The Vesuvius Club: A Bit of Fluff (Lucifer Box Novels)

I’m impressed that they actually did a great job translating the story to a different format, focusing on the strengths of each. Gatiss’ exaggerated characters work well visually, and various elements have been moved around in the story timeline to keep readers interested. There is more emphasis on the action sequences, of course, and a lot of the wordplay and interior monologue is lost (although the GN has the occasional caption as a punchline). Various scenes are also eliminated or streamlined. (I was disappointed that the Christopher Miracle character disappeared, as I was looking forward to seeing him.) But you get to see more of Lucifer’s louche disdain.

I was very impressed with 'The Vesuvius Club', the 1st Lucifer Box story written by Mark Gatiss. You are going to be in a for a treat when the 2nd line of the title is "A Bit of Fluff". Kids - from that point on, hold fast, hold tight!The first pages suck you in with the colorful descriptions of Box's Edwardian bohemian world. You are truly transported to Box's studio where he is entertaining his latest client, because, after all, Lucifer Box is a portraitist. An artist...a calculating assassin in the service of His Majesty's Government. The whole story is told from Box's point of view and is an absolute thrill ride as our hero escapes attempts on his own life as quickly as he dispatches those set against him. Another point is Lucifer Box is very...flexible and enjoys the beauty of both the male & female physique.I won't reveal any of the plot, because it is just too delicious! But the names of the characters ( Everard Supple, Jocelyn Poop, Cretaceous Unmann, Bella Pok, Charlie Jackpot) harkens back to the wonderful days of Ian Fleming writing James Bond - and a plotline not unlike those villians. An enjoyable romp - get your hands on the book and fall in love with dear, gorgeous, murderous Lucifer Box!

I've heard great reviews of this book for years and it had been on my wishlist for a while so I finally decided to give it a shot. I am so happy I purchased this! I'm normally not a fan of First person POV but this was actually pleasing. The character pulls you in and instantly you're right there with Lucifer Box and his crazy adventures.

If you read my recent review of "The Devil in Amber," than you already know I'm a huge fan of Mark Gatiss and Lucifer Box. I'll not bother you with another tired synopsis (other's have already done that). I'll just say "The Vesuvius Club" is more then simply amusing and diverting, it's clever, titilating and wicked good fun from start to finish. I love Lucifer Box (and Charlie Jackpot for that matter) and look forward to reading more of his adventures.RE: the graphic novel. I enjoyed the iluustrations by Ian Bass, but the story has been abridged - so, I recommend the original.

The writer seems not to have taken the role seriously. He or she has talent, but the book is written in what I would say is a high-school 11th grade style, slightly oriented towards gay male readers. Not at all to my taste. I do think the author could have written a much stronger book, but this is peculiar and more than a little shallow.

It's a fun, snappy, quick read but I did not find the main character, Lucifer Box, truly like-able. Don't know that I'd bother to read more books featuring this character. And I say that as an admirer of Mark Gatiss' work.

Derivative, though well researched.

item as described good condition readable

I bought this book based on the fact that I enjoyed 'The League of Gentlemen' BBC series immensely, enjoyed Dr Who episodes written by Mark Gatiss and also the new 'Sherlock' on the BBC and so already had a fair idea of how 'off the wall' it would be. I was not disappointed in that respect. The book is stylishly written and manages to capture the details of the Edwardian time period in which it is set very well. The dialogue is very good with one character reminiscent of one of Terry Pratchett's witches doing her 'posh voice'. The story is wildly ridiculous and delivered on the back 'blurb' and then some.Some readers may feel uncomfortable with the sexual references scattered througout the book which ensures that this is not a book for children, however without this side of the story the main character Lucifer would not the complete 'dashing rogue' that Gatiss wants to create. Some would say that perhaps some of his writing is 'wish fulfilment', but then that could be said of so many authors (Ian Fleming springs easily to mind) and it is only perhaps because I have seen so many 'behind the scenes' interviews with the author that I get this feeling.

Luxuriating in quirkiness this had potential but needed perhaps a better editor to reign back some of the self indulgences of plot and dialogue. I seemed to want to become a film with Mark Gatiss in the title role.

A brilliant series. So funny. Outrageous plots navigated by a gentleman hero. Well written, fast paced means I struggled to put this down.Ignore any reviews that find fault with improbable plots... clearly the wrong readers for the wrong books!!Brilliant series.

I got this on the strength that i am a fan of the League of Gentlemen and i like the work that Mark Gatiss does, and the novel is good (ish), but does not fire me up in any way, a little too dandy for my liking.Do not get me wrong the story is fine, but i do not like the setting or the way it is written, might just be me, but while i enjoyed the story the style did grate on me all the way through the book.So even though i finished it, i could have put it down at any time.

I love the book so much that I nearly died when I saw this. I initially found the artwork a little irksome and I'm not sure why; I bought it quite a long time after I first read it and actually really liked the artwork when I read it again. It does a good job with the story and looks great - fans of the Lucifer Box series or Mark Gatiss' writing should definitely consider buying this.