A House-Boat on the Styx
Encyclopedia
A House-Boat on the Styx is a book written by John Kendrick Bangs
and published in 1895.
, the river that circles the underworld.
The book begins with Charon
, ferryman of the Styx being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a houseboat
on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor
.
What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment
to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. In the twelfth chapter the house boat disappears, leading into the sequel
, Pursuit of the House-Boat
.
John Kendrick Bangs
John Kendrick Bangs was an American author, editor and satirist.-Biography:He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was a lawyer in New York City....
and published in 1895.
Plot summary
The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up to the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to StyxStyx (mythology)
The Styx is a river in Greek mythology that formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld . It circles the Underworld nine times...
, the river that circles the underworld.
The book begins with Charon
Charon (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
, ferryman of the Styx being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a houseboat
Houseboat
A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a human dwelling. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities...
on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
.
What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment
Thought experiment
A thought experiment or Gedankenexperiment considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences...
to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. In the twelfth chapter the house boat disappears, leading into the sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Pursuit of the House-Boat
Pursuit of the House-Boat
Pursuit of the House-Boat is an 1897 novel by John Kendrick Bangs, and the second one to feature his Associated Shades take on the afterlife.-Plot summary:...
.
External links
- Read or download the text of the book at http://manybooks.net/titles/bangsjohetext01hstyx10.html
- A House-Boat on the Styx, free audio book at LibriVox