, Homer, Confucius, Burns etc.
Baron Munchausen is also a member which should tell you what kind of story your in for. Low 3-stars.
Made available by the Merril Collection.
Regular appearances by Raleigh, Dr.Johnson, Shakespeare, Diogenes, Napolean, Barnum, Homer, Confucius, Burns etc.
Baron Munchausen is also a member which should tell you what kind of story your in for. Low 3-stars.
Made available by the Merril Collection.
April 21, 2012
I picked this out at random on Librivox one day and am SO glad I did. It is composed, as the title says, of stories about, yes, a houseboat on the River Styx which turns out to be a men's club for various famous dead people (mostly men). The master of ceremonies is Sir Walter Raleigh; members include Shakespeare, Baron Munchhausen and Noah., among others. In addition to the typical men's club activites (i.e., playing cards, shooting billiards, smoking, and drinking) they also discuss things like which animals should have been saved from the flood and whether the club should host a Ladies’ Day (the discussion gets heated when it comes down to who should and should not be invited, e.g. Eve, Lucretia Borgia, Delilah, all six of Henry VIII's wives).
Most of the book consists of conversation so it's not exactly breathtakingly paced, but it's witty, clever, perceptive, and in quite a few places downright hilariously funny.
Most of the book consists of conversation so it's not exactly breathtakingly paced, but it's witty, clever, perceptive, and in quite a few places downright hilariously funny.
January 17, 2020
This was a fun little book! I loved the premise of Charon paddling along the Styx and encountering that houseboat unawares of what it'll entail for him. I had never heard of Bangsian fiction but I do love the idea of all the action taking place in the afterlife. There's a great variety of historical personalities taking the stage here, some more widely known than others, at least for a 21st century reader. I think some of the jabs got lost on me for not being aware of each character's biography, so I guess I might have appreciated it even more against the backdrop of the olden days of its publication. All in all, a fun little collection of stories. Also an A+ Shakespeare representation, all inspired and a little too proud :)
May 24, 2017
24-5-17
Second time reading. I've just finished, and I already want to read it again. Witty, satirical, and simply genius.
***
Absolutely awesome. A literary drug trip with famous poets, philospophers, and more. In my opinion, stream of consciousness at its most fun.
Some will find this borning and hard to slog through. But if you like the idea of a bunch of cool dead people hanging out to chat and argue on a river boat, this is definitely for you. ;)
Second time reading. I've just finished, and I already want to read it again. Witty, satirical, and simply genius.
***
Absolutely awesome. A literary drug trip with famous poets, philospophers, and more. In my opinion, stream of consciousness at its most fun.
Some will find this borning and hard to slog through. But if you like the idea of a bunch of cool dead people hanging out to chat and argue on a river boat, this is definitely for you. ;)
January 26, 2010
I listened to the Librivox.org recording of this book.
The first description I read made it sound like the book would be about Charon, but that was just the first chapter. Although there were some lines that made me laugh, the rest seemed to just be "What would historical character X say to historical character Y if they were to talk at a social club?"
The first description I read made it sound like the book would be about Charon, but that was just the first chapter. Although there were some lines that made me laugh, the rest seemed to just be "What would historical character X say to historical character Y if they were to talk at a social club?"
March 14, 2012
Because I've finished term for Easter and because I am hungover, I allowed myself a treat, and this was it. I love this book. It created a genre - Bangsian fiction - which is a story set almost or entirely in the afterlife. Its short and hilarious and avaialable on Gutenberg, what more can one ask for?
December 17, 2023
Siamo nell'Ade, Caronte vede avvicinarsi una casa galleggiante sullo Stige e questo lo preoccupa, perché il suo monopolio potrebbe essere messo in pericolo... Caronte come personaggio scompare dopo il primo capitolo, per fare spazio a tutta una serie di grandi nomi, morti illustri come Shakespeare, Adamo, Noè, Confucio... Tutti questi illustri personaggi fanno parte di un club per soli uomini che si ha la sua sede sulla casa galleggiante. Qui assistiamo a una serie di dialoghi esilaranti fra i vari personaggi, che mettono in luce (e in ridicolo) le caratteristiche di ognuno. Per esempio, c'è l'eterno dibattito su chi abbia scritto realmente le opere di Shakespeare e quest'ultimo si dimostra molto sensibile al riguardo; il barone di Munchausen racconta le sue innumerevoli e improbabili avventure; il signor Barnum cerca di spiegare a Noè che avrebbe dovuto salvare anche dei dinosauri, che sarebbero stati perfetti per il suo zoo... Ci più ne ha più ne metta, per un libro davvero divertente, anche se certo non è il tipo di umorismo che vi farà sganasciare dalle risate. Promosso, e leggerò senz'altro il secondo libro della serie.
April 25, 2012
Loved it! It ended too quickly. Good thing there are a couple of sequels. This is satirical humor at it's best. In this age of a preponderance of mediocre writers, going back and visiting some excellent classic writing such as this is like a taking a cool drink on a hot day. Completely satisfying.
November 3, 2011
Absolutely hilarious!
March 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2025
This was a fortuitous find in an accidental book haul last year. Fortuitous because I had just learned about 'Bangsian fiction' a genera of fantasy which uses the afterlife as the main setting and in which the characters, or some of, are themselves dead.
This kind of story means you can have as many historical characters as you like, of any and all eras sitting beside each other and having discussions and that is exactly what Bangs does in this book except that he incorporates the notion of 'immortals' rather than just people who deid.
So, in the first chapter we are introduced to the House Boat by Charon, the boatman who conveys dead souls to Hades across the Styx in Greek mythology (which also included a lot of stories of Hades) he is paddling his boat along when he first sights the House-Boat the Nancy-Nox of Erebus and while first fearing it is competition for his franchise, he ends up being employed by it.
This is a good introduction for the reader to the opulence of the boat, which is a kind of private men's club (ladies day is briefly discussed at one stage, but never eventuates) in which a large number of classical and historical figures hang out and chat about various things.
The book is less of a continuous narrative than a series of discussions by various characters which the modern reader may or may not be entirely familiar with. Much is made of Shakespeare not having written his own plays, but Hamlet and Ophelia are also onsite. Baron Munchausen is a prominent character but his creator the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe who wrote about him in the 1700's appears to be absent. Si Walter Raleigh, Demosthenes, Ptolemy and Confucius all make to roll call as do many others.
The writing style is... cheery and contemporary of it's era; so very tongue in cheek 1890's American. If you enjoy A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain the writing in House-Boat will probably be right up your alley. Bangs admired Twain, who may have been a direct influence on his writing.
It is fun and interesting enough, in it's own way. Thoroughly worth reading for it's historical significance even if the writing does not grab you.
This kind of story means you can have as many historical characters as you like, of any and all eras sitting beside each other and having discussions and that is exactly what Bangs does in this book except that he incorporates the notion of 'immortals' rather than just people who deid.
So, in the first chapter we are introduced to the House Boat by Charon, the boatman who conveys dead souls to Hades across the Styx in Greek mythology (which also included a lot of stories of Hades) he is paddling his boat along when he first sights the House-Boat the Nancy-Nox of Erebus and while first fearing it is competition for his franchise, he ends up being employed by it.
This is a good introduction for the reader to the opulence of the boat, which is a kind of private men's club (ladies day is briefly discussed at one stage, but never eventuates) in which a large number of classical and historical figures hang out and chat about various things.
The book is less of a continuous narrative than a series of discussions by various characters which the modern reader may or may not be entirely familiar with. Much is made of Shakespeare not having written his own plays, but Hamlet and Ophelia are also onsite. Baron Munchausen is a prominent character but his creator the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe who wrote about him in the 1700's appears to be absent. Si Walter Raleigh, Demosthenes, Ptolemy and Confucius all make to roll call as do many others.
The writing style is... cheery and contemporary of it's era; so very tongue in cheek 1890's American. If you enjoy A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain the writing in House-Boat will probably be right up your alley. Bangs admired Twain, who may have been a direct influence on his writing.
It is fun and interesting enough, in it's own way. Thoroughly worth reading for it's historical significance even if the writing does not grab you.
October 5, 2018
After I read The Haunted Bookshop earlier this year I went on a search for the books that are mentioned in it. There was no particular reason for this other than that I was curious, and of course... books! I limited my acquisitions to Kindle freebies or at most, very cheap editions. This one sounded interesting enough that I probably would have shelled out a bit of money for it, but fortunately I found a free edition, a fact that makes me feel a little more generous about my review.
Not that I didn't like it, I did. But it's a book that, after an intriguing opening -- Charon becomes caretaker to a houseboat on the Styx where the dead form a men's club -- pretty much goes nowhere. It's a series of jokey scenes in which the question of who actually wrote Shakespeare's plays gets done half to death, and there are a lot of quips and one-liners, like the joke about Walter Raleigh losing his head over Elizabeth I, and someone else pointing out that it was James I who beheaded him. Dr. Johnson gets a going over as does Boswell who is still by his side, documenting the Doctor's death as he did his life. Charon, who seemed like a lovely, cranky character, gets lost in the shuffle and never heard from again.
Bottom line is that it's probably a good thing the book is short. I doubt the humor could have been maintained for a longer stretch, particularly without any sort of discernible plot. Still, it was fun, and I'm glad I read it. I'm very glad it was free.
Not that I didn't like it, I did. But it's a book that, after an intriguing opening -- Charon becomes caretaker to a houseboat on the Styx where the dead form a men's club -- pretty much goes nowhere. It's a series of jokey scenes in which the question of who actually wrote Shakespeare's plays gets done half to death, and there are a lot of quips and one-liners, like the joke about Walter Raleigh losing his head over Elizabeth I, and someone else pointing out that it was James I who beheaded him. Dr. Johnson gets a going over as does Boswell who is still by his side, documenting the Doctor's death as he did his life. Charon, who seemed like a lovely, cranky character, gets lost in the shuffle and never heard from again.
Bottom line is that it's probably a good thing the book is short. I doubt the humor could have been maintained for a longer stretch, particularly without any sort of discernible plot. Still, it was fun, and I'm glad I read it. I'm very glad it was free.
August 6, 2021
"Bangsian fantasy" is fantasy about famous people in the afterlife, and this book and its sequel are why it gets that title - though, especially in the second book, there are famous fictional characters by other authors involved too, so it's also an indirect predecessor of metafiction.
This first volume has no plot as such; it's just the exploration of a premise, which is that some of the famous (and therefore immortal) "shades" in Hades have a club, based in a houseboat on the River Styx, where they hang out and have discussions.
The dialogs are amusing and clever, and although some knowledge of the people concerned is definitely helpful, you don't need much - it seems to have been written with common knowledge (for the time) in mind. There's a good deal of joking about with the idea that other people wrote Shakespeare's plays, a question on which Shakespeare himself is sensitive and obfuscatory. Dr Johnson contributes caustic wit, and in general it's a fun time.
At the end, leading into the sequel, while all the men (it's a men-only club) are at a prize-fight between Samson and Goliath, the women invade the unattended houseboat, and then Captain Kidd (not knowing the women are there) pirates it and sails off.
Well done and enjoyable, though light and plotless.
This first volume has no plot as such; it's just the exploration of a premise, which is that some of the famous (and therefore immortal) "shades" in Hades have a club, based in a houseboat on the River Styx, where they hang out and have discussions.
The dialogs are amusing and clever, and although some knowledge of the people concerned is definitely helpful, you don't need much - it seems to have been written with common knowledge (for the time) in mind. There's a good deal of joking about with the idea that other people wrote Shakespeare's plays, a question on which Shakespeare himself is sensitive and obfuscatory. Dr Johnson contributes caustic wit, and in general it's a fun time.
At the end, leading into the sequel, while all the men (it's a men-only club) are at a prize-fight between Samson and Goliath, the women invade the unattended houseboat, and then Captain Kidd (not knowing the women are there) pirates it and sails off.
Well done and enjoyable, though light and plotless.
December 10, 2024
This book probably held much more entertainment value a century ago. The idea was innovative, so much so that Bangs had a whole genre named after him. Unfortunately, the concept has been reused countless times since then, and as happens often in such cases, the original is far too dated to entertain.
It doesn't help that the humor is both dry and flat, too much of both to even bring out a muted chuckle. It reads like a sitcom pilot that was too boring to get picked up. I get the jokes, but they're just not funny.
The biggest problem is that it's all far too obvious. The story line is a series of what if scenarios, and in each case Bangs made the most unsurprising choice possible. It reminds me of my least favorite TV episodes of my favorite shows growing up, the ones I call Halloween Costume episodes. Somebody in the staff wanted to explore some book or movie they loved as a kid, and so they paste in Dracula or Abraham Lincoln or Napolean with a dream sequence or something, and it's just a series of cliches and predictable jokes about those characters' iconic personae.
I can see why this is a classic. I don't see any reason to bother with it.
It doesn't help that the humor is both dry and flat, too much of both to even bring out a muted chuckle. It reads like a sitcom pilot that was too boring to get picked up. I get the jokes, but they're just not funny.
The biggest problem is that it's all far too obvious. The story line is a series of what if scenarios, and in each case Bangs made the most unsurprising choice possible. It reminds me of my least favorite TV episodes of my favorite shows growing up, the ones I call Halloween Costume episodes. Somebody in the staff wanted to explore some book or movie they loved as a kid, and so they paste in Dracula or Abraham Lincoln or Napolean with a dream sequence or something, and it's just a series of cliches and predictable jokes about those characters' iconic personae.
I can see why this is a classic. I don't see any reason to bother with it.
July 8, 2024
Written in 1895, this a bit of humor and fantasy from another age. The houseboat on the Styx serves as a gentleman’s club for the spirits of men—both historical and fictional—from all ages. Dr. Samuel Johnson is on the permanent committee in charge of the club along with Sir Walter Raleigh, Demosthenes, Cassius, Blackstone, and Confucius. They convince Charon to become its janitor. In one chapter, George Washington throws a dinner party in which Baron Munchausen is one of the attendees. Shakespeare (as well as Hamlet) makes several appearances, and when he does the other members ask him to fess up that did not write those plays. In the end, the women led by Queen Elizabeth, Ophelia, and Xanthippe (Socrates’s shrew of a wife) take over the houseboat which is hijacked by Captain Kidd. Silly and delightful. Since there is a sequel, I assume we find out what happens to the houseboat and the ladies.
August 27, 2017
The premise of the book is that everyone who's ever died (up to the time of its publication) has gone to Styx, the river that circles the underworld. The book begins with the ferryman Charon being startled & annoyed by the arrival of a houseboat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed its janitor. What follows are 11 more stories which are set on the houseboat. There's no central theme. The purpose appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history & mythology. In the 12th chapter the houseboat disappears, leading into a sequel, Pursuit of the House-Boat. The book sold for $1.25 in 1895.
November 13, 2018
Interesting book, if a little quaint. My main motivation for reading it was that it's referenced as the original "Bangsian Fantasy" book, of which do many good books have later been written (like "Gilgamesh in the Outback" by Robert Silverberg and the still unequalled "Riverworld" by Philip Jose Farmer).
At first the book sounded quite promising, but it soon devolved into a "sitcom"-like narrative, where the scenario was basically turned into a backdrop for common and rather uninteresting stories to play. That killed it for me.
At first the book sounded quite promising, but it soon devolved into a "sitcom"-like narrative, where the scenario was basically turned into a backdrop for common and rather uninteresting stories to play. That killed it for me.
January 11, 2018
This is going to sound rude but I just had a hard time with this format and was not a fan of the story. I gave up on this book, I try to do that as little as possible. Seemed like the author was so busy making witty quips about historical figures there was no actual story. Or at least I just never got to it.
December 23, 2020
Satirical book that inspired a genre of imagining how the dead respond to the afterlife. I enjoyed the somewhat related short stories in this collection and I think I picked most (maybe half) of the jokes. I’m sure someone more versed in the politics of 100 years ago would understand more. Still, isn’t it fun to imagine Shakespeare and Hamlet discussing what should have been done instead?
April 3, 2018
All four books in this series are available for free at archive.org. Make sure you read a copy with original illustrations.
Ends in a sort-of a cliffhanger and is continued in the second book, The Pursuit of the House-Boat.
Ends in a sort-of a cliffhanger and is continued in the second book, The Pursuit of the House-Boat.
March 24, 2018
The writing was witty, and I enjoyed the book's portrayal of literary figures. But I think it was lacking in plot overall.
June 5, 2018
Certainly an interesting look into the past.
September 23, 2018
Excellent! Just the amusing diversion I needed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2019
Interesting read
I enjoyed it, though nothing truly deep, and I apparently need more words here so, it has funny historical characters?
I enjoyed it, though nothing truly deep, and I apparently need more words here so, it has funny historical characters?
November 21, 2019
I've read some rubbish in my time, but this must be in the top two or three. I'm glad I didn't live when this stuff was considered the height of humour.
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