The Vampyre: And Other Tales of the Macabre (Oxford World's Classics) Summary and Reviews

The Vampyre: And Other Tales of the Macabre (Oxford World's Classics)
by John Polidori

The Vampyre: And Other Tales of the Macabre (Oxford World's Classics)
List Price: $9.95
Our Price: $4.00
You Save: $5.95 (60%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $2.00 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: John Polidori
Editor: Robert Morrison
Editor: Chris Baldick
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2001-04-12
ISBN: 0192838946
Number of pages: 312
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Book Reviews of The Vampyre: And Other Tales of the Macabre (Oxford World's Classics)

Book Review: Chilling candlelight read
Summary: 4 Stars

With the shift from agriculture to industry and advancements in technology and scientific understanding, the 19th century was one of rapid change. This collection of horror stories, anchored by John Polidori's "The Vampyre," reflects the popular tastes and issues of the the times.

A sense of vice, moral ambiguity, and lawlessness pervades many of the stories. Polidori's vampyre does not simply drain blood and life in the literal sense; he tempts the innocent, further corrupts those who are debauched, and supports the sinner financially whenever he can. He is known for his social and emotional vampirism because even the most rational members of mainstream society can witness these evident depravities.

Criminals, living and supernatural, appear in stories such as "Sir Guy Eveling's Dream," "Confessions of a Reformed Ribbonman," "The Victim," and "Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess." A contemporary fascination with madness manifests itself in "Monos and Daimonos," "The Red Man," "The Curse," and "The Bride of Lindorf." The interest in medicine and medical research, exploited in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, appear here in "The Victim," "Post-Mortem Recollections of a Medical Lecturer," and, less successfully, "Some Terrible Letters from Scotland." "Life in Death" touches upon one of Frankenstein's themes: man's imperfect and arrogant attempts to mimic or best God and nature.

The most horrifying of these stories rely strongly on either realism or fantasy. "Confessions of a Reformed Ribbonman," based on an actual event, takes the reader into the inner circle of a criminal brotherhood for whom brutality mocks and replaces morality and spirituality. William Carleton's description of the group's meeting and the atrocities it subsequently commits resonates of a satanic mass and hell itself, complete with a ring of fire. In "The Victim," coincidences are stretched, but the murder of people for medical research specimens was headline news fresh in the minds of readers.

On the other side, "Monos and Daimonos" is written in a dark fairy-tale style, narrated by a giant rejected by society, yet unable to shake his sociable tormentor. The supernatural tale of "The Master of Logan" is wonderfully spun, with the forces of good and evil engaging in near-comic repartee and an exchange of witty compliments before the unmasking. "The Red Man" may be the most disturbing of the tales, as it blends recent history (the French Revolution) with medieval horrors and tortures.

Some stories, like "The Bride of Lindorf" and "Passages in the Secret History of an Irish Countess," are weak because the short story format seems to rush and constrain the narrative. The novel form of Uncle Silas allowed LeFanu to explore themes such as murder, religion, alcoholism, drug abuse, sexuality, and incest while developing a greater sense of the Gothic mystery, atmosphere, and shadows surrounding the title character and the terror of the heroine's helpless situation. For example, the shady French maid of "Countess" is replaced in the novel by the sadistic and depraved Madame de la Rougierre, a memorable accomplice.

The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre is a fascinating and varied collection of stories published in the UK in the early 1800s. For today's reader, the language and style may present an obstacle to enjoyment and even understanding. To me, however, the writing creates a sense of time and place that enhances the richness and even the timelessness of these tales, best read late at night by candlelight.

Literature & Fiction Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Bite Sized Gothic: Short Gothic Tales and Anthologies.
19th Century German Tales Image19th Century German Tales
by Angel (editor) Flores
Frederick Ungar; Published: 1966; Hardcover; Book
Gothic Tales of Terror, Vol. 2: Classic Horror Stories from Europe and the United States ImageGothic Tales of Terror, Vol. 2: Classic Horror Stories from Europe and the United States
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1973-11-01; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $2.95
Gothic Tales of Terror, Vol. 1 : Classic Horror Stories from Great Britain 1765-1840 ImageGothic Tales of Terror, Vol. 1 : Classic Horror Stories from Great Britain 1765-1840
by Peter Editor Haining
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1973; Paperback; Book
Demons of the Night: Tales of the Fantastic, Madness, and the Supernatural from Nineteenth-Century France ImageDemons of the Night: Tales of the Fantastic, Madness, and the Supernatural from Nineteenth-Century France
University Of Chicago Press; Published: 1995-04-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $26.23
Price in other shops: $32.50
Six German Romantic Tales: by Kleist, Tieck, & Hoffmann ImageSix German Romantic Tales: by Kleist, Tieck, & Hoffmann
by Heinrich Von Kleist, E.T.A. Hoffman, Ludwig Tieck
Dufour Editions; Published: 1993-08-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.18
Price in other shops: $19.95
Carmilla and 12 Other Classic Tales of Mystery ImageCarmilla and 12 Other Classic Tales of Mystery
by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Signet Classics; Published: 1996-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.00
Terror by Gaslight: More Victorian Tales of Terror ImageTerror by Gaslight: More Victorian Tales of Terror
Taplinger Pub Co; Published: 1976-03; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops: $8.95
The Vampyre: And Other Tales of the Macabre (Oxford World's Classics) ImageThe Vampyre: And Other Tales of the Macabre (Oxford World's Classics)
by John Polidori
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2001-04-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.64
Price in other shops: $9.95
Late Victorian Gothic Tales (Oxford World's Classics) ImageLate Victorian Gothic Tales (Oxford World's Classics)
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2005-08-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.92
Price in other shops: $15.95
The Monster Made By Man: A Compendium of Gothic Adaptations ImageThe Monster Made By Man: A Compendium of Gothic Adaptations
zittaw press; Published: 2004-11-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.95
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Monk (Penguin Classics) ImageThe Monk (Penguin Classics)
by Matthew Lewis, Christopher MacLachlan
Penguin Classics; Published: 1999-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Price in other shops: $11.00
The Castle of Otranto (Dover Thrift Editions) ImageThe Castle of Otranto (Dover Thrift Editions)
by Horace Walpole
Dover Publications; Published: 2004-03-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.18
Price in other shops: $2.50
The Italian (Oxford World's Classics) ImageThe Italian (Oxford World's Classics)
by Ann Radcliffe
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2008-10-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.70
Price in other shops: $11.95
The Monk (Modern Library Classics) ImageThe Monk (Modern Library Classics)
by Matthew Lewis
Modern Library; Published: 2002-04-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.45
Price in other shops: $23.00
Vathek (Oxford World's Classics) ImageVathek (Oxford World's Classics)
by William Beckford
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 1999-03-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.95
Price in other shops: $11.95
The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story ImageThe Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story
by Horace Walpole
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 1998-07-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.55
Price in other shops: $8.95
Uncle Silas (Penguin Classics) ImageUncle Silas (Penguin Classics)
by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Penguin Classics; Published: 2001-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.08
Price in other shops: $12.00
In A Glass Darkly (Oxford World's Classics) ImageIn A Glass Darkly (Oxford World's Classics)
by Sheridan Le Fanu
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2008-09-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.80
Price in other shops: $13.95
Melmoth the Wanderer (Penguin Classics) ImageMelmoth the Wanderer (Penguin Classics)
by Charles Robert Maturin
Penguin Classics; Published: 2001-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.56
Price in other shops: $15.00
The Mysteries of Udolpho (Penguin Classics) ImageThe Mysteries of Udolpho (Penguin Classics)
by Ann Radcliffe
Penguin Classics; Published: 2001-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.28
Price in other shops: $14.00