Edgar Huntly or, Memoirs of a Sleep-Walker

by Charles Brockden Brown, Norman S. Grabo (Introduction)

One of the first American Gothic novels, Edgar Huntly (1799) mirrors the social and political temperaments of the postrevolutionary United States. 

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Gothic, 18th Century, School, American, Horror

285 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1799

About the author

Charles Brockden Brown (January 17, 1771 – February 22, 1810), an American novelist, historian, and editor of the Early National period, is generally regarded by scholars as the most ambitious and accomplished US novelist before James Fenimore Cooper. He is the most frequently studied and republished practitioner of the "early American novel," or the US novel between 1789 and roughly 1820. Although Brown was by no means the first American novelist, as some early criticism claimed, the breadth and complexity of his achievement as a writer in multiple genres (novels, short stories, essays and periodical writings of every sort, poetry, historiography, reviews) makes him a crucial figure in US literature and culture of the 1790s and first decade of the 19th century, and a significant public intellectual in the wider Atlantic print culture and public sphere of the era of the French Revolution.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could like this novel more than I do, but (as with Weiland), although it is innovative, although it possesses all the plot ingredients and much of the atmosphere for a first-class, genuinely American gothic novel, yet its prose is so pedestrian, its structure so flawed, its imagery so disorganized and its narrative so lacking in either suspense or drive that I had difficulty completing it. And yet . . . old growth forests, forbidding mountain crags and precipices, sinister caverns, marauding Indians, a mad Irish immigrant with a violent history, sleepwalkers, important documents buried under a tree, wooden chests with secret compartments: it's all here, like the antique furniture of a ruined gothic mansion strewn randomly across a lawn.

I have to admit, though, that the conclusion of the book is interesting. Although we question many of narrator Huntly's interpretations of reality, we grow to trust his moral instincts and his evaluation of character, in spite of how extreme some of his actions may be. But in the end, he brings his friends into jeopardy, and we come to question even his moral instincts. The novel then becomes a radical critique of the reliability of the moral heart divorced from reason--an interesting combination of enlightenment attitudes and romantic sensibilities.

Still, it's a mess. And often a boring mess at that.

[loan · Rating 3 out of 5]

edgar eating his shirt from the starvation of a few hours is the one and only reason to read this book. it gave this book all three of these stars.

[magali she|her]

this was something i hope i won't experience again

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edgar Huntly marks the first of a series of supporting texts that I am to read in order to be able to decipher my brother-in-law's dissertation which was given to me as a Christmas present. Christ indeed. What have I gotten myself into?

I don't normally read novels written in 1799. It was nice to make my brain enjoy reading in a different way.

Charles Brockden Brown is insane. This book is so violent and scary. CBB treats his main character like this voo doo doll, it's awesome. Let's throw him into a cave! Now let's throw him down a cliff! Now let's make it so that he has to tumble down this mountain and swim across a freezing river! Now let's hit him in the face with a tom-a-hawk! It's kind of fun.

What else is kind of hilarious to me about this book is the fact that it's all written as a letter to his lady. Ha! It's a freaking BOOK! Then at the end he's all, "Hm. Well, I hope this brief letter finds you well, honey. Wait. It's pages and pages and has taken me weeks and weeks! Huh. Would you look at that?" I would poop myself if someone wrote me a letter that long.

I had a really hard time automatically assuming the Indians were all bad guys. It's an assumption that readers in the 1790s automatically made. Indian = Bad Guy, but gracious, it was just really disturbing. Oh, America. Such an ugly bloody bloody past you have.

I really liked the scary panthers in it and the crazy lady in the woods, Queen Mab.

Man, it was gorey.

I have more I could say about it, but I should probably read my brother-in-law's chapter about it first and hear what he had to say...

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that only a literature major could love. It's primary renown is for being the first American Gothic novel. As you might expect from 18th century fiction, it drags its feet like a corpse. Brown covers in a chapter what other writers might cover in a handful of lively paragraphs. The writing style -- is there a style? -- is nothing to crow about. There's a historical fascination, but not much more.

[hafsah · Rating 1 out of 5]

— read for university
genuinely one of the worst books i've ever read

[mt-reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though the plot was interesting and many of the themes of the work did come across effectively, I could not really abide the prose of the book. I'm usually a big fan of long winded prose being a fan of most Victorian literature, but this book really tested my patience. It didn't help that the book was written from the first person perspective of a very infuriating character. He constantly thought about things and the narrative often repeated itself. Things got a bit easier halfway through but until then I had to force myself to wade through Edgar's constant ruminations.

[MountainAshleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book certainly isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of 18th century lit/early American lit as I am, it's not to be missed for its depiction of the New World in all the terror of its vast and unknowable wilderness. I certainly can understand the harsh criticism of modern readers, and I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone I know, but it has earned its place in the literary portfolio, and it's clear the influence Brown had on other, more successful writers who followed.

[eliza · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm very interested in the subject/era/criticism of this work, but while actually reading it I kept falling into the deepest accidental naps. Maybe that's some kind of sympathetic device Brown intentionally manipulated in me, I'm not sure. All I know is you could have harvested my organs and I probably wouldn't even have broken into a yawn.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book with knickers, sleepwalking, and killer Indians?! If you have the mind of a 12-year old like I do, try and find me a better book.

[Luke Sisson]

It's really bad but I love it so much

[Miranda · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Read for a literature class*

[a random hopeless romantic · Rating 2 out of 5]

i speed read this for a course. i think this should explain the rating.

[WJEP · Rating 4 out of 5]

For most of the book, Edgar recounts incidents of a kind to which the most ardent invention has never conceived a parallel. Every new page contained disastrous vicissitudes and sanguinary enterprises.

With palpitating heart, I awaited an explanation of these infinite inquietudes so that I should be delivered from some part of the agonies of my suspense.

In this hope I was destined to be disappointed. My perplexities and doubts were not at an end. I was not satisfied with the answers that I received. I bethought myself that sleep-walking, sagacious savages, and remarkable coincidences were detestable explanations.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An educated man living on the edge of civilization in 18th century America is surrounded by dark tales of death, then goes to sleep one night and turns into an irrational survivalist and killer of man and beast. Through it all, he keeps what turns out to be a misguided notion of honor and compassion and in the end loses everything because of it. Brown's doleful tale is a reminder that unexpected circumstances can bring out the worst in people. Complicated unhappy tale with some rather tedious writing but it kept my interest.

[N · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rather liked and enjoyed this book. I would've enjoyed it more, had it not been assigned for a class in which the professor has forced us to finish it in two nights.

[Mare · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if I missed something because I was bored while reading it, or if half of this book doesn't make sense but either way I only finished it because of a class.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really two and a half stars. Early American mystery novel with gothic elements. I enjoyed this author's other books more than I did this one. The plot is sometimes rambling and repetetive, which lessened my enjoyment. I also thought the ending was wrapped up too quickly. Stick with the author's other's books and read this one only if you're a scholar of Early American literature.

[Austin Coolguy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't decide on a review, so take your pick:

-"What the fuck."
-"This book doubles as a dictionary without any of the definitions."
-"Charles Brockden Brown showcases his mastery over English words by using all of them."
-"Edgar Huntly accurately places you in the minds of its characters by making you feel just as insane as they do."
-"A masterclass example of how to get your mileage out of a thesaurus."

Please contact me if you wish to put any of these on the back cover of future publications.

[Megan Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for 19th century American Lit. I liked it way more than I expected, especially since my las encounter with Brockden Brown was not as favorable. The plot is dense and the narrator tends to ramble and digress. Once I got maybe 50-60 pages into the book, it was hard to put down. But, toward the end I started to get tired of it. All in all, a good read, but not something I will read again anytime soon.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband and I have a famous quote concerning this book, "Just get to the damn tree already." Though this novel paved the way for the American Novel genre, it is kind of a struggle. I'll be honest and say that I'm grateful I read it.

[Patricia Perlo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't follow this....

[Kat Saunders · Rating 1 out of 5]

THE WORST

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best read tongue-in-cheek. The Gothic elements are so (intentionally) overdone that it gets hilarious pretty quick.

Bonus: set in and near Philadelphia.

[Lo · Rating 3 out of 5]

unfortunately my favorite book we read for my gothic lit class. was it incredibly infuriating? yes. did it drag on for eons for no good reason? yeah. do i have beef with the ending? sure do. would i recommend it? not necessarily. do i think about it constantly because it somehow seared itself into my very soul? oddly enough also yes. edgar huntly you suck and i love you! ugh!

[Esther Button · Rating 2 out of 5]

(read for uni)

boring, convoluted, kind of pointless? It was supposedly the first American gothic novel though, so I’m assuming there will be some benefit to me having read this.

rating as of 23/09/2024: 2 stars

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genuinely, how do you rate a book from 1799? It's racist, sexist, and cumbersomely written, but that's to be expected I guess. I didn't necessarily enjoy it, but I also didn't completely hate it AND it's interesting to study at least, so 2.5 stars? 2.75? I don't know.

[Mairéad (is roaming the Undying Lands) · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Read for University***

There is no standard by which time can be measured, but the succession of our thoughts, and the changes that take place in the external world.

2.5 to 3 stars, originally going to be 1.5 stars until class today.

This is seriously a creepy psychological book, with a severely unreliable narrator that will certain confuse the hell out of you if you are not careful. I wasn't unfortunately. Every time I picked up this book, it felt like I was reading a different narration and hence I drowned in my growing confusion as I tried to figure out what the heck just happened. Lots of stuff happens of course, I just got lost along the way unfortunately.

This is an epistolary novel. These kinds of novels refer to a series of documents, composing of either letters, newspapers or journal/dairy entries, etc--this makes it more likely for the narrator to be an unreliable one. Examples of this would be Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe, Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein if you are familiar or read any of those.

Besides that, this is one heck of a messed up story--apparently the entire thing was written as a LETTER (yes all 194-ish worth of pages of this is). It involves sleep-walking, murder, gore, mayhem, drama-llama-esque plotting--the whole shebang. but I think the fact there are no quotation dialogue that it was easy for me to fall prey to becoming confused, because the narratives do switch, sometimes fairly quickly to the point you have to go back a bit, just to reassure yourself you know what you are reading.

Either way, this is a nice touch of the Gothic to delve into--thankfully my class today made it easier for me to understand what happened when reading this. *chuckles*

No one knows the powers that are latent in his constitution. Called forth by imminent dangers, our efforts frequently exceed our most sanguine belief.

[Steven Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last of the Mohicans meets Edgar Alan Poe. Charles Brockden Brown creates a mysterious, intriguing world in Edgar Huntly. He uses the gothic novel as an examination of the American subconscious, and Edgar enters of world of darkness, especially in a cave where he pursues Clithero, a mysterious sleepwalking man with a secret who appears to be the murderer of Edgar's friend Waldegrave, but is the key to a rabbithole leading Edgar into confronting his own psyche.
This is the first American murder-mystery, and Brown has a wonderful prose that is full of description both gothic and natural. I found his passages of the cave and forests to be concise and dream-like at once, and when he describes Indian attacks, he is a masterful writer of action. Read this book, and you'll see how James Fenimore Cooper looted it for The Last of the Mohicans.
I was so caught up in this novel that I wrote a screenplay of it, and believe Brown is a sadly neglected genius. He offers the shadow of American life. Mary Waldegrave, although only existing in the book as the recipient of letters Edgar sends, describing his actions, is an integral part of the story. Brown is, to me, a master. I really prefer him to Poe, who enjoyed Brown and counted him as an influence on his writing. I'm sorry if some people don't like the book, but it was a page-turning adventure for me.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the idea of the "Great American Novel" has been one eluding writers in this country since the nation began attempting to form its own independent identity. I don't, by any means, think that Brown has hit the mark with Huntly, but what he does is something remarkable in its own right. Its with books like Edgar Huntly or Wieland (which, I have to admit, I liked a lot better) that you can actually trace the beginnings of American Literature, not British writers who came to America for some peace and quiet, but a writer whose sensibilities are formed by experiences, hopes and desires that are formed here. The gothic idea is really reformed here and I find that meaningful.

Be that as it may, anyone who knows me has heard me say that there are very few American writers who I care about at all, and its true, on a personal level, this is not where my literary heart lies. Historical significance? yes. Something I'm going to keep at the front of my bookcase to read dozens of times over? Not so much.