Be the first to ask a question about The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. Lists with This Book. Fans of Victorian mysteries. I can relate to that. Home is where your heart is. And I really enjoyed the start. Hume's style was initially fast paced and far more fresh and lively than most Victorian authors.
I really engaged with the characters. But I have to go on my own reading experience and for me the pace fell off and I had to read the ending twice to figure out the killer's motivation.
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume
And I am tougher on the murder mystery genre as I read so many of them View all 5 comments. Jul 26, Kim rated it liked it Shelves: I would have known nothing about this novel and its author had it not been for listening to an interview with the author of this book. The interview left me intrigued. At the time I was about to spend a weekend in Melbourne, so downloading the work, which is well and truly in the public domain, seemed like a good idea.
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The fact that it took me quite a few weeks to read, even though it's a relatively short work is an indication that I found it less than compelling. However, there wasn't a time wh I would have known nothing about this novel and its author had it not been for listening to an interview with the author of this book. However, there wasn't a time when I considered abandoning it.
The backstory of the author, the fact that the novel was a 19th century bestseller that out sold Conan Doyle's first work and its setting in a city I know all made me push through. As the title suggests, this is a whodunnit. There's a murder, a police officer or two, a falsely accused hero, a loyal heroine and some shady characters from the Melbourne underworld. It has the requisite number of red herrings, some rather stilted dialogue and a resolution that can't really be worked out from clues in the narrative.
Crime fiction fans with an interest in the beginnings of the genre will be more interested in this work than others.
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It's not really something for the casual reader. The bottom line is that I really liked this book -- another ahhhhh read in my history-of-mystery project for It is yet another one, like The Leavenworth Case that comes right down to the wire in unmasking the killer, and yet another that belongs in the category of classic mystery fiction. The story itself is a mix of crime, investigations, courtroom drama, melodrama, and elements of sensation fiction, complete with dark secrets from the past. The novel begins with a report from the Argus o The bottom line is that I really liked this book -- another ahhhhh read in my history-of-mystery project for The novel begins with a report from the Argus on "Saturday, the 28th of July, " telling its readers of an "extraordinary murder" that occurred in a most unlikely place -- a hansom cab: Indeed, from the nature of the crime itself, the place where it was committed, and the fact that the assassin has escaped without leaving a trace behind him, it would seem as though the case itself had been taken bodily out of one of Gaboriau's novels, and that his famous detective Lecoq would only be able to unravel it.
True, there are detectives: At the same time, others are also doing their own bit of detection in this story, so to limit it by giving it the label of detective fiction isn't exactly right. It also delivers some pretty strong commentary and criticism on society of the time, which is, I think, one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. The book is also notable for its view of contemporary Melbourne -- it takes the reader through the city streets, from the gentility of the city's gentlemen's clubs down into its darker dens of vice. Add to that the elements of sensation fiction which I love and the characterizations; putting aside the melodrama, it all made for a couple of days of reading pleasure.
It also really messes with reader expectations in a very big way. Malcolm Royston, a cabman, was driving in Collins Street East, Melbourne at 1am on the 27th July when he was hailed by a gentleman who appeared to be supporting another man, presumably under the influence of too much liquor. But suddenly the good Samaritan appeared to recognise the Malcolm Royston, a cabman, was driving in Collins Street East, Melbourne at 1am on the 27th July when he was hailed by a gentleman who appeared to be supporting another man, presumably under the influence of too much liquor. But suddenly the good Samaritan appeared to recognise the drunken man, and allowing him to slump to the ground, rushed off in disgust.
Rousing him with difficulty Royston finally managed to make out that the man wanted to go to St Kilda — after navigating him into his cab, which turned out to be a bit of a struggle, he was about to drive off when the original man returned. He declared he would see the drunk home after all and entered the cab, seating himself next to the gentleman — Royston then proceeded to head for St Kilda. But a little later Royston found himself heading to the Police Station — the following investigation had the police convinced they had found their murderer; the ease of the arrest thrilled the investigative officer, Mr Gorby, immensely.
What would he find? How would the lives of the participating players of this drama be affected? What an entertaining mystery! Written back in the s it covers everything needed for a good mystery, with a number of characters, eccentric and otherwise. It was a little tedious to read at times, but I suppose that might have to do with the time it was written. Magda was kind enough to send me a long list of excellent authors, including Fergus Hume.
Unable to get his plays even looked at — much less staged — he instead turned out his first mystery, The Mystery of the Hansom Cab , in The novel begins in colonial Australia with a cabbie picking up two gentlemen in evening dress, one of whom was falling-down drunk.
How can the authorities track down the accompanying gentleman, who must surely be the murderer? Kilsip, has very different ideas. As with any good 19th century mystery, more evidence will emerge that leads Mr.
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab
Gorby to reopen the case, and the two rivals will vie — along with the defense attorney Duncan Calton — to be the one to bring the true murderer to justice. King , or P. The Mystery of the Hansom Cab provides readers with a taste of an Australian classic, indeed, one that predates the Australian federation by 15 years. View all 4 comments. Dec 02, George K. Hume was born in England, but migrated to Australia — living in Melbourne.
This was his first mystery, and became a huge bestseller. He went on to write about one-hundred additional mysteries, but most of them have been forgotten. This first novel is still read, and not just by Australians. The Hansom cab, named after its inventor, an English architect named Joseph Hansom, was still fairly new. It was popular because of its small size, a size that could fit well within growing cities traffic. The story line in this book tells of two men who get into a cab, but only one gets out. The one left was later discovered by the driver to be dead. He had been murdered by means of chloroform.
There were no other witnesses. This novel, even after so many years, still reads well. Many of the tricks of the writing trade were used in its production so that it still seems fresh.
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It is well worth a read by the serious mystery fan. A fun mystery - parts were a little predictable but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment. Hume managed to keep me wondering about who the culprit was right to the end. Fergus Hume was born in England in His family emigrated to Australia, where he became a barrister and aspired to be a writer. His early efforts were met with complete disinterest, and so, unwilling to admit defeat, he asked a local bookseller what type of book was most popular.
The answer was detective novels, and so Hume bought and studied all of the works of the popular crime writer Emile Gaboriau that the bookstore had to offer. That first book though was his only success.
And it was a huge success; quite probably the best-selling detective story of the eighteenth century. Other books of the period may have stood the test of time better, may speak for their times more eloquently; other authors may have left a greater body of work; but this book has much to hold the interest. The book opens with a newspaper account of a murder.
A drunken man had been put into a cab by another man, who instructed the driver to take him home. And when the driver stopped to ask his fare for directions not long afterwards, his passenger was dead, suffocated with a chloroform soaked handkerchief bearing the initials OW. Mr Gorby, the police detective at the head of the investigation, was very capable, and he was quick to establish that the dead man was Oliver Whyte, a newcomer to Melbourne society.
It was interesting that Whyte had been courting Madge Frettlby, who was the only child of Mark Frettlby, one of the richest men in the city. Whyte and Fitzgerald were, understandably, on very bad terms. He was convinced that he had his man. Fitzgerald pleaded innocence, but herefused to provide an alibi for the time of the murder.
He had one, but he would not use it because he knew that to do so would cause irreparable damage. It was fortunate that his lawyer, Mr Calton believed him, and prepared to investigate. Another police detective, Mr Kilslip, was convinced that his old rival, Mr Gorby, had got things wrong; and so the two men set out to uncover the truth. They came to understand why Fitzgerald wanted to keep a secret that he wished he had never been told, a terrible secret, with roots in England and Australia, involving some of the highest and some of the lowest of Melbourne society …..
The plot rattled along nicely, from crime, to investigation, to trial, to aftermath. And as it did that it shifted from crime story to sensation story.
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Hume did better with the former than the latter, and though I enjoyed most of the journey in the end I could see how things were going to play out and ready for the journey to be over. But I had found much to appreciate along the way: I admired the professionalism of the police and lawyers, and I was pleased that they all proved to be capable.
I liked that there was some moral ambiguity in the way the story played out. And I found it easy to believe in these people, to believe in their world, and to enjoy spending time there. A hint of misogyny was disappointing, but Madge did develop into a credible heroine — albeit a woman of her time — after a shaky start, and this was a story about plot much more than characters. The characters did their job but no more. Fergus Hume is nowhere near their class, but he has left the world a rather nice period entertainment, pitched at a very interesting point in the evolution of crime fiction.
Sep 10, Dfordoom rated it liked it Shelves: If asked to name the bestselling mystery novel of the 19th century, most people would probably suggest something by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, possibly The Hound of the Baskervilles. Hume was born in England but brought up in New Zealand, and was living in Australia when he wrote the book.
The book is set in Melbourne. He went on to write a further crime novels. The book opens with a cabby disco If asked to name the bestselling mystery novel of the 19th century, most people would probably suggest something by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, possibly The Hound of the Baskervilles. The book opens with a cabby discovering a dead man, identity unknown, in his hansom cab. There are dreadful family secrets.
There are surprise witnesses. There is a convoluted plot involving some unlikely coincidences. The final resolution is suspiciously neat. One interesting feature is that both the detectives involved in the case are police detectives rather than amateur sleuths, and both police officers are shown to be intelligent and efficient, and very professional. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab was immensely influential at the time, and was a worldwide bestseller.
Conan Doyle is known to have read it. Just saying, if the author's foreword includes spoilers to the solution of the mystery, it really oughta be an afterword. Aside from that, about 2. The mystery was of average complexity, the characters and storytelling style pretty melodramatic I got an ironic chuckle out of the fact that The Leavenworth Case was mentioned and referred to as "light" reading, when I'd rate The Mystery of a Hansom Cab rather lighter.
Probably the most fun aspect was the setting of Victorian-era Australia, Just saying, if the author's foreword includes spoilers to the solution of the mystery, it really oughta be an afterword. Probably the most fun aspect was the setting of Victorian-era Australia, as I've read almost nothing else set there and the descriptions of the time and place were all fresh to me.
As a mystery I must admit it is a bit slight and the identity of the killer is given away very early in the piece, but for this reader its main charm lies in its depiction of my own home town, Melbourne, Australia, where the novel was written and set. The novel takes us to the moneyed salons of The Melbourne Club, the elegance of The Block, the slums of Little Bourke Street, the sweet sea air of St Kilda and the sweltering heat of a Victorian rural station, all of which are evoked with the authenticity that can only be attained by an eye-witness.
After qualifying as a lawyer, he left New Zealand for the most dynamic city of the colonies at the time, Marvellous Melbourne. There, however, rather than settling for a career in the law, Hume was determined to make a name for himself as a writer. After failing to interest any of the theatres in his plays, Hume decided to write a novel, but not just any novel, a best-seller. Enquiring of a bookseller what kind of novel was the most popular, he was told it was the detective mysteries of Emile Gaboriau.
A dashing young man about town is found drunk in a city street. A man who appears to know him hails a hansom cab and offers to accompany the drunk to his home, but half way there the Good Samaritan seems to argue with his friend and gets out of the cab, sending the driver on. When the driver tries to rouse his remaining passenger he finds him dead. Thus begins a mystery that incorporates all the elements one expects from a nineteenth century melodrama — a beautiful and innocent young heiress, a terrible secret, and an honourable young man who would rather face death than reveal it.
It is much livened by some rather eccentric characters including an alcoholic slum matriarch, a pair of garrulous landladies, and two rival detectives each pursuing opposing lines of investigation. Having written his novel, Hume approached several publishers and came up against an attitude that still lingers today, that nothing good could possibly come out of Australia. So Hume did what many authors are still forced to do.
He scraped the money together to self-publish his book. Hume did not see another penny for sales of ,, or the stage adaptation which ran in London for nights. Hume followed his creation to London where he continued his career as a writer, but without ever again seeing the success of his first novel. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is an entertaining mystery in its own right, a remarkable example of the origins of the detective novel, and a delightful evocation of its time and place. It is well worth reading. An unknown man is found dead in a hansom cab late one night.
How did he die? Earlier, this man and another unknown man had hailed a hansom cab and had asked to be taken to St Kilda. The unknown man changed his mind and walked away. Then the man appeared to change his mind again, and got into the hansom cab. Part way through the journey he asks the cab driver to stop, gets out, and heads back to the city. A little further on, the cab driver, trying to establish exactly which address he is to attend, discovers the dead body of the man in the back of his cab. The police first need to identify the victim.
Once they do, they then move quite quickly to arrest and charge a man with his murder. A parody edition, titled The Mystery of a Wheelbarrow , is attributed to a W. In , the book was again adapted into a film with a screenplay by Eliot Stannard. Bramble, James Dale, and Arthur Walcott. A remake of the version of the film was produced in , in Australia.
Another film version was released in Michael Rodger adapted the story as a stage play in and a radio promotion in by Queensland Performing Arts Trust. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab London edition The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. Criminal justice portal Literature portal Novels portal. A Companion to Australian Literature since A Companion to Crime Fiction. A History of the Book in Australia — A National Culture in a Colonised Market. University of Queensland Press. A History of Victoria. Vintage Mystery and Detective Stories.
Topical Writings of Miles Franklin. The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film. The Saga of Australian Film, — A Concise History of Australia. The Oxford History of the Novel in English: The Reinvention of the British and Irish Novel — The Cambridge History of Australian Literature. The Text Publishing Company.
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