Wieland By Charles Brockden Brown

One of the media’s favorite subjects is the killer who “hears voices”. If you think of the phrase “hearing voices” given the prevalence that notion now has in our culture, you might think it very contemporary. Current news reports involving the likes of Phillip Garrido and Jared Lee Loughner are likely to describe the criminal as “hearing voices”. However, the first American novel to incorporate this notion of an insane criminal “hearing voices” was in fact a book generally considered the first novel. That novel is Wieland; or the Transformation written in 1798 by the Pennsylvania author Charles Brockden Brown. It was inspired by the case of a farmer in upstate New York, James Yates who murdered his family because, he said, God told him to.
Charles Brockden Brown had a funny little take on it, though. What if such a voice was created by a ventriloquist? The main character kills his family because he thinks God tells him to but it is really an evil ventriloquist- that’s quite clever. Why that Charles Brockden Brown sure was no dummy!
This book is absolutely demented. The reason why the family at the center of the book is in America is because the main character’s father tries to start his own religion and he comes to convert the native population. However, this is unbelievable- he spontaneously combusts. The main character’s father bursts into flames and an explanation is never given as to why. That’s how the book starts, and it goes in it’s dementia from their when Wieland, the narrator his sister Clara, and his best friend observe strange and unexplained voices which not coincidentally come along with the arrival of a mysterious strange named Carwin.
What was my response to the book? I couldn’t stop laughing at how sick and demented it was. I read almost all of it in a single sitting.
I really think it would be great and very appropriate for Wieland to get a revival right now for a number of reasons. Our current news is filled with stories about people committing crimes because voices told them to. Phillip Garrido and Jared Lee Loughner are good examples of crimes committed by schizophrenics. In our political realm Ron Paul and the Tea Party have forced a re-thinking of the Founding Fathers era of American history. Also, as I’ve said the book is completely demented. Charles Brockden Brown never got as famous as, say, Poe did but he’s probably at about the same writing level. Wieland should make a comeback. It’s a good book.