In Search of Goliathus Hercules

by Jennifer Angus

This is the fantastic story of Henri Bell, a near-orphan who in 1890 is sent to live with his ancient great-aunt and her extensive button collection. One rainy afternoon, Henri strikes up a conversation with a friendly fly on the windowsill and discovers he possesses the astounding ability to speak with insects. Thus commences an epic journey for Henri as he manages a flea circus, commands an army of beetles, and ultimately sets out to British Malaya to find the mythical giant insect known as Goliathus hercules. Along the way he makes friends both insect and human, and undergoes a strange transformation of his own. Artist Jennifer Angus, known for her Victorian-inspired exhibits of insect specimens, brings her distinctive sensibility to the pages of her first novel.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Juvenile, Historical, Mystery

357 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Wendy Darling]

Awesome photos of the author/artist's gorgeous exhibits, where she uses real insects in her artwork: http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2013...





Plus a giveaway for a signed hardcover of this beautiful book!

[Katie R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fantastical piece of children's literature. I'm a bit old for the intended audience, but I still found it possible to enjoy it.

As a budding entomologist, I found pleasure in understanding all the scientific terms the author mentioned-- it was also nice to draw conclusions based on my own knowledge.

This novel is definitely geared towards young boys, but anyone with a sense of adventure, love of insects, and a bit of an imagination will enjoy it.

[Cristian Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I have ever read!! It is just, WOW! The action, adventure, and drama ties it all up to be the best book I have ever read!

[JTGlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one. It was on a recommended kid's list, in the beginning some of the details and characters were delightful. As the story progressed there were gaps in logic and zero foreshadowing. Highly detailed in some areas and sadly lacking in others.

[Liesl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute story though some things were never fully explained or thought out but still a cute read.

[Geraldine · Rating 5 out of 5]

*************YOU CAN READ THIS REVIEW AND MORE AT 'www.corrallingbooks.blogspot.com'****************


'In Search of Goliathus Hercules' is a heartwarming tale by Jennifer Angus about a boy who endeavors to find a rare bug (Goliathus Hercules) and find his missing father. I found this book to be really quite interesting and engaging. Read the introduction for a bit of an idea on how I got so sucked into this book.

'The fantastic story of Henri Bell, a near-orphan who in 1890 is sent to live with his ancient great-aunt and her extensive button collection. One rainy afternoon, Henri strikes up a conversation with a friendly fly on the windowsill and discovers he possesses the astounding ability to speak with insects.
Thus commences an epic journey for Henri as he manages a flea circus, commands an army of beetles, and ultimately sets out to British Malaya to find the mythical giant insect known as Goliathus hercules. Along the way he makes friends both insect and human, and undergoes a strange transformation of his own.'

I think part of the reason why this book was so engaging was the very vivid descriptions the author detailed. Angus didn't overdo the description, thankfully, as I get bored with extraneous information, but rather described the places and characters in as much detail needed for me to get a good picture of what was happening in the novel. Reading this book, I could definitely imagine I was in 1890 British Malaya with Henri and his friends, with the amount of depth Angus has put into description.

While reading this novel, I kept predicting what characters would do, what would happen to them and whether or not they were to be trusted. All my predictions turned out wrong. For example, I predicted that Maestro Antonio, the ringmaster of the flea circus, would be a cruel and vindictive man, willing to use Henri's ability to speak with insects to improve his sales at the circus. I turned out to be wrong. This novel is full of uncertainties, and there is never a guarantee that something will turn out the way you predict it will be.

I really loved the ending. Angus could not have found a better way to end this novel than the way that she has so marvellously done so already. The last few words give the sense of finality that I feel is needed to conclude any novel. I felt like I had lost a friend when I finished reading this book, which I think is the feeling you should get when you finish reading a very good story,

Albert, Whitman & Company, the publishing company that publishes this book has marketed it as 'Children's Fiction'. Although this book is definitely suitable for children to read, it should not be limited to children only. This is a novel that people of all ages should read!

This book was beautiful, touching and a pleasure to read. I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, as I found very little problems with it. Jennifer Angus has done very well in her debut novel. She writes beautifully and her artworks of bugs, arranged in patterns to create visually stimulating pieces, are just magnificent. I recommend that everyone, and I mean everyone, go out and get this book when it gets released on March 1st 2013.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henri’s dad has been gone for three years and missing for two. Sent to British Malaya as the superintendent of a rubber plantation, he had, so the story went, one day just walked into the jungle and vanished. Unable to believe that possible, Henri’s mom decided to travel there to see for herself and that is how Henri came to be at Woodland Farm in America living with Great Aunt Georgie and her button collection.

It was rather boring being 10 and alone in middle of nowhere. Of course the farm had lots of places to explore, but that only went so far when there is no one to explore it with. And talking? Well, the only person to converse with as 90-year old, Great Aunt Georgie and she only talked about buttons. She shared interesting tidbits like the oldest button was five thousand years old or buttons were first used to fasten clothing in Germany in the thirteenth century. Interesting, but rather dull and right now it was raining. As he looked out the window, Henri was aware of a fly bumping into it over and over. He thought it was annoying so he asked the fly to stop. It did. Then he noticed another fly moving across the newspaper line by line as if it were reading. He watched for a bit until it said, “It’s rude to read over someone’s shoulder you know.” Before Henri could fully believe it, he’d had complete conversation with the fly, which could in fact read. Henri wasn’t sure he believed it, but suddenly the world was no longer full of chirps and creaks – each one had meaning. It was true. Henri could communicate with insects.

When the circus came to town Henri was drawn to Maestro Antonio’s Amazing Flying Flea Circus. Although a small sideshow, Henri was sure he could help it become the “greatest show on earth.” Antonio agreed to let him try and so Henri ran away to join the circus. But not before meeting Great Aunt Georgie’s neighbor, Agatha Black. Her coldhearted cruelty filled Henri with dread that didn’t seem to fully go away even when he had left her behind.

Joining the circus is just the beginning of Henri’s transformation from lonely boy to ambassador to the insect world. Henri is thoughtful and creative. He appreciates the gifts of every creature whether a flea or a queen. They appreciate this kindness and because of it support his quest to discover the truth behind the story of the largest beetle in the world. Reading In Search of Goliathus Hercules will keep you turning the pages to the very end. There are some remaining questions and some places where the plot is stretched a little thin, but for insect-loving readers (and even those who feel a little squeamish at the thought) this is totally entertaining adventure from start to finish. I also love the kaleidoscope of insects that begins each chapter and the connecting information that begins each part of the book.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Search of Goliathus Hercules by Jennifer Angus is a children's book about young Henri Bell in 1890. He is sent to America alone to stay with his eccentric great-aunt as his mother goes off in search of his missing father. A chance conversation with a fly, begins Henri to discover that he can talk to six legged insects and begins his own epic journey to escape his aunt's even more eccentric neighbor. Time with a circus has Henri making friends of human and insect varieties and ultimately setting off into British Malaya to find his father, and the mystical insect known at Goliathus hercules. To make things even more challenging, Henri starts to notice changes that go far beyond what a normal boy might notice, like the fact that he seems to be shrinking and turning slightly green. Henri and his friend face danger from several sources as they seek answers, and survival.

In Search of Goliathus Hercules is a book that defied my expectations. It took the typical 'child going on a quest' and discovering an unique ability idea and wrapped it up with Metamorphosis and several other ideas. I liked that I never knew when the sneaky, creep neighbor would pop up again,what insight the insects of the world might offer, or the twist the plot in general might take next. Sometimes it felt like it went a little too far in trying to be so much all at once, but for the most part the story came together and kept me engaged.The character development of Henri and his friends (both two and six legged) was done well, leaving me caring about their welfare. As an extra layer to the story, notice the distinctive illustrations by the author, who is known for her Victorian-inspired exhibits of insect specimens.

I would recommend In Search of Goliathus Hercules to readers around nine through middle school. The story has adventure and also has a solid coming of age component and a science fiction or fantasy feel as Henri morphs form. With this in mind, readers that find all things creepy and crawly give them the shivers might want to skip out, since the majority of the story and all of the artwork features insects. Although, insects are humanized, and just might offer the squeamish a feeling of remorse for squished critters from past days, and in the future.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started reading this book and thought “oh my goodness, how am I going to get through 350 pages of this?!?” It starts slo-o-o-w. Set in 1890, Henri spends several boring chapters living with his ancient Great Aunt Georgie talking about buttons and how to behave as a polite young boy. He then runs away with the circus after discovering that he can talk to insects. He is being pursued by Great Aunt Georgie’s neighbor, Mrs. Black, for unknown reasons.

The action picks up after the first ¼ of the book, but there are still a lot of unnecessary and lengthy descriptions. After a very slow start, mostly action filled middle where Henri searches for the Goliathus Hercules and also his father, the ending is very disappointing. No answers are given to the following burning questions: Why can Henri talk to insects, and more interestingly, why is he turning into one? Why is Henri turning into an insect as a young boy, but his father did not turn into one until he was a grown man? Why does Henri turn into a different kind of insect than his father? Why can his Great Aunt Georgie talk to insects, but she doesn’t turn into one? Why is Mrs. Black chasing him, and what are her special abilities (communicating with bats, escaping the tiger, etc) Mrs. Black plays an extremely central role in the book and to have her character simply disappear with no explanation of who she really was and what she was doing was extremely frustrating as a reader.

Some lingering questions at the end of a book can add to its power and keep the reader thinking. But, with almost all of the major questions going unanswered, it seems like there is no point to this story. Why did I just read all those pages to find out almost nothing?

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would initially. But, it has many flaws, and I’m not sure who I could authentically recommend this book to- definitely not a lot of appeal to the masses.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henri Bell has been sent to America to live with his Great Aunt Georgie. His father has disappeared in British Malay and his mother has gone to look for him. While staying with his aunt Henri discovers that he can communicate with insects. He suspects Georgie can too. Georgie's neighbor is the sinister Mrs. Black who takes a peculiar interest in Henri. Henri runs away with the circus and starts working with the flea circus. He decides that he wants to travel to Malay to find his father and to capture Goliathus Hercules, a giant beetle of legend. On this journey Henri starts a metamorphosis of his own...he is turning more and more insect like. He is pursued always by Mrs. Black in one guise or another.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book where Henri learns about his new skills with insects and works with the flea circus. I loved the other characters he met at the circus: Tony, Billy and Robin. I thought it was really interesting how he kept enhancing the show with more varieties of insects with different abilities. Where I thought this story fell apart a bit was the end where they get to Malay and start looking for Goliathus Hercules. First there is Henri's transformation which is never fully explained. The mystery of his father is cleared up, but we have no idea why the insect communication gift has seemed to occur differently with the members of the family. Then there is the evil Mrs. Black. Her desire for Goliathus Hercules and her pursuit of Henri are never explained at all and we are left wondering what it was all about. Jennifer Angus is a new author and I think she has some really interesting ideas; she just needs to work out the details a little better.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy, if there ever was a book that shouldn't have had it's cover changed, this is it. I read this originally as an ARC from NetGalley and really loved the first cover so I was very disappointed with the decision to change the cover entirely. I adored the green with the silhouette of Henry. I will still purchase this book for my Middle/Upper School library but a book with a gross bug on the cover is going to be a MUCH harder sell to students (especially girls) than the first cover.

In Search of Goliathus Hercules was utterly charming. Imagine Doctor Doolittle with insects and you'll have a good picture of Henri Bell. However, there is something else special about Henri that you will gradually learn. It's fantastic but also leads to rather bittersweet ending.

I laughed outloud during parts of this and read snippets outloud. The beginning of the story was wonderfully written, tightly constructed and well developed. I loved the illustrations and use of photos to enhance the story. However, half way through, parts of the story started to suffer from plot holes that left me puzzled. How is it that Henri's aunt can talk to insects but doesn't go through the same transformation as Henri? And for that matter, why does it start to happen to Henri at eleven but not to his father until he was a grown man? We never do learn what was driving Mrs. Black's mission, or what happened to her at the end. And at one point toward the end, Billy isn't fluent in Insect but suddenly a chapter later, he is. But other than these few (very minor) complaints, I really did adore this story. I could wish for a different ending but I suppose for Henri, it turned out happily.

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed by the end of this book. The book has a really interesting premise and a lot of cool ideas going for it, but it suffers from too many different things going on at once. It really kind of loses you somewhere in the middle... there's the story of Henri Bell who wants to find his father, Henri Bell who wants to find the Goliathus Hercules, Henri Bell who writes alongside a famous entomologist to publish exciting new theories about insects, Henri Bell who chases down and stops the notorious Agatha Black (which turns out to be a Moby Dick of sorts for him), Henri Bell who fights for insect rights, and then Henri Bell who pulls a Kafka turning from man to insect.... any one or two of these things is great to read about, but thrown together we have a story that doesn't know quite what it wants to tell us. Also, I was disappointed at what lack of motive there was for Agatha Black... fame? fortune? wants to eat every insect in the world? family vendetta? halfling herself? ... no one was quite sure what she wanted or why she was so mean.

As a lover of insects myself, I was deeply interested in the book up until about halfway through and then it starts going too fast and falling apart on itself... it will probably keep young insect loving kids entertained but older readers will be asking a lot of questions at the end; I imagine as confused and disappointed as I am.

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange book. I can't say I liked it, but I definitely didn't hate it either. It was weird, different, and definitely not what I expected.

Henri is sent to live with his Great Aunt Georgie after his father goes missing. While at his Aunt's house, Henri discovers he can speak to insects. He runs away to join a flea circus, and eventually ventures to Asia in search of both his father and the legendary beetle Goliathus Hercules. All this time, Henri experiences peculiar physical changes. He tries to explain away these changes until he can no longer hide them.

Like I already mentioned, this book is unusual. The antagonist is frightening, yet the problems with her are left unresolved. The reader never finds out what her motives are and why/how she goes to such great lengths to cause trouble for Henri. I expected more resolution there. As for Henri, I don't know what to think. It was such a strange ending to a book. Bonus points for being different, I guess, but I can't say I loved the way Henri's story turned out. That being said, I couldn't have put this book down if I'd wanted to. I was glued to the page, and that counts for something.

This book is definitely for a specific type of reader. If you are looking for something highly unusual and kind of creepy, give it a shot. If weird isn't your thing, give it a pass.

Content: Some violence, but I consider it clean.

My blog: Batch of Books

[Annie Oosterwyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a very old-fashioned book, with the children having good manners and considering moral problems, and a quest.
Henri is sent to stay with his great aunt while his mother hunts Malaysia for his father, who disappeared into the jungle. Henri discovers he can speak with insects and develops an intense dislike of the neighbor, Mrs. Black, who is an insect torturer.
There is an interesting theme of collecting running throughout this story- Henri's aunt collects buttons, Mrs. Black collects seeds, and Henri collects the dead bodies of insects he has known. This further reinforces the old-fashioned Victorian feel of the book.
Henri runs away with a flea circus to see the world and find his father and the evil Mrs. Black pursues him in what soon becomes a race to be the first to find and reveal the Goliathus Hercules beetle to the civilized world.
The author's writing style fits the period of the book. It was a actually a relief to read after so many middle grade and YA books with limited vocabulary and short sentences. I nearly choked when I read about the entomology professor Daniel Young (my entomology 101 professor in Madison, WI) and then read the back flap to see that's where the author lives. Serendipity indeed!
I would recommend this to middle school students interested in life sciences and history, similar to The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henri Bell is ten years old in 1890 when he is sent from Britain to America to live with his great aunt Georgie. Even though he loves his aunt there is only so much conversation they can make about her vast button collection and the scary next-door-neighbor, Mrs. Agatha Black, gives Henri the heebie-jeebies. His father has gone missing in British Malaya and his mother has gone to look for him. He discovers a housefly reading the newspaper in his room and realizes he can speak to the fly. Dom, short for Musca domestica, points out an article about a new man-eating insect, Goliathus Hercules, found near where his father has gone missing and this plants a seed in Henri to go in search of the bug and his father. The circus is in town and for unclear reasons, Henri feels threatened by Agatha Black and joins them to escape her, getting a job helping Maestro Antonio with the sideshow flea circus. Henri also makes friends with two other kids in the circus, Robin and Billy and when he decides to leave to search for his father and Goliathus hercules, all his friends go with him. When they leave they realize they are being pursued by Madame Noir, the circus fortune teller, whom Henri had seen torturing and eating insects. Mysteries abound to keep readers interested and the ending may be no surprise to some readers.\

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

When 10-year-old Henri (pronounced like Henry) Bell's father disappears in British Malaya in the late 19th century, his mother sends Henri to stay with his Great Aunt Georgie in America. There he discovers that he can talk to insects, and that Aunt Georgie's neighbor, Mrs. Black, is seriously creepy and somehow out to get him. Running away, Henri joins a circus sideshow act--a flea circus--and makes it a brilliant success. He's heard about the giant Goliathus Hercules beetle, though, and grows obsessed with trying to find one. With some circus friends, Henri--who is starting to metamorphose into an insect himself--sets off for British Malaya to search for the beetle--and his father. Always on his tail, though, is the evil Mrs. Black, who wants something only Henri can provide. Will Henri find the beetle? Will he find his father? Will he die at Mrs. Black's hand?

I both liked and didn't like this one. I liked the world-building and creativity, and I liked the characters. There was enough action and adventure, too. What didn't work for me was that some things were pretty obvious--the truth about his father, for one thing--and that there was no real end. The villain did not get their comeuppance, and the end for Henri wasn't particularly hopeful. I thought that this was a good idea, and that quirky kids will like it, but it's not for the mainstream reader so much.

[Chris Holliman · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Henri’s father goes missing on an expedition to British Malaya, he is sent to live with his Great Aunt Georgie where he discovers that he possesses an extraordinary power: he has the ability to talk with insects! Deciding to go find his father in Malaya and discover the legendary giant beetle Goliathus Hercules, he leaves his Aunt Georgie and becomes a barker of a traveling flea circus, meeting several circus friends along the way. Henri realizes that he is being followed by a sinister woman named Miss Black, who desires the Goliathus Hercules as much as he does. He also notices that he cannot only talk to insects, but that he is actually transforming into one! Traveling to Malaya, Henri and his friends discover the giant beetles, defeat Miss Black, and eventually learn that his father has transformed into a rare Goliathus Hercules.

The best part of this book is the fantastic and elaborate insect circus shows that Henri performs using all kinds of bugs.

The worst part of this book is the final 50 pages of discovery about his father which seemed to drag the plot out unnecessarily.

[Julie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henri Bell is sent to live with his aunt while his mother sets out to find his father who has disappeared in British Malaya. Henri discovers that he has the ability to talk to insects and also discovers that Mrs. Black, his aunt's neighbor seems to be very interested in that fact. Henri runs off to join the circus and, using his ability, starts to train fleas. Mrs. Black pursues him at every turn. As time goes on Henri becomes interested in finding the legendary Goliathus Hercules beetle and with the help of his friends he sets off to British Malaya to do so. Unfortunately, Mrs. Black follows and it becomes a race to discover the beetle first. In addition, something strange is happening to Henri. Will Henri find the beetle or his father?

This book was not at all what I expected. The cover makes it look like it will be a more serious book but instead it is very much a fantasy and an odd one at that. I didn't really like it and it took me quite awhile to finish it.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know a young reader whose is fascinated by insects, this is a must read. Author Jennifer Angus takes us back to Victorian times in the story of 12-year-old Henri Bell who is sent from England to America and discovers a strange and amazing skill: he can talk with insects. This sets off a series of adventures that reminded me of Water for Elephants (yes, there is a circus), the Lost City of Z (the story of a Victorian search for a mythical Amazonian Atlantis), with a layering of more fantastical stories such as Kafka's Metamorphosis. As a bonus it is filled with the author's wonderful insect illustrations and lots of entomological knowledge. I would have loved to curl up with this book as a 12-year-old after a hard day of chasing insects with my homemade net of cheesecloth, coat hanger and broomstick.

[Ms.Gaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

When this book first arrived at my desk and I saw the cover, I thought I had made a mistake. Huh! I thought, why did I request this book? But I glanced through it and decided it was worth a try. I'm glad I did. Angus' first novel is well done although lacking in some areas. The main characters are believable except for Mrs. Black - I kept hoping for more information about her and I never felt she was fully explained. The story drew me in immediately and kept my attention 'til the end, always keeping some mystery unsolved or a suspenseful event on the verge of becoming a disaster.

The illustrations are very cool and it's great how so many interesting bug facts are easily slipped into the story.

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henri is a normal nineteenth-century boy until he goes to live with his aunt. There he starts to realize that he can speak to insects. But he runs away to the circus to escape his aunt's sinister neighbor, Mrs. Black, who might know his secret.

I liked how this story combined a mystery about Henri's father's disappearance, the mystery of Mrs. Black's motive and powers, and an adventure about life in the circus. There is, of course, a search for a large insect known as the Goliathus Hercules as well.

In the end, I had niggling questions remaining about how some of the magic worked, but I did like IN SEARCH OF GOLIATHUS HERCULES. Few books are so passionate about the insect world, and Jennifer Angus clearly knows her subject.

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

After his father disappears while on a jungle expedition, young Henri Bell is sent to live with an aunt in America. There he develops the ability to talk to insects. This leads Henri to the circus (in part to escape the notice of an evil neighbor) where he eventually decides to return home and mount an expedition to find his father and capture a specimen only heard of never seen, the goliathus hercules.
This was a fascinating read but it was one I would have to walk away from and come back to often. The events and the insect world were quite intriguing, but I felt unsatisfied with the ending. Several loose ends made me wonder if things were left open for a possible sequel. I would recommend to strong readers who don't mind details and want something different.

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angus creates a fascinating world that I truly loved.
It was right up my alley. I do have some residual guilt because Henri, the MC, believes it is wrong to kill insects and his evil nemesis is a bug killer. As a lifelong insect collector, I'm a bit more comfortable with killing the occasional bug for science.
C'est la vie. Or, c'est la mort, in this case. RIP bugs I have killed!

This book is lovely-- the mystery and the quest were compelling, the characters fascinating, and the settings delightful.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henri discovers he can communicate with insects. And with that, this story becomes immediately strange and intriguing. Several mysteries intertwine: the fate of Henri's missing father, the search for a mythical beetle, Henri's discovery of his own physical transformation, and the very presence of a Villain whose motivations are never completely revealed. Overall, I enjoyed this adventure story with elements of circus, friendship, and scientific discovery.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how this book started, but the second half strained credibility for me. I loved how different it was from other fiction out there (I’d consider this more middle-grade than teen) and I give the author credit for originality. Part of the problem for me was that, despite his reasons for being independent at a young age, Henry still seemed way too old for his age, and his independence unlikely even in another time. Loved the artwork.

[Kasey Cocoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable story with lovable characters. While it has a bit of a slow start it sets the stage for the main character, Henri. There were a few oddities and plot slips that left questions in my mind but I doubt the age group it's aimed for would be as pedantic. It's done well enough to please the young mind and for a first attempt it's actually quite good.

[Emily Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fantasy. I think my fourth graders would have loved it. Especially the boys. This is such an open ended book that I am thinking a sequel is in the works! I certainly hope so. This book would lead to great discussions.

[Teresa]

Ryan (12) read this and really liked it

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2...

[Carla A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, I am pretty stingy with the 5 but an excellently creepy read that you can recommend to any "advanced reader" (cough cough) who loves Roland Dahl.