The Blood Countess

by Andrei Codrescu

Book Overview

A portrait of Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory follows her real-life sixteenth-century reign of torture and murder.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684802449
• ISBN13: 9780684802442
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 347 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Excellent, but not for everyone

I honestly thought that this book was fascinating and difficult to put down. To be sure, this book is incredibly violent and graphic, so the reader should be advised. But, although certainly fictionalized, it is reasonably accurate to the facts known about one of the most prolific serial murderers of all time. This is one of the few books that I have "kept"...most books I donate or give away when I am done reading them. This one was definately a keeper.

WOW!

This book is awesome! Though I must admit that I found myself skimming through the "present" part just to get to the "past" part, I still feel that, overall, it was a great read. It seems to me that many readers bought this book mistaking it for a history book. If you're looking for a history book on Countess Elizabeth Bathory, then I suggest you look elsewhere. This book contains more than any history book can ever have on her.

Excellent!

This book is a great combination of erotica and horror, plus an excellent plot. I really enjoyed it and would recommend this book to everyone. Do not misjudge this book just because of the other reviews here. Read it for yourself!

Very good - excellent narrative skills

I read this book about 3 years ago. The author is Hungarian(I believe), but currently living in New Orleans. His narrative skills are very captivating. He pulls you into the book almost as quickly as Anne Rice. The book is based on historical fact, and yet you feel as if you are there while reading it! If you like vampire stories - a definate must read!

"Blood Countess" weaves suspense and history.

Codrescu is a talented and intelligent writer, one who understands that no amount of gore and violence can replace the magic of the true storyteller's art. What Elizabeth Bathory does to the young women who fall prey to her bizzare obsession is clearly secondary to why she does these things. Despite the rather lurid title, this book runs on taut psychological suspense. Codrescu's dual plot, or tale-within-a-tale, is presented in the frame of a courtroom confession. What propelled this reader through the book was not a tawdry "whodunit" conundrum, but a desire to see when and why the two plotlines would converge. Codrescu evokes character and place so skillfully that the reader experiences the same double vision as the characters themselves. The only real disappointment comes at the very end. After so much build up, so much allusion, Codrescu's denouement feels somewhat hurried, with a few threads left hanging, a few characters not quite fully utilized.Nonetheless "The Blood Countess" is a powerful, beautifully written novel steeped in real history and the darkness of the human heart