This is a short, unfinished story about a man named Carwin who discovers he has a bizarre and powerful talent: he can perfectly imitate any voice he hears, a skill he calls 'biloquism.' We follow him from his rural childhood, where he first experiments with this ability, to his travels where he starts using it in more serious—and morally questionable—ways. The narrative is Carwin looking back on his life, trying to explain how this strange power shaped him.

Why You Should Read It

Forget typical Gothic scares. The real horror here is psychological. Brown was fascinated by the human mind, and Carwin's gift is a perfect tool to explore obsession, deception, and the corruption of a good thing. It's a character study of a man wrestling with a power that isolates him and tempts him toward manipulation. You get to watch a person slowly realize they hold a dangerous key to influencing others, and the story makes you ask: what would you do with that key?

Final Verdict

This is a fascinating curiosity for readers who love early American literature, psychological thrillers, or stories about superpowers with a dark side. It's not a complete novel—it literally ends mid-thought—so don't go in expecting neat answers. Go in for the chilling premise and the unique, brooding atmosphere. If you've read Brown's more famous Wieland, this provides a crucial backstory. If you haven't, it's a gripping, standalone dive into a uniquely American brand of suspense.