Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula

by Christopher Frayling

Book Overview

Vampire literature is an amazingly varied genre of writing, providing elements of everything from the penny dreadful horrors to powerful doses of myth and eroticism. Because it contains its own mythology and its own set of rules, it has also proved a psychologically attractive genre for many writers from its Romantic inception to the present day.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571167926
• ISBN13: 9780571167920
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.9" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Silly cover, adult chapters...

While the cover is a tad B-movie, the inside of the book is full of important crossroads, major information on all fictional vampires and their roots. The chapters tell all - Lighten Our Darkness, Lord Ruthven and His clan, The Tempestuous Loveliness of Terror, A Creature of Folklore, The Genesis of Dracula, Count Dracula, Haemosexuality. A must for any beginner and for any vampire library.

Vampyres Unite!!

An interesting tracing of the historical and chronological development of the vampire in literature. It gives us an idea of Stoker's precedents and also his real place in the time line of vampire literature. Some extracts I found horribly funny, but an entertaining and informative read nonetheless. Good foundation for anyone interested in Gothic literature on anything on vampires.

Childish cover, adult content

Despite the childish cover, this book is an intelligent and entertaining assessment of the evolution of the literary vampire. Combining a short stories with essays and a lengthy introduction this book is invaluable to any fan of Gothic literature.