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Paul Harley #2
Fire-Tongue
"Fire-Tongue," he said. "Nicol Brinn." These are the last words of Sir Charles Abingdon, who was convinced he was being followed through the streets of London. Fortunately, the man who heard this his cryptic message was Paul Harley, an investigator Sir Charles hired to discover who was stalking him, who stole a manuscript from his study, and who called him away from his home on the night of his death. Paul Harley is no ordinary investigator. He'd done highly confidential work in the Near East and was "an unofficial field marshal of the forces arrayed against evildoers." But that's not the only characteristic that sets Harley apart -- he's guided by his sixth sense. "It was an evasive, fickle thing, but was nevertheless the attribute which had made him an investigator of genius." Harley will need all of his talents -- and his extra-sensory perception -- to solve the riddle of the Fire-Tongue. SAX ROHMER, born Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward in Birmingham, England, is best known as the creator of the Dr. Fu Manchu series of books, which also spawned movies, a TV series, a radio serial, and a Marvel comic. Besides his detective stories, Rohmer also wrote on occult themes in Brood of the Witch Queen, Grey Face, and The Green Eyes of Bast. He joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, whose other members included Aleister Crowley and William Butler Yeats.
316 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1921
About the author
Sax Rohmer
548 books126 followersAKA Arthur Sarsfield Ward (real name); Michael Furey.
Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward (15 February 1883 - 1 June 1959), better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English novelist. He is best remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr. Fu Manchu.
Born in Birmingham to a working class family, Rohmer initially pursued a career as a civil servant before concentrating on writing full-time.
He worked as a poet, songwriter, and comedy sketch writer in Music Hall before creating the Sax Rohmer persona and pursuing a career writing weird fiction.
Like his contemporaries Algernon Blackwood and Arthur Machen, Rohmer claimed membership to one of the factions of the qabbalistic Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Rohmer also claimed ties to the Rosicrucians, but the validity of his claims has been questioned. His physician and family friend, Dr. R. Watson Councell may have been his only legitimate connection to such organizations. It is believed that Rohmer may have exaggerated his association in order to boost his literary reputation as an occult writer.
His first published work came in 1903, when the short story The Mysterious Mummy was sold to Pearson's Weekly. He gradually transitioned from writing for Music Hall performers to concentrating on short stories and serials for magazine publication. In 1909 he married Rose Elizabeth Knox.
He published his first novel Pause! anonymously in 1910. After penning Little Tich in 1911 (as ghostwriter for the Music Hall entertainer) he issued the first Fu Manchu novel, The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu, was serialized from October 1912 - June 1913. It was an immediate success with its fast-paced story of Denis Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie facing the worldwide conspiracy of the 'Yellow Peril'. The Fu Manchu stories, together with his more conventional detective series characters—Paul Harley, Gaston Max, Red Kerry, Morris Klaw, and The Crime Magnet—made Rohmer one of the most successful and well-paid authors of the 1920s and 1930s.
Rohmer also wrote several novels of supernatural horror, including Brood of the Witch-Queen. Rohmer was very poor at managing his wealth, however, and made several disastrous business decisions that hampered him throughout his career. His final success came with a series of novels featuring a female variation on Fu Manchu, Sumuru.
After World War II, the Rohmers moved to New York only returning to London shortly before his death. Rohmer died in 1959 due to an outbreak of influenza ("Asian Flu").
There were thirteen books in the Fu Manchu series in all (not counting the posthumous The Wrath of Fu Manchu. The Sumuru series consist of five books.
His wife published her own mystery novel, Bianca in Black in 1954 under the pen name, Elizabeth Sax Rohmer. Some editions of the book mistakenly credit her as Rohmer's daughter. Elizabeth Sax Rohmer and Cay Van Ash, her husband's former assistant, wrote a biography of the author, Master of Villainy, published in 1972.
Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward (15 February 1883 - 1 June 1959), better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English novelist. He is best remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr. Fu Manchu.
Born in Birmingham to a working class family, Rohmer initially pursued a career as a civil servant before concentrating on writing full-time.
He worked as a poet, songwriter, and comedy sketch writer in Music Hall before creating the Sax Rohmer persona and pursuing a career writing weird fiction.
Like his contemporaries Algernon Blackwood and Arthur Machen, Rohmer claimed membership to one of the factions of the qabbalistic Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Rohmer also claimed ties to the Rosicrucians, but the validity of his claims has been questioned. His physician and family friend, Dr. R. Watson Councell may have been his only legitimate connection to such organizations. It is believed that Rohmer may have exaggerated his association in order to boost his literary reputation as an occult writer.
His first published work came in 1903, when the short story The Mysterious Mummy was sold to Pearson's Weekly. He gradually transitioned from writing for Music Hall performers to concentrating on short stories and serials for magazine publication. In 1909 he married Rose Elizabeth Knox.
He published his first novel Pause! anonymously in 1910. After penning Little Tich in 1911 (as ghostwriter for the Music Hall entertainer) he issued the first Fu Manchu novel, The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu, was serialized from October 1912 - June 1913. It was an immediate success with its fast-paced story of Denis Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie facing the worldwide conspiracy of the 'Yellow Peril'. The Fu Manchu stories, together with his more conventional detective series characters—Paul Harley, Gaston Max, Red Kerry, Morris Klaw, and The Crime Magnet—made Rohmer one of the most successful and well-paid authors of the 1920s and 1930s.
Rohmer also wrote several novels of supernatural horror, including Brood of the Witch-Queen. Rohmer was very poor at managing his wealth, however, and made several disastrous business decisions that hampered him throughout his career. His final success came with a series of novels featuring a female variation on Fu Manchu, Sumuru.
After World War II, the Rohmers moved to New York only returning to London shortly before his death. Rohmer died in 1959 due to an outbreak of influenza ("Asian Flu").
There were thirteen books in the Fu Manchu series in all (not counting the posthumous The Wrath of Fu Manchu. The Sumuru series consist of five books.
His wife published her own mystery novel, Bianca in Black in 1954 under the pen name, Elizabeth Sax Rohmer. Some editions of the book mistakenly credit her as Rohmer's daughter. Elizabeth Sax Rohmer and Cay Van Ash, her husband's former assistant, wrote a biography of the author, Master of Villainy, published in 1972.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 20, 2023
Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰
Another will written British 🏰 murder mystery short story by Sax Rohmer. Another strong 💪 start but then slow 🐌 and boring. Give it a try it may work for you. Typical pulp fiction. 2023 😀👒☺
Another will written British 🏰 murder mystery short story by Sax Rohmer. Another strong 💪 start but then slow 🐌 and boring. Give it a try it may work for you. Typical pulp fiction. 2023 😀👒☺
December 30, 2014
The review from afar – No. 15
Re-revised forward to these overseas reviews:
Since emulating a yo-yo, I continue to rely on the old-style Kindle 3G for any non-technical reading. I tip my hat to the fine folks at Project Gutenberg: virtually every title I have or will be reading in the near future comes from them.
Fire-Tongue is a non-Fu Manchu novel (first published, but second for the character) written by Sax Rohmer in the early 1920s. Its star is Paul Harley a man who is both well-known and well-respected (and somewhat well-heeled to boot). He has been an official at some point in the past and continues to be consulted by the Government when his knowledge and skill are needed.
As this is a Sax Rohmer story, there is an Eastern motif and danger, but this time the threat comes not from Egypt or China, but from India and Iran. The arch-enemy is an Iranian and the cult that is the basis for “Fire-Tongue” is also originally from that land (albeit under an older name). I’m going to avoid any spoilers as there are plenty of places where one can get a partial or detailed synopsis.
In addition to the intrigue, evil, and allure of the East, we have the characters who are Western. We start with the man who first contacts our investigator, Dr. Sir Charles Abingdon: he fears for his life and indeed dies right in front of Harley. The mystery begins and it leads next to an American adventurer Nichol Brinn. Brinn is a larger-than-life character who constantly tests himself with feats of daring and danger. It soon comes out that Brinn knows the meaning of the phrase “Fire-Tongue” but refuses absolutely to speak of it. So, Harley begins some old-fashioned gumshoeing to find out whom, what, and why.
Written in the same time period as Dashiell Hammett wrote several of the Continental Op stories & books, I found some similarities to how the men go about their tasks. I’m not implying any plagiarism, just a similarity. Both men wrote lots of “investigative” stories about pure detectives or men just caught up in a mystery. As in much of his work the action and surprises take precedence, but here there is a large dose of mysticism tossed in: Harley is a man endowed with a sixth sense and it appears (or at least references to it) often.
Like all of his works, this book contains the casual racism that alienates many modern viewers. I note it and move on, but recognize that one wouldn’t get away with such behavior today – even in a deliberate parody of the style. Unfortunately, I see and hear similar or worse phrasings in my second home on an almost daily basis. That doesn’t excuse Rohmer, but you have to pick your battles…
Although I enjoyed the exploits, I found both Harley and Brinn to be more tedious and long-winded than many of the other characters in other books. (Fu Manchu can get long-winded, but he is so deliciously evil that one doesn’t mind.) That and the disorder of the plot made this a less enjoyable book than almost everything else except “The Orchard of Tears” – but that is so different in tone and subject that it can’t really be graded in with his other works.
Fire-Tongue squeaks in at Three (3.0) Stars. Not my favorite, but still a possible future re-read.
You can get this book for free from the Gutenberg Project site.
May 5, 2012
"Fire-Tongue" has a promising title but alas is but second-rate Rohmer. Here one finds the characteristic Rohmerian menace from the East, this time in the form of a secret society based in India and presided over by an effeminate financier from Iran. There are two stalwart men of action and two damsels in distress, but despite the doubling of the recipe the concoction falls flat.
Rohmer spends too much time stoking the fires of suspense, which merely smoulder in response. In particular, he devotes excess verbiage to the hero's inward perceptions, and I soon wearied of passages describing said hero's heightened powers of intuition and sixth sense.
When the unfolding of the novel finally begins in earnest, it takes up the second man-of-action's thread, then twists back and forth among central characters like an unwieldy snake before reaching an all-too-quick climax followed by an almost non-existent denouement. I couldn't help but feeling that Rohmer himself had tired of the antics of "Fire-Tongue."
Rohmer spends too much time stoking the fires of suspense, which merely smoulder in response. In particular, he devotes excess verbiage to the hero's inward perceptions, and I soon wearied of passages describing said hero's heightened powers of intuition and sixth sense.
When the unfolding of the novel finally begins in earnest, it takes up the second man-of-action's thread, then twists back and forth among central characters like an unwieldy snake before reaching an all-too-quick climax followed by an almost non-existent denouement. I couldn't help but feeling that Rohmer himself had tired of the antics of "Fire-Tongue."
May 13, 2019
This is the second Paul Harley mystery. It isn't a bad story but Paul Harley does not get too far in solving the murder. That falls to someone who is a suspect. It's still a decent adventure but just doesn't quite jell somehow.
October 20, 2010
Fire-Tongue is definitely an interesting read, but the language and culture are obviously from a different era. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it has quite a different flow from modern English, and the story is rampant with racism.
This is a fairly predictable mystery story with enough fun and exotic detail to make it entertaining. The language is probably difficult for young readers to comprehend in spots, but it's a fun story for a leisure read.
This is a fairly predictable mystery story with enough fun and exotic detail to make it entertaining. The language is probably difficult for young readers to comprehend in spots, but it's a fun story for a leisure read.
November 17, 2012
Most of the Rohmer I've read has been Fu Manchu. This is similar, but just different enough. Cracking old-style adventure with all the expected ingredients: a bit of mystical stuff, Eastern conspiracies, murders, and a dogged detective. Right after finishing it I went back to Manybooks.net and grabbed more Rohmer.
March 16, 2011
Paul Harley on the trail of an evil oriental, to rescue an attractive young woman from his clutches.
October 26, 2014
Ludicrously OTT, but surprisingly readable - a model for today's conspiracy novelists to ponder seriously when creating lovable megalomaniacs who threaten our cornflakes.
August 13, 2017
If there’s one thing a detective hates, it’s when their client hems and haws about explaining basic details of why they need a detective, only to die just as they make up their minds with only a cryptic last utterance as a clue.
But that’s the situation Paul Harley is in with his latest case. Sir Charles Abingdon, noted osteologist, suspects he may be in danger, but is so vague about the circumstances that it’s impossible to tell why. He promises to make more explanations at dinner, but collapses just after drinking a bit of water, uttering only “Fire-Tongue…Nicol Brinn” before passing.
Nicol Brinn is an American millionaire who happens to be in London just now, but what possible connection could he have to Sir Charles? And the phrase “Fire-Tongue” is a complete mystery. Oh, and neither the water nor the glass itself were poisoned, so how did Sir Charles die?
Brinn appears to know something about “Fire-Tongue” but is evasive at best on that matter, and claims to know nothing about Sir Charles’ death or why he might have felt threatened. He does promise to let Harley know if he has any definite leads. Very suspicious.
However, Harley learns that Sir Charles’ daughter, Phyllis “Phil” Abingdon has been receiving “attentions” from Ormuz Khan, a Middle Eastern banker. And since certain features of this case suggest the “Oriental”, that’s worth looking into as well.
Readers familiar with Sax Rohmer’s work will fnd little mystery here. Once there’s a “mysterious Oriental” in the case, it’s obvious he’s guilty somehow. From there on in it’s secret societies, poisons unknown to Western science, subtle mental powers and lots of peril.
This isn’t Rohmer’s best work by a long shot. He divides the role of hero up between three male characters poorly, has characters make stupid decisions to keep the happenings mysterious, and the backstory is given in four straight chapters of infodump at the end. Exciting but incoherent.
And that’s before we get to the racism, sexism and making the villain effeminate in appearance to indicate that he’s somehow unnatural. Perhaps the weirdest bit in this direction is that Brinn’s face is repeatedly described as “Sioux-like” without any indication of Native American heritage.
This is, by the by, the second Paul Harley book; the first, Bat Wing, was apparently more of an actual mystery. Mr. Harley is an ex-barrister who has turned to political consulting and detection as a more interesting career. He’s apparently psychic, able to detect auras of evil or danger. Which would be more helpful if this sense were directional, and didn’t sometimes interfere with his ability to make rational observations.
Like many pulp heroes, Mr. Harley is also a master of disguise. Pity the baddies were specifically looking for someone in disguise!
Mr. Brinn is a harder-edged sort, and rather cold-blooded. He has a sense of honor that allows him to dally with other men’s wives, but not break his word. It’s a good thing he’s a millionaire, or he’d never get away with this stuff.
And then we have Detective Inspector Wessex of Scotland Yard, a bright (but not too bright) fellow who fills in chapters when neither Mr. Harley nor Mr. Brinn is available on-screen.
Overall, only recommended to Sax Rohmer completists. It’s in the public domain in the U.S.–my copy was from a print on demand publisher, but you should be able to find the text on the internet.
But that’s the situation Paul Harley is in with his latest case. Sir Charles Abingdon, noted osteologist, suspects he may be in danger, but is so vague about the circumstances that it’s impossible to tell why. He promises to make more explanations at dinner, but collapses just after drinking a bit of water, uttering only “Fire-Tongue…Nicol Brinn” before passing.
Nicol Brinn is an American millionaire who happens to be in London just now, but what possible connection could he have to Sir Charles? And the phrase “Fire-Tongue” is a complete mystery. Oh, and neither the water nor the glass itself were poisoned, so how did Sir Charles die?
Brinn appears to know something about “Fire-Tongue” but is evasive at best on that matter, and claims to know nothing about Sir Charles’ death or why he might have felt threatened. He does promise to let Harley know if he has any definite leads. Very suspicious.
However, Harley learns that Sir Charles’ daughter, Phyllis “Phil” Abingdon has been receiving “attentions” from Ormuz Khan, a Middle Eastern banker. And since certain features of this case suggest the “Oriental”, that’s worth looking into as well.
Readers familiar with Sax Rohmer’s work will fnd little mystery here. Once there’s a “mysterious Oriental” in the case, it’s obvious he’s guilty somehow. From there on in it’s secret societies, poisons unknown to Western science, subtle mental powers and lots of peril.
This isn’t Rohmer’s best work by a long shot. He divides the role of hero up between three male characters poorly, has characters make stupid decisions to keep the happenings mysterious, and the backstory is given in four straight chapters of infodump at the end. Exciting but incoherent.
And that’s before we get to the racism, sexism and making the villain effeminate in appearance to indicate that he’s somehow unnatural. Perhaps the weirdest bit in this direction is that Brinn’s face is repeatedly described as “Sioux-like” without any indication of Native American heritage.
This is, by the by, the second Paul Harley book; the first, Bat Wing, was apparently more of an actual mystery. Mr. Harley is an ex-barrister who has turned to political consulting and detection as a more interesting career. He’s apparently psychic, able to detect auras of evil or danger. Which would be more helpful if this sense were directional, and didn’t sometimes interfere with his ability to make rational observations.
Like many pulp heroes, Mr. Harley is also a master of disguise. Pity the baddies were specifically looking for someone in disguise!
Mr. Brinn is a harder-edged sort, and rather cold-blooded. He has a sense of honor that allows him to dally with other men’s wives, but not break his word. It’s a good thing he’s a millionaire, or he’d never get away with this stuff.
And then we have Detective Inspector Wessex of Scotland Yard, a bright (but not too bright) fellow who fills in chapters when neither Mr. Harley nor Mr. Brinn is available on-screen.
Overall, only recommended to Sax Rohmer completists. It’s in the public domain in the U.S.–my copy was from a print on demand publisher, but you should be able to find the text on the internet.
December 14, 2018
Paul Harley is engaged by a gentleman, Sir Charles Abingdon, who fears his life is in danger. Before the man is able to adequately explain the danger the danger he dies right in front of Harley. His last words are "Fire-tongue" and "Nicol Brinn". Nicol Brinn is a famous and eccentric American explorer while Fire-Tongue means nothing to Harley. He meets the man's beautiful daughter and learns nothing form her except that she has been in disagreement with her father over the attentions of an Oriental merchant named Ormuz Khan, from Persia.
Harley meets with Nicol Brinn and learns that the man has a mere passing acquaintance with the dead man, but he clearly has information about his death. Brinn steadfastly refuses to divulge any useful information and is thus very suspicious. Harley meets with Ormuz Khan, and other taking an instant dislike to him can find no connection to the murder. Harley begins a long and torturous investigation involving disguise and surveillance which leads to little until he finds a vital clue connected to India, which Harley, Sir Charles, and Brinn have all visited. This immediately sets into motion a series of events where everyone's life is in imminent danger.
A particularly intricate murder mystery where almost nothing is revealed until the end. Paul Harley is noted on the dusk jacket as a psychic detective but his only obvious psychic ability is the power to sense danger, which any reasonably self-aware person would have under the circumstance. He is mainly a super competent investigator with great skill at disguise and intuition. The narrative doesn't lead itself to explaining much, but is involving in its own way. Very entertaining.
Harley meets with Nicol Brinn and learns that the man has a mere passing acquaintance with the dead man, but he clearly has information about his death. Brinn steadfastly refuses to divulge any useful information and is thus very suspicious. Harley meets with Ormuz Khan, and other taking an instant dislike to him can find no connection to the murder. Harley begins a long and torturous investigation involving disguise and surveillance which leads to little until he finds a vital clue connected to India, which Harley, Sir Charles, and Brinn have all visited. This immediately sets into motion a series of events where everyone's life is in imminent danger.
A particularly intricate murder mystery where almost nothing is revealed until the end. Paul Harley is noted on the dusk jacket as a psychic detective but his only obvious psychic ability is the power to sense danger, which any reasonably self-aware person would have under the circumstance. He is mainly a super competent investigator with great skill at disguise and intuition. The narrative doesn't lead itself to explaining much, but is involving in its own way. Very entertaining.
June 8, 2019
A fiery tale.
This second take of stouthearted English gentleman Harley is rather exciting. Again we have mysterious Oriental menace and a beautiful pure English girl in peril. Harley and an American adventurer combine to combat this peril and save the girl and the world. Despite the white superiority racism of the period, 1920's, the writer allows a fine East/West love story to be shown. A good yarn. I enjoyed it.
This second take of stouthearted English gentleman Harley is rather exciting. Again we have mysterious Oriental menace and a beautiful pure English girl in peril. Harley and an American adventurer combine to combat this peril and save the girl and the world. Despite the white superiority racism of the period, 1920's, the writer allows a fine East/West love story to be shown. A good yarn. I enjoyed it.
November 25, 2024
A man-of-action thriller that holds up surprisingly well for how old it is. The casual sexism and racism is obvious, but didn’t make the story unreadable. Paul Harley is no Sherlock Holmes, but his adventures in a London that Holmes would have recognized are still interesting.
March 16, 2025
Sir Charles Abingdon approached Paul Harley for his help. Before he could tell him his troubles he was murdered. His last words were fire-tongue and Nicol Brinn. Harley decides to investigate.
An enjoyable historical mystery
An enjoyable historical mystery
June 2, 2026
First half of the book is a good mystery. The last half is lacking continuity, personal tie-ins and ends abruptly.
November 15, 2016
SR couldn't solve this, so he asked Harry Houdini - who solved the mystery!
March 2, 2025
Ja, obwohl sie hier nicht angezeigt wird, hat es auch in Deutschland eine Taschenbuchausgabe von „Die Feuerzunge“ gegeben, 1981 in der Reihe „Crime Classic“ im Heyne Verlag. Die hat mich damals nicht mehr erreicht, weil ich um mein 20. Lebensjahr herum das Sammeln dieser Serie einstellte. Inzwischen habe ich einen Berg dieser vergilbten Taschenbücher antiquarisch angekauft, weil im Alter unvermeidlich der Tag kommt, an dem man noch mal schauen will, wie war das, was man damals toll fand. Der zum Spiritismus neigende Engländer Sax Rohmer hat die Figur des Chinesen Dr. Fu Man Chu geschaffen, die ich, weil ich die ganzen Filme nie gesehen habe, hier mal treffen wollte. Er ist aber gar nicht da; vielmehr kämpfen ein Londoner Detektiv, Paul Harley, und ein amerikanischer Millionär, Nicol Brinn, kurz nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg mit einem androgynen Sektenführer aus den Bergen Nord-Indiens, Ormuz Khan, der sich dran gemacht hat, Britannien mit seinen, ihm willenlos ergebenen Anhängern zu unterwandern und nebenbei zwei so schöne wie schwache Frauen zu verführen, gefangen zu halten, unglücklich zu machen.
Leider habe ich unter so vielen Möglichkeiten nach der falschen gegriffen, denn dieses Abenteuerbuch (ist es eigentlich eher als klassischer Whodunit-Krimi) ist noch um einiges mehr Schrott und Zumutung, grausig verjährt, als die Kollegen-Rezensionen es schon ahnen ließen.
Wobei ich den durchgehenden Rassismus und England-Chauvinismus noch nicht mal so tragisch nehmen würde wie andere. Es ist nun mal Trivialliteratur und die ist immer sehr von den unterschwellig internalisierten Stereotypen ihrer Schöpfer und von deren Zeit und sozialer Stellung beeinflusst. Man kann das hin und wieder wegen der zeitlichen Distanz und als „guilty Pleasure“ fast witzig finden. Und übrigens belässt Rohmer es nicht dabei, auf den Despotismus, den Aberglauben, die bestialische Brutalität, die heimtückische Durchtriebenheit der Asiaten abzuheben, er hat auch ein gewaltiges Problem mit allem, das nicht seiner Macho-Männlichkeitsvorstellung entspricht. Nicht nur duften in fast jedem dieser über 30 kurzen Kapitelchen Hyazinthen schwülstig vor sich, sondern die Beschreibung von Ormuz Khan als graziös sich bewegender, kleidender, säuselnder Figur mit wundersam femininer Schönheit scheint neben Indern und Iranern (Ormuz Khan muss irgendwie beides sein) Schwule und Bisexuelle gleich auch noch mies machen zu wollen. (Aber eine gewisse Sorte Frauen ist leider anfällig für Reichtum, Luxus, Charme, schmierige Schmeichelei, gestandene Männer kommen da gar nicht mehr mit.)
Nee, das Problem des Buchs ist, dass es andauernd möglichst gar nichts erzählen will, sondern wuchern, vorankündigen: Wenn man nur mal wüsste, was „Feuerzunge!“ (letztes Wort eines Ermordeten) überhaupt ist, was oder auch: wer, so würde man frieren vor Horror, es ist dermaßen teuflisch. Und dann hupfen die Figuren ständig hier und dort hin, verkleiden sich als Schuster und Straßenverkäufer, werden als solche erkannt und beschattet, werden entführt und kommen wieder frei, informieren die Polizei und werden mitten im Telefonat chloroformiert, sodass immer noch mal rumkommt: Wenn ihr erst mal wissen werdet, was und wer Feuerzunge ist, werdet ihr in einem Buch sein, dass so abgründig schrecklich ist, wie noch keines zuvor!
Auf Grund des zeitlichen Abstands und der großen Zahl von Edgar-Wallace-Krimis seit damals und den vorbei geflimmerten englischen und Hollywood-Filmen voller kleiner, lieber, superreicher Frauchen, die der Böse gekidnappt hat, ist das letztlich aber unwahrscheinlich. Und dass es hier, wie schon angedeutet, um eine staatsgefährdende Verbrecherorganisation mit abgründig orientalischem Beau an der Spitze sich handeln wird, das hat Sax Rohmer ab etwa sieben Seiten nach Romananfang auch schon durchblicken lassen.
Leider habe ich unter so vielen Möglichkeiten nach der falschen gegriffen, denn dieses Abenteuerbuch (ist es eigentlich eher als klassischer Whodunit-Krimi) ist noch um einiges mehr Schrott und Zumutung, grausig verjährt, als die Kollegen-Rezensionen es schon ahnen ließen.
Wobei ich den durchgehenden Rassismus und England-Chauvinismus noch nicht mal so tragisch nehmen würde wie andere. Es ist nun mal Trivialliteratur und die ist immer sehr von den unterschwellig internalisierten Stereotypen ihrer Schöpfer und von deren Zeit und sozialer Stellung beeinflusst. Man kann das hin und wieder wegen der zeitlichen Distanz und als „guilty Pleasure“ fast witzig finden. Und übrigens belässt Rohmer es nicht dabei, auf den Despotismus, den Aberglauben, die bestialische Brutalität, die heimtückische Durchtriebenheit der Asiaten abzuheben, er hat auch ein gewaltiges Problem mit allem, das nicht seiner Macho-Männlichkeitsvorstellung entspricht. Nicht nur duften in fast jedem dieser über 30 kurzen Kapitelchen Hyazinthen schwülstig vor sich, sondern die Beschreibung von Ormuz Khan als graziös sich bewegender, kleidender, säuselnder Figur mit wundersam femininer Schönheit scheint neben Indern und Iranern (Ormuz Khan muss irgendwie beides sein) Schwule und Bisexuelle gleich auch noch mies machen zu wollen. (Aber eine gewisse Sorte Frauen ist leider anfällig für Reichtum, Luxus, Charme, schmierige Schmeichelei, gestandene Männer kommen da gar nicht mehr mit.)
Nee, das Problem des Buchs ist, dass es andauernd möglichst gar nichts erzählen will, sondern wuchern, vorankündigen: Wenn man nur mal wüsste, was „Feuerzunge!“ (letztes Wort eines Ermordeten) überhaupt ist, was oder auch: wer, so würde man frieren vor Horror, es ist dermaßen teuflisch. Und dann hupfen die Figuren ständig hier und dort hin, verkleiden sich als Schuster und Straßenverkäufer, werden als solche erkannt und beschattet, werden entführt und kommen wieder frei, informieren die Polizei und werden mitten im Telefonat chloroformiert, sodass immer noch mal rumkommt: Wenn ihr erst mal wissen werdet, was und wer Feuerzunge ist, werdet ihr in einem Buch sein, dass so abgründig schrecklich ist, wie noch keines zuvor!
Auf Grund des zeitlichen Abstands und der großen Zahl von Edgar-Wallace-Krimis seit damals und den vorbei geflimmerten englischen und Hollywood-Filmen voller kleiner, lieber, superreicher Frauchen, die der Böse gekidnappt hat, ist das letztlich aber unwahrscheinlich. Und dass es hier, wie schon angedeutet, um eine staatsgefährdende Verbrecherorganisation mit abgründig orientalischem Beau an der Spitze sich handeln wird, das hat Sax Rohmer ab etwa sieben Seiten nach Romananfang auch schon durchblicken lassen.
October 31, 2016
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OceanPearl Books - Book Review
An occult organized by the prominent men of society. Its members hold it as a religion and are powerless in front of its dictations. And, a detective who is on a mission to solve the murder mystery and destroy the occult.
A powerful story which will keep you mesmerized.
This book is available for FREE at http://manybooks.net/titles/rohmersae....
OceanPearl Books - Book Review
An occult organized by the prominent men of society. Its members hold it as a religion and are powerless in front of its dictations. And, a detective who is on a mission to solve the murder mystery and destroy the occult.
A powerful story which will keep you mesmerized.
This book is available for FREE at http://manybooks.net/titles/rohmersae....
April 30, 2013
I didn't like this book.
The language was flat. The characters were 2-dimensional stickers. And I am convinced that the author was secretly in love with Nicol Brinn and his "lack-lustre eyes".
I didn't appreciate the racism against Indians either; particularly when Fire Tongue's "cruelty" was justified by his nationality, skin colour and race.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
The language was flat. The characters were 2-dimensional stickers. And I am convinced that the author was secretly in love with Nicol Brinn and his "lack-lustre eyes".
I didn't appreciate the racism against Indians either; particularly when Fire Tongue's "cruelty" was justified by his nationality, skin colour and race.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
Read
April 7, 2013Read as far as I could stand - too racist/sexist by today's standards.
April 14, 2016
read some time in 1996
November 26, 2017
Sax Rohmer's Fire Tongue begins and ends well enough, but is a real drag the rest of the time, in fact the backstory that ends the novel is very much the highlight. However much more interesting (if probably just as fictional) is the story of the books composition which according to Rohmer involved the legendary Harry Houdini.
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