Prince Zaleski and Cummings Monk by M.P. Shiel

Prince Zaleski and Cummings King Monk

by M.P. Shiel

Reintroduce yourself to another classic author of Arkham House; M.P. Shiel. We have found some excellent reviews by the readers of his day. We'd like to share those with you.

Matthew Phipps Shiel (1865-1947) began life in the West Indies of Irish parentage and later studied languages and medicine in London, before the appearance of his first book PRINCE ZALESKI, in 1895. He subsequently wrote over thirty novels including such classic works as THE LORD OF THE SEA, THE YELLOW DANGER, HOW THE OLD WOMAN GOT HOME, and his science fiction masterpiece, THE PURPLE CLOUD. Shiel’s shorter macabre fiction, collected in Arkham House’s XELUCHA AND OTHERS, embraces several of the finest weird tales written during the present century, and compellingly evinces the fanciful imagination and magical command of the English language possessed by this Grand Viscount of the Grotesque.

Here's what they said about Prince Zaleski and Cummings King Monk:

Prince Zaleski: "Mr. M. P. Shiel has in this volume produced something which is always rare, and which is every year becoming a greater rarity - a work of literary invention characterized by substantial novelty. We have Poe's analysis and Poe's glamour, but they are no longer distinct; they are combined in a new synthesis which stamps a new imaginative impression. A finely wrought structure in which no single line impairs the symmetry and proportion. One of the most boldly planned and strikingly executed stories of its kind which has appeared for many a long day. We believe there is nothing in Prince Zaleski which that great inventor and masterly manipulator of the spoils of invention (Poe) would have disdained to father." - Daily Chronicle.

"Should obtain popularity. Written in an easy and clear style. The author shows an amount of ingenuity and capacity for plot considerably above the average. The reader will find it difficult to put the book down before he has satisfied his curiosity to the last page. - Weekly Sun.

"There is a strange, fantastic ingenuity in all the stories, while a strong dash of mysticism gives them a peculiar flavour that differentiates them from the ordinary detective story. They are clever and curious, and will appeal to all lovers of the transcendental and improbable." - The Scotsman.

"Thoroughly entertaining, and the chief figure is undeniably picturesque." - Yorkshire Post.

"An abundance of ingenuity and quaint out-of-the-way learning mark the three stories contained in this volume." - Liverpool Mercury.

"He has imparted to the three tales in this volume something of that atmosphere of eerie fantasy which Poe knew how to conjure, proceeding by the analysis of a baffling intricacy of detail to an unforeseen conclusion. The themes and their treatment are alike highly imaginative." - Daily News.

"Manifestly written by one of Poe's true disciples. His analytical skill is not that of the detective, even of so brilliant a detective as Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Probably his exploits will interest the public far less than did those of Mr. Doyle's famous character; but the select few, who can appreciate delicate work, will delight in them exceedingly." - Speaker. "Truth to tell we like our Sherlock better in his new dress. The book will please those who love a good old-fashioned riddle, and a good new-fangled answer." - National Observer.

Has genuine literary merit, and possesses entrancing interest. A kind of Sherlock Holmes though of a far more finished type than Mr. Conan Doyle's famous creation. The remarkable ingenuity of Mr. Shiel - worthy of Edgar Allen Poe at his best - in tracing out the mystery surrounding the death of Lord Pharanx, the Stone of the Edmundsbury Monks, and the Society of Sparta, constitutes a veritable tour de force. We have nothing but praise for this extraordinarily clever and interesting volume." - Whitehall Review.

"Worked out very ingeniously, and we are thoroughly impressed by the Prince's mental powers." - Sunday Times.

Order Now!

A big thank you to John D. Squires of JDS Books/The Vainglory Press for gathering these reviews. Look for Mr. Squires upcoming essay on Shiel's Prince Zaleski in an upcoming issue of the "New York Review of Science Fiction."