The Man on the Box
(Grosset & Dunlap, 1904)
After discovering the fiction of Harry MacGrath last year, and having read several of his novels, I'm now in the position of trying to obtain all his books. This one, which I've had for while, I just got around to reading the other day. I'd heard much about it. And, believe me, I would have read it sooner if my reading pile had been less. But now that things are cleared away--or nearly so-- I can't imagine what the devil possessed me to forgo this minor American classic. For classic it is-- if the literary critics of the 20th century can be relied on. The Man on the Box is generally looked upon as Harold MacGrath's best work. It has been hailed as a landmark novel of American romantic humor. It was one of the most frequently reprinted novels of the last century, and was translated into a dozen languages. It has been favorably compared to the light fiction of Eugene Field and even Edgar Allan Poe. I can't say much to amend this opinion, for I think it hits the mark.
Robert Warburton, a recently discharged army officer, decides to have some fun at his sister's expense. He masquerades as a coachman, and takes her and another passenger on a breakneck ride through downtown Washington, almost scaring the life out of them. Problem is, he got the wrong carriage number! His passenger is really none other than Betty Annesley, daughter of Colonel Annesley. Warburton has a tremendous crush on her, and thinks it too good an offer to refuse when the girl hires him as her personal lackey. Seems he alone can control those wild horses! Warburton enters the Annesley household to engage in a number of adventures. At any rate, that's how it turns out. But when Colonel Annesley is blackmailed by the sinister Count Karloff, a Russian spy, things take a rather different twist. Bob finds himself in a position to help the Annesleys, and maybe save the Colonel's honor. But in order to do so, he must reveal who he is. Will his own self-honor stand such a blow?
O.K. Well, what do I think? In all justice, The Man on the Box is a fine novel, even if it's terribly dated-- which it is. At least it still has entertainment value, and I'm a tolerable judge of such things. As a work of cultural value, it properly reflects the sentiment of American readers around the turn-of-the-century. It is sentimental, yet in a humoresque way. As well, it can be serious at times. It makes for a collage of some of the best materials used by Edwardian story-tellers. It stands as one of those rare works which show forth a writer's talents in a way that is perfectly natural, almost spontaneous. And, indeed, this book showcases MacGrath as a writer of more than usual creative ability. He knows exactly when to set forth a funny episode, and when to clear the board and bring on the heavier dishes. He, in fact, is the true "Man on the Box", the conductor and host of this fun and thrilling ride through the horse-and-buggy era.
The prose is written in the author's typically clean style. It is literate without being snooty or pretentious. One of the chapters, "Retrospective," which could well stand as a short story, contains some of MacGrath's best writing. The climactic scene between Count Karloff and Colonel Annesley reaches high dramatic levels. It's easy to see why this story was such a success on stage, and later on the silver screen. Of course, by the time of its second filming in 1925, it had long seen the height of its popularity, and was passing its vogue. By the '30's and '40's, the book was mainly a thing of the past, to be relegated to the limbo of "bestsellers of bygone years." However, it's very striking that copies -- and lots of them-- have remained in circulation even to the present age. And I don't mean recent reprints, either. I refer mainly to early editions. As a matter of fact, I don't think it unreasonable to call Man on the Box one of the most widely circulated novels of the 20th century.
As such, copies are easy to find. I'm not sure if anyone reads this book nowadays, but one can usually obtain a good copy on Ebay for less than $5. As I've found, most copies contain illustrations of the 1904 Broadway production by Walter N. Lawrence. (This played for 123 consecutive nights at the Madison Square Theatre). There is a more desirable version which has the original Harrison Fisher plates, and is consequently harder to find. For serious collectors, the only copy worth getting would be a first edition with dust-jacket. Whatever die-hard collectors choose to go for, they'll need to watch out for price-gouging, as the novel itself is not in great demand. For those who already have a copy, facsimile dust-jackets can be purchased at Lady Bluestocking's Website. And I think that's said it all. Whatever you yourself may think, for better or worse, never again will there be another novel like The Man on the Box. Fact is, they just don't make 'em anymore.
--B.A.S.
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