A House-Boat on the Styx.
Despite being one of the most prolific and popular humorists in the late 1800s, John Kendrick Bangs is a largely forgotten author these days. Yet the clever humor that is the signature of his works can mesmerize lovers of vintage fiction.
‘A House-Boat on the Styx’ can be seen as a prime example for Bangsian fantasy, and the rich and intelligent comedy that permeates the narration will leave the reader chucking with pleasure. Bangs popularized the Bangsian fantasy genre, which concerns the use of famous literary or historical individuals in plots and their interactions set partially or wholly in the afterlife, through his ‘Associated Shades’ series of books.
The book begins by introducing the reader to the arrival of a spanking new houseboat on the Styx, the river that separates Earth and the Underworld. Charon who is the usual ferryman of the Styx, is appointed as the new janitor for this houseboat by ‘Associated Shades’ – one of the swankiest organizations in the Hades made up of every famous historical and mythical figures who has ever died and gone to Styx – and the houseboat is made into a permanent clubhouse for its members.
The club has such luminaries from history like Sir Walter Raleigh, Cassius, Demosthenes, Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, Confucius, William Shakespeare and even Baron Munchausen as it’s members. And from this setting of a houseboat club thriving with the ghosts of historical figures, John Kendrick Bangs creates 11 hilarious short stories, which will remind one of the Drones club and Angler’s Rest stories from P.G. Wodehouse. The stories don’t have any central theme and relies heavily on dialog-based humor, than situational comedy, and in each chapter the author pits some of the heavyweights of human history in to laughter evoking verbal jostling as they discuss various topics.
The verbal comedy, which Bangs generates while bringing historical figures into hypothetical conversations where they take a dig at each other, is seriously of first-class quality, and will leave the reader laughing out loud. Members of the clubhouse often making jokes about Shakespeare’s works being ghostwritten by other authors, and Baron Munchausen entertaining the club members with his incredible tall tales are two recurring and amusing scenarios with in these stories. The last short story of the book describes the mysterious disappearance of the clubhouse on the houseboat, which sets the stage ready for the sequel ‘Pursuit of the House-Boat’.
An excerpt taken from the short story ‘Washington Gives a Dinner’, which describes the birthday dinner of George Washington onboard the ‘floating palace’ can be a perfect sampler for these highly imaginative and hilarious dialogues between the club members of ‘Associated Shades’.
“There is much in what you say,” said Confucius. “But there’s another side to the matter. If a man is an aristocrat by nature, as I was, his neighborhood never could run down. Wherever he lived would be the swell section, so that really your last argument isn’t worth a stewed icicle.”
“Stewed icicles are pretty good, though,” said Baron Munchausen, with an ecstatic smack of his lips. “I’ve eaten them many a time in the polar regions.”
“I have no doubt of it,” put in Doctor Johnson. “You’ve eaten fried pyramids in Africa, too, haven’t you?”
“Only once,” said the Baron, calmly. “And I can’t say I enjoyed them. They are rather heavy for the digestion.”
“That’s so,” said Ptolemy. “I’ve had experience with pyramids myself.”
“You never ate one, did you, Ptolemy?” queried Bonaparte.
“Not raw,” said Ptolemy, with a chuckle. “Though I’ve been tempted many a time to call for a second joint of the Sphinx.”There was a laugh at this, in which all but Baron Munchausen joined.
When originally published in 1895, ‘House-Boat on the Styx’ was immensely popular and was among the bestsellers in 1896. The book was followed by 2 sequels ‘The Pursuit of the House-Boat’ and ‘The Enchanted Type-Writer’ – with both of them being bestsellers.
Like other works from John Kendrick Bangs, ‘House-Boat on the Styx’ is loaded full of rich and insightful sharp wit. A classic made out of a perfect potpourri of fantasy, brilliant satire, shades of philosophy and Greek mythology, which makes perfect material for an immensely enjoyable lighthearted reading.
An interesting trivia about this book: Alan Moore fans will recognize this houseboat from John Kendrick Bangs, as it is the same one, which Moore presents in his graphic novel Promethea.
