A form of Fantasy that has decided to wear the skin of 19th Century Europe, but then spill a load of steam and diesel over it.
Now, before we begin, I am just going to take a small, minor issue with the cover. See the quote from one Michael Moorcock: “The best debut novel I have read in ages”. One would naturally assume that this would be the first book.
Funnily enough, dear reader, it is the second book in the series. Which is one of many issues present with The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man. Owing to this quote, and the fact that the blurb on my copy was for the first book. I went into this one quite confused about why the story was talking about the blurb like it had already happened. Lesson learned: Never trust a blurb.
We follow the King’s Agent, Sir Francis Burton and his drunken poet associate, Algernon Swinburne as bound across England and Europe. First of all their looking for lost jewels, then they’re looking for a missing heir, then their on the trail of a ghost murder and then…
…Well, you can see what the issue is here.
Now, as this is the SECOND book in the series (not a debut novel, Mr Moorcock) the world is a lot to get used to. We have historical figures far removed from what they were in reality and twisted into their own forms – Isambard Kingdom Brunel is part of a massive mechanical machine is the easiest example I can think of. You have two warring factions over the use of technology, each side laced with names of historical figures attached to characters so scarred and disfigured one wonders why Hodder used them. And I get the whole point is that its 1862 but not as it should be, but with the amount of changes and bits of magic happening, one wonders if moving the story to a fantasy setting that is like London wouldn’t have done the story more good.
I’m afraid it gets worse doctor. The characters are mostly two dimensional cutouts, ready to say their part and repeat it if necessary. Stare long enough dear reader and you can see the poor stagehand intern’s arms tremble as they move yet more NPCs in and out of view. The only character with any depth, and by that I mean a sheer millimetre, is Burton. But he is the main character, the protagonist, the intelligent King’s agent. Of course he needs to see the deeper meaning. He is also constantly plagued by the possible death of a former colleague who tried to pip him to the post of finding the mysterious source of the Nile.
So I finished this book in about five days. At the end of it I was mostly neutral towards it. Part of it, such as the street philosopher, had caught and charmed me. Other parts, such as the cannibalistic heir-who-is-not (and why does it take so long for the story to get over this?) lost me.
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man is an ambitious book. A high shooting sequel that sadly doesn’t hit its mark. The titular Clockwork Man is present throughout as a mystery, background feature before coming to the forefront in the finale and was one of the few bit that did click for me. Somewhat.
Would I recommend this? Only if you read the first book (The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack) and enjoyed it. Or if you want to see how far London can be removed from its historical setting before it stops being London. There is no EPUB copy for me to link today so I am afraid you will have to look in charity shops, as I had to, to pick this up if morbidly interested.
Final Score: 6/10
Letter Rating: C
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