The Somnambulist

The Somnambulist

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3.23 of 5 stars 3.23  ·  rating details  ·  2,736 ratings  ·  587 reviews
Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. Needless to say, I doubt you'll believe a word of it.

Once the toast of good society in Victoria's England, the extraordinary conjurer Edward Moon no longer commands the respect or inspires the awe that he did in earlier times. Despite having previously unraveled more than sixty perplexing criminal puzzles (to the delig...more
Hardcover, 353 pages
Published February 5th 2008 by William Morrow (first published January 22nd 2007)
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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)
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Jason Pettus
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)

Regular readers know that I am a big fan of the unique subgenre known as "steampunk," but might not know what exactly steampunk is; and similarly, regular readers also know that one of the issues often tackled here at CCLaP is the difference between so-called "genre" projects and so-called "mainstream...more
Peggy
I’ve been a reader all my life. I majored in English in college and grad school, and I’ve worked in bookstores since 1992, most of that as a buyer. I’m surrounded by books at home and work and I see new ones every day. It’s sometimes difficult to quantify why certain books speak to us; why we pick up this book, but not that one.

Other times, it’s not difficult at all:

Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. It is a lurid piece of nonsense, convoluted, implausible, peopled by unconvi...more
Brad
I should never read the plaudits plastered on the cover of a book, nor those that litter the first few pages. I am invariably annoyed by what I find and occasionally even led astray. Luckily with John Barnes’ The Somnambulist, I was mostly faced with the former brand of upset.

According to the book company, Barnes’ style is a mix of Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Susannah Clarke and a little bit of Carl Hiassen. And maybe there is something to these comparisons, but mostly I think these names are laz...more
Colleen
2 1/2

Overall my impression of this book was 'meh'. It wasn't great... it wasn't horrible. It was just sort of there...

I had high hopes for this story, being a fan of stories set in Victoriana, of Poe's and Doyle's mysteries, and of the strange and outre - but I just couldn't find myself caring all that much about this story.

For one thing I don't recall ever wondering, when I read those other mystery stories, how the detective of the story got the reputation for being so great. Edward Moon seeme...more
Tara
May 01, 2008 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mystery and fantasy lovers
I dare you to read the first two pages and not want to finish the rest of the book.

Part Victorian murder mystery, part fantastical alternate history with a liberal dash of lexigraphical acrobatics The Somnambulist combines a labyrinthine plot with haunting characters and an unreliable narrator which coalesces into an unexpected crescendo no one could anticipate.

The Somnambulist is a bald, mute giant of man who when pierced with swords does not bleed. His almost constant companion is Edward Moon,...more
Rick
Jan 31, 2008 Rick rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: horror
Jonathan Barnes' brilliant debut novel, The Somnambulist, chronicles the late Victorian-era adventures of a legendary magician-cum-detective Edward Moon and his mute, hulking, hairless sidekick, known only as the Somnambulist. The two investigate a series of bizarre murders, meet a cadre of eccentrics, and involve themselves in several strange incidents that culminate in a plot to destroy and remake London.

The unreliable, unnamed narrator, who frequently raves like a madman, issues a warning in...more
Juushika
In Victorian London, aging magician and detective Edward Moon, accompanied by his assistant, a giant known only as the Somnambulist, are called in to investigate the most bizarre of murders. As Moon's investigation continues, he uncovers a plot against the state—a plot which, after long preparation and much waiting, is now only days from being put into action. The Somnambulist is set in a world not quite like our own, colored by steampunk and fantasy and populated by a cast of bizarre, slightly...more
Kit
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Jenne
So, imagine that a magician/private detective, a time-traveler, a medium, a medium-debunker, a Scotland Yard inspector, a housekeeper, a bearded-lady of the evening, a shadowy government organization, a company called Love, a sinister "Oriental", a sideshow freak, a corpulent prisoner, a corrupt gaoler, two schoolboy hit-men, two vengeful mothers, the animated corpse of a famous poet, and a mysterious mute giant with a milk-drinking habit all run into each other in post-Victorian London, and the...more
Rachel
Feb 11, 2009 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars
Shelves: crap
A couple of rip-off Croup and Vandemar wannabes and the mention (i refuse to say allusion, because that would imply that it somehow honors or preserves the integrity of the original) of Samuel Taylor Coolridge doth not a similarity to Neil Gaiman make. The preposterous suggestion that this book was "a fantastic journey in the spirit of Neverwhere" duped me into buying this block of bound-together toilet tissue. I finished it out of a combination of devastating idleness (I was job-searching at th...more
Stefan
I finished this novel a couple of days ago and haven't written anything about it so far because, honestly, I can't think of anything relevant that hasn't been written before in other reviews. It's a very good novel, somewhere between historical fantasy and horror, with a dark, witty sense of humor and an interesting narrative style. It's set in Victorian London, but the city in the book falls somewhere between China Mieville's New Crobuzon and Neal Gaiman's "Neverwhere". (Although, come to think...more
John Buckler
Nov 14, 2008 John Buckler rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Nobody
I wanted to like this book so much, but I just couldn't do it. It had an interesting story about the city of London, and the world in general during the the late 1800's, yet it wasn't written very well. I tried so hard to enjoy it, but then I realized that I was pretty much just trying to finish it, as I was curious to how it ended. I liken it to watching a terrible movie at 3 in the morning. You pretty much now how it's going to end, and you know you should just turn it off and go to sleep, yet...more
Mark
Edward Moon, this book’s main protagonist, is a has-been stage magician and, until a bad bit of luck several years earlier that sullied his reputation, a renowned amateur detective whose skills and methods have an uncanny resemblance to Sherlock Holmes. The story is even set in Victorian England. The Somnambulist, for whom this book is named, actually has little to do with its overall plot. He is Moon’s assistant and friend, and an unusual fellow to say the least. Hairless, huge, strong, and mut...more
Donna
I have to admit I kept reading this just out of curiosity of how it would all end. I mean, any book that has a bearded lady prostitute, a giant who can have swords driven right thru him without bleeding or even be hurt, is one that rouses my curiosity. The characters are definitely unlike any I had read about before, which also kept me going. I was disappointed in the main character, though. Edward Moon is supposedly a legend in his own time, renowned for solving murders. I know his prime was su...more
Cherie
The Somnambulist is a dark fantasy sort of mystery that takes place in turn-of-the-century Victorian England. It follow the adventures of Edward Moon, stage magician and part-time detective, and his loyal sidekick the Somnambulist. When a series of bizarre murders and strange disappearances starts taking place throughout London, the Directorate turns to Moon to help them figure out what's going on. But as the investigation proceeds, and the cryptic messages from medium Madame Innocenti start to...more
Brooke
When I read the "If you liked these , you will love The Somnambulist" list that Borders put together, I decided that Jonathan Barnes' debut would have to land on my "favorites" list. It was compared to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Neverwhere, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and The Prestige, some of my most favorite things ever. It was probably a mistake going into it with such high expectations, because although it was an excellent book, I felt disappointed after I turned the last...more
Stephanie Griffin
This is Jonathan Barnes’ first novel. Set in Victorian London, the story centers around a man named Edward Moon, a has-been conjurer. He has a mute side-kick named The Somnambulist. The mystery of the story is why two unrelated men have each fallen to their deaths.

In the course of the story we are introduced to a wide array of vivid characters, each with their own quirkiness. I will never forget some, such as the Prefects! :-)

I don’t understand why the book is titled “The Somnambulist”. It is o...more
Amy
Apr 06, 2008 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mary
Today I finally finished The Somnabulist by Jonathan Barnes. If you liked The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon or Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold (which I think is the slightly better of the two novels reminiscent of one another), you would like this. It takes place in Victorian London and has many fantasy/ mystery elements (including time travel and assassins with names like "The Mongoose"). The book is exciting, sometimes a little tedious and best read when y...more
Eijomio23
Ugh. Utter crap.

The opening 100 pages or so a great, lots of intriguing characters, mysteries, supernatural goings-ons. But then, as the story progresses, it becomes more and more of a (if I may apply a literary term) clusterfuck. It's just a mess of idiocy, none of it particularly interesting. By the end, the main characters become lost in a crowd of Johnny-Come-Latelys that exert way too much influence over the story.

And what do we call them, boys and girls? Deus ex machinas!
That's right. A...more
Jake Zavracky
Astonishing. It's almost like an adult Alice in Wonderland in which you follow the protagonist through a dream world of grotesque characters. Completely engrossing; it reads fast but it's still written with an eloquence you might not be used to in a fantasy novel (for lack of a better description; it's very hard to fit into a genre).
Elizabeth
After reading a review (in the Times, I think), I was excited to pick up this book, since Victorian crime novels--whether written in that time or simply set in that time--are my favorite mind-candy. I was disappointed in this book, which unravelled quickly, and was very predictable. I could see the connections between characters and events coming a mile away, and was not seduced enough by the language to keep my head in the game. If you love London, get this out from the library and read it on a...more
Margaret
A frustrating book in that it started strongly and then dissolved into a muddle about a third of the way through. The plot loosely hangs together, but (a) emphasis on "loosely," and (b) with no real underpinnings in logic or why we should care. Even fantasy (this book reads like a fantastic mystery or a mysterious fantasy - take your pick) needs logical, thought through in some detail and depth, underpinnings. Here, the plot and "purpose for being" of the book and the solution to the opening mur...more
Kit
May 30, 2013 Kit rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: own
Overall Rating: Intriguing
The plot of the story is rather predictable at times, but also delightfully opaque at others. I enjoyed the steampunk feel and the unusual cast of characters that Barnes creates. He does a fairly decent job with characterization, though there are times where it leaves me in wont. I particularly enjoyed the twist with the narrator, that was very clever, but more importantly it adds to the symbolic meaning of the work. At face value, this book is a good read, equipped wit...more
Mark
An interesting book, marketed as a mystery, but that's not quite it. Instead it is about an aging stage magician, who occasionally moonlights as a detective, his sidekick, the mute hairless giant of the title, and his last case, a conspiracy involving the utopian dreams of a long-dead poet. And it all takes place at that nicely in-between time when the 19th century became the 20th. It's not quite a mystery though, so much as a study in atmosphere. So what did I like about this book? First I love...more
Inga
Jonathas Barnes' Buch Das Albtraumreich des Edward Moon ist eine Genre-Mischung sondergleichen. Es ist nicht zu entscheiden, ob es nun Fantasy, Krimi oder Gothic Novel sein will.
Edward Moon ist Zauberkünstler und Detektiv in einem, allerdings hat er den Zenit des Erfolgs bereits überschritten, soll nun aber in einem sehr sonderbaren Fall ermitteln, bei dem die Polizei nicht weiterkommt. Begleitet wird er von dem Schlafwandler (englischer Titel des Buches The Somnambulist), einem stummen Hünen, d...more
Martin
If a novel or any other text begins with: "You will be highly disappointed with the quality of this work", then two things happen tend to happen. First of all you will most likely be disappointed with the quality of the work and second you will start to doubt the confidence of the author in his own writing skills. The intended effect 'the book is so amazing that adding this sentence will make it even more wondrous' will not happen since all the reader remembers is 'you will be highly disappointe...more
Zagadka
It was a while ago now that I read this, but here goes...

Very rarely do I hate books, but this one pushed hate buttons I didn't know I had. And I don't mean that I hated characters that were villains doing evil things or some such. I actually tend toward liking a book that makes me have strong feelings about characters, plot, setting, etc. I mean that I hated the BOOK, in total. Masses of useless information, boring and pointless character eccentricities, things that are developed as though they...more
Kristen
This is one of the most bizarre books I've ever read. That's not to say bad, because I did find it held my interest and it was unquestionably a good story, but I don't think anything I could say in a review would be helpful to allow others to decide if it's for them or not.

The book is nearly 300 pages long, and I honestly did not have a single clue about what the heck was going on until about the last 25 pages or so.

The story starts out as a murder investigation, with a celebrated London detect...more
David Sproat
"Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever."

I could not have put it better myself,

Alright, perhaps that is a bit of an extreme statement, but to believe it would not be a stretch to far for the imagination. When browsing the book shop i would have been well advised to follow the old adage "Don't judge a book by it's cover." But alas i was taken in by the fancy cover and, all too familiar critical recommendation on the reverse.

Before i come to the reason i ended up disliking the book...more
Jazzmyn
my cousin handed me this book randomly while we were searching the shelves at the library. I decided, after a moments hesitation, to be adventurous and give the book a try. I was very glad that i did. The Somnambulist is an incredibly quirky piece of writing, and i thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent reading this book. Jonathon Barnes has beautiful voice and an elegant vocabulary to describe the perverted, disgustingly ugly side of mankind. The characters are described in a very unflattering m...more
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The Somnambulist in the Somnambulist 4 38 May 31, 2013 07:52pm  
The Somnambulist (Paperback)
The Somnambulist (Paperback)
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The Somnambulist (Hardcover)
Das Albtraumreich Des Edward Moon (Paperback)

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Jonathan Barnes is the author of two novels, The Somnambulist and The Domino Men. He contributes regularly to the Times Literary Supplement and the Literary Review and is the author of several scripts for Big Finish Productions. He is currently writer-in-residence at Kingston University.

More about Jonathan Barnes...
The Domino Men Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Perfidious Mariner Doctor Who: 1001 Nights

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“I have long believed the city, the country, indeed the world at large to be run by precisely the wrong kind of people. From the government to the great financial institutions, the peerage to the police force, our lives are controlled without exception by the stupid and greedy, the venal, the rapacious and the undeservedly rich. How much more comfortable would it be if the rulers of the world were not the cognoscenti of the bank balance, the ballot box, the offshore account, but were drawn instead from the ranks of the everyday - honest, kind, stout-hearted, commonplace folk.” 4 people liked it
“The city defeated him. It refused to be bent into shape; it stayed a willful, sprawling, sinful place. It even told him as much. When he walked through the gutted wreck of old Saint Paul's, he tripped and fell over a piece of rubble -- a tombstone. When he got to his feet and dusted himself down he saw that it read, in Latin, 'Resurgam' -- 'I Will Rise Again.” 2 people liked it
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