The story in Boxer Beetle is split into two parts; one set in present-day London, the other in the 1930s.

The 1930s sections, which inhabit the bulk of the novel, introduce the reader to Seth Roach and Philip Erskine. Seth ‘Sinner’ Roach is a gay, brutish, alcoholic, Jewish boxer with nine toes and a diminutive stature. Philip Erskine is a pompous entomologist who is obsessed with eugenics and is a repressed homosexual; he thinks that Seth Roach is a perfect specimen. While on an expedition with a fellow entomologist, Erskine serendipitously discovers a ‘superior’ beetle with wings that, when unfolded, mimic the shape of a swastika; he captures several specimens and begins to selectively breed them.

boxerbeetleKevin Bloom is the protagonist in the present-day sections; he is sometimes called Fishy because he suffers from a rare disease (trimethylaminuria) that causes him to exude the scent of rotting fish. Kevin collects Nazi memorabilia, a hobby that drags him into a deadly intrigue that involves Seth Roach and a letter from Hitler to Dr. (Philip) Erskine. Kevin is kidnapped by a Welsh hit-man who is hunting for information on Seth Roach.

The plots from the two differing time-frames slowly converge; in the meantime, the reader encounters an intriguing collection of characters and subjects.

This is the second novel I’ve read by Ned Beauman (the other being The Teleportation Accident), and he appears to have a predilection for disagreeable protagonists who fail as truly sympathetic characters, but are capable of providing ample enjoyment. The author also sprinkles his prose with oddly revelatory sentences (page numbers refer to the North American trade paperback edition):

“He had a mole on his neck with six long wiry hairs sticking out of it, as if a spider had been shot from a catapult and embedded itself in his flesh.”
(Ch. 6, p. 67)

“The morning light peeked in through the windows of the mortuary, pasty and trembling like the sort of ghoulish little boy who would rather see a dead girl than a naked one.”
(Ch. 8, p. 86)

“She had so many freckles that Erskine wondered if she might have stolen some from other children.”
(Ch. 13, p. 159)

There are many subjects introduced in the novel (eugenics, atonal music, Darwinism, upper-class snobbishness, Fascism, invented languages, and more) and there are several set pieces, some of which work better than others. In addition to unlikeable protagonists, the story generally exposes negative situations, and none of the characters radiate happiness; it is not an uplifting novel by any stretch of the imagination. There is humour, but it is invariably at someone’s expense. I suppose Mr. Beauman is making a point, but I appreciate a lungful of fresh air once in a while.

Boxer Beetle is nicely constructed and the different plot elements dovetail fairly smoothly, but I preferred The Teleportation Accident, which seems like a lesser novel at first, but is more rewarding as a whole. Both books, however, are enjoyable, especially if you appreciate absurd, dark humour and misfits.

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