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The Countess

by Rebecca Johns (Goodreads Author)

3.41 of 5 stars 3.41 · rating details · 719 ratings · 166 reviews

Was the “Blood Countess” history’s first and perhaps worst female serial killer? Or did her accusers create a violent fiction in order to remove this beautiful, intelligent, ambitious foe from the male-dominated world of Hungarian politics?

In 1611, Countess Erzsébet Báthory, a powerful Hungarian noblewoman, stood helpless as masons walled her inside her castle tower, doomi...more Was the “Blood Countess” history’s first and perhaps worst female serial killer? Or did her accusers create a violent fiction in order to remove this beautiful, intelligent, ambitious foe from the male-dominated world of Hungarian politics?

In 1611, Countess Erzsébet Báthory, a powerful Hungarian noblewoman, stood helpless as masons walled her inside her castle tower, dooming her to spend her final years in solitary confinement. Her crime—the gruesome murders of dozens of female servants, mostly young girls tortured to death for displeasing their ruthless mistress. Her opponents painted her as a bloodthirsty škrata—a witch—a portrayal that would expand to grotesque proportions through the centuries.

In this riveting dramatization of Erzsébet Báthory’s life, the countess tells her story in her own words, writing to her only son—a final reckoning from his mother in an attempt to reveal the truth behind her downfall. Countess Báthory describes her upbringing in one of the most powerful noble houses in Hungary, recounting in loving detail her devotion to her parents and siblings as well as the heartbreak of losing her father at a young age. She soon discovers the price of being a woman in sixteenth-century Hungary as her mother arranges her marriage to Ferenc Nádasdy, a union made with the cold calculation of a financial transaction. Young Erzsébet knows she has no choice but to accept this marriage even as she laments its loveless nature and ultimately turns to the illicit affections of another man.

Seemingly resigned to a marriage of convenience and a life of surreptitious pleasure, the countess surprises even herself as she ignites a marital spark with Ferenc through the most unromantic of acts: the violent punishment of an insolent female servant. The event shows Ferenc that his wife is no trophy but a strong, determined woman more than capable of managing their vast estates during Ferenc’s extensive military campaigns against the Turks. Her naked assertion of power accomplishes what her famed beauty could not: capturing the love of her husband.

The countess embraces this new role of loving wife and mother, doing everything she can to expand her husband’s power and secure her family’s future. But a darker side surfaces as Countess Báthory’s demand for virtue, obedience, and, above all, respect from her servants takes a sinister turn. What emerges is not only a disturbing, unflinching portrait of the deeds that gave Báthory the moniker “Blood Countess,” but an intimate look at the woman who became a monster.(less)

Hardcover, 284 pages

Published October 12th 2010 by Crown (first published 2010)

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Nov 17, 2010 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read mostly literary writing, and this novel is no exception. So if you're expecting a gothic novel about vampires or a thriller about cold blooded murders, you'll probably be disappointed both by the book and by this review.

The Countess is a fictionalized memoir of a real life Hungarian countess who came to be known as "the blood countess" on account of the many murders of young servant girls attributed to her. She is also the likely prototype of the "evil stepmother" so frequently seen in al...more I read mostly literary writing, and this novel is no exception. So if you're expecting a gothic novel about vampires or a thriller about cold blooded murders, you'll probably be disappointed both by the book and by this review.

The Countess is a fictionalized memoir of a real life Hungarian countess who came to be known as "the blood countess" on account of the many murders of young servant girls attributed to her. She is also the likely prototype of the "evil stepmother" so frequently seen in all the better known fairy tales now appropriated by Disney, and Johns makes sure to leave plenty of clues behind to reconnect to those beloved fairy tales. But rather than delivering a one-dimensional portrait of a cruel woman and her violent murders, John constructs a sophisticated profile of a beautiful, intelligent and well-educated woman who has been brought up to believe the only gift she can give the world is through her beauty from the love of a man. Unfortunately, in this one thing Bathory seems cursed: all the man to whom she gives her love, including her son, ultimately pass her over for someone else. The fear that Bathroy may never experience this much touted love, and that she may one day become the helpless victim of the indifference of men is what fuels her slow mental degeneration, which capitulates, literally, in bloody murder.

And still, this is not a story about madness, nor about self-pitying women at the mercy of gender oppression. To the contrary, this is a lively tale about a resourceful, strong-headed woman who strives to maintain her family's power in the face of constant war and shifting allegiances. The plot of her political and sentimental ploys is so well developed that it isn't until late in the novel that the murder of the young girls in Bathory's employ begin to take center stage. By this time, we've come to know Bathory so well as a clever, quick-witted, charming and generous woman that it's almost impossible to believe she could in fact have committed those murders. As other readers have pointed out, Bathory is likable. She is also pitiable as an unloved woman whose only real flaw seems to be (at first) that she's educated.

Many readers express surprise that Johns spent so much time developing Bathory's childhood years, but without those years The Countess would be just another story about psychopaths, heartless murderers and unrepentant cold hearted blook suckers, or in any case another novel with a plot that deliver only on blood and gore. For that, there are plenty other stories.

Rather, what we have here is the effects on the human mind of a repressed but very real fear, as the restrictive rules imposed on her gender expose her and her young children to the tangible and well-founded possibility of betrayal, poverty, brutality and even death. On the surface, Bathory seems to overcome all of her physical and psychological obstacles, but the stress and fears build up. This psychological complexity is what makes this novel a brilliant work of interpretation of a promising talented woman's life gone sadly awry. In the end Bathory's "rage black outs" are consistent with the psychoses that can develop from the constant stress of danger and from the emotional disappointments that Bathory has to survive on account of the death of some of her children and of the rejections and humiliations she has to endure at the hand of men on whom she relies for protection.

Her violence against the beautiful, helpless servants in her keep then become the expression of a repressed rage that has been festering for years in Bathory's subconscious, a rage addressed at exactly those same values (beauty, femmininity, fertility) that have in the end buried Bathory alive.

I heartily recommend this novel to anyone who wants to be intelligently engaged by this intriguing time period and by the subtleties of a vivid, brilliant new voice in literature.
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Aug 11, 2011 Roxanne Galpin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: eastern-europe, historical-fiction, horror

This book tells the tale of a deeply flawed woman. Indeed, the interesting part of her narrating her own story seems, to me, her denial. She proves herself a rather unreliable narrator, focussing on the parts of her story she wishes to emphasize, minimizing those actions of hers that add up to her monstrosity. At the beginning of her story, one cannot help but empathize with Erzsebet. As the story unfolds, however, her claims of righteousness become more and more unbelievable. Having finished re...more

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Nov 18, 2010 Read It Forward rated it 5 of 5 stars

Such a fascinating, page-turning novel. I didn't know about Countess Erzsébet Báthory before reading Rebecca Johns' novel - what a fascinating (terrifying!) woman. This is unlike any historical fiction I've read before - it's keeping me up at night! Can't wait to finish it.

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Feb 28, 2013 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Novels with unreliable narrators are always a puzzle. Is the storyteller crazy, or lying, or both? The truth is somewhere in there, but where? The story begins with Elizabeth imprisoned in a tower for the murders of dozens of young female servants. But is she guilty? Elizabeth tells her life story through her letters to her son. At first, Elizabeth seems like a sane, normal woman under an unusual amount of pressure. Singlehandedly managing half a dozen estates while your husband is away fighting...more Novels with unreliable narrators are always a puzzle. Is the storyteller crazy, or lying, or both? The truth is somewhere in there, but where? The story begins with Elizabeth imprisoned in a tower for the murders of dozens of young female servants. But is she guilty? Elizabeth tells her life story through her letters to her son. At first, Elizabeth seems like a sane, normal woman under an unusual amount of pressure. Singlehandedly managing half a dozen estates while your husband is away fighting the Turks ain't easy, y'all.

But as the story unfolds, Elizabeth's moral compass disappears, her sense of self-importance becomes cartoonishly inflated, and she is slowly revealed to be frighteningly crazy. It's a slow burn, and this book takes patience, but it's a fascinating psychological portrait.

I didn't sympathize with Elizabeth, but I understood how she became a monster. When she was a child, her mother taught her that a woman's happiness can only be achieved by making a man fall madly in love. At age 14, Elizabeth was married off to a man who ignored her for ten years while he waged war. When he occasionally came home, he slept with servant girls more often than he slept with her. Elizabeth agonized over her failure to secure his attention, and she took out her frustration on the servants, meting out harsh punishments to the girls who caught her husband's eye. Imagine public nudity, honey, and stinging insects. Yeah, it's CRAYCRAY.

When Elizabeth's husband observes her doling out an especially harsh punishment, he takes notice of her for the first time. After ten years of marriage, they finally bond over a shared penchant for sadism. When he offers to show her his own punishment techniques, he sounds as if he's asking her on a date. It's SICK, but Elizabeth describes the incident as if it's romantic. Girl is kuh-RAY-zee.

Elizabeth tells herself she's punishing the young women to keep them from stealing and screwing around with the stable boys. But she LIKES it. And the first time Elizabeth accidentally goes too far and beats a girl to death, she sleeps well and feels wonderful the next day. *shudder* Flash forward a few years, and every time Elizabeth experiences a setback or embarrassment, she beats a few servant girls to death to regain her composure and sense of control.

Even then, though, she thinks she is a benevolent mistress because she gives the girls a place to work, a warm fire by which to sleep, and food to eat. Her delusions of grandeur and innocence are fascinating, and the book ends satisfyingly: with Elizabeth punished like a common criminal.

Except for one incident, the violent episodes aren't described in detail, so the book is creepy but not too graphic. The tension develops slowly, so impatient readers would do well to skip this book. But if you enjoy history, a glimpse into feudal life, and psychological tension, I recommend it. (less)

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Dec 06, 2012 Lady Draculia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mi preme subito mettere in evidenza che questo romanzo non ha l’obiettivo di shockare, soffermandosi e indugiando nei particolari più morbosi e cruenti delle attività delittuose della contessa; chi è alla ricerca di una macabra descrizione delle sue pratiche sadiche e perverse rimarrà a bocca asciutta. Solo in rarissimi casi si accenna a qualche episodio violento, ma sempre in maniera molto sfumata e sfuggevole. E’ mia impressione però che il tratteggio della figura della contessa delineato dall...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Claudia aka Chiara [la viandante dei libri] rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Grimilde ungherese o Gossip Girl ante litteram?

La prospettiva auto-assolutoria dalla quale viene raccontato il romanzo non è, per me, indicatore di una buona qualità del romanzo. E anche questo caso non fa eccezione. Tutto il romanzo presenta la contessa Báthory come donna intelligente, cresciuta in un ambiente amorevole, costretta a piegarsi alla ragion di Stato per onorare il Suo nome. Si intuisce la crudeltà di questa donna e il piacere che trae dal comminare alcune punizioni ai suoi servi. M...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Marty82 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Osservo l'orizzonte in attesa che sorga il sole. Ogni giorno, osservo e attendo".

Scorrevole e ben scritta, questa biografia romanzata ripercorre la vita e la prigionia, che si concluse con la morte, della contessa Erzsébet Báthory, nobile ungherese del XVI secolo.
Il tutto è narrato in forma di epistola scritta dalla contessa, ormai rinchiusa nella torre del suo kastèly di Csejthe, e indirizzata all'amato figlio Pàl, una lunga lettera in cui Erzsébet ripercorre le tappe fondamentali della sua e...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Eileen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mmmmmeeehhhh!

I have always been interested in the story of the Countess Bathory so when i saw this book I just had to buy it. It started off slow but as soon as I was about to loose interest the story begins to pick up and even get a little juicy. In a weird it was kind of like reading about the latest gossip but not really. Its hard to describe the feeling I had when I read certain sections. Rebecca Johns makes the book a smooth read although I can not say that I was not disappointed in the por...more Mmmmmeeehhhh!

I have always been interested in the story of the Countess Bathory so when i saw this book I just had to buy it. It started off slow but as soon as I was about to loose interest the story begins to pick up and even get a little juicy. In a weird it was kind of like reading about the latest gossip but not really. Its hard to describe the feeling I had when I read certain sections. Rebecca Johns makes the book a smooth read although I can not say that I was not disappointed in the portrayal of Countess Bathory.

Lets start with what I did enjoy. I liked the section of the book that concentrates on her life before and during marriage period, as well as a small part of her later life. The story during these sections kept building my interest towards the main character and her life and aspirations. I felt pulled into the story and I excited about the power this woman exuded. I feel like the best sections in the book are when the protagonist displays her strength and passion.

What i feel was a major let down of this book was the odd twist the story starts to develop in the mid 'second section'. It's weird to understand if you haven't read the book but its separated into sections and so the second half of the book focuses on her later years. I saw a drastic turn in the Countess's prowess. To me she almost became in a way like Madame Bovary. The two novels are not to be compared because, to me, they have no real similarities. However; I bring it up because I saw a side of John's Bathory that reminded me of the same feelings i got when I read Madame Bovary. I know this may seem like a lousy review but honestly I think you will understand if you read this book. Not to say anything negative about the classic but I wanted more from Bathory. I wanted to learn more about the powerful woman behind the story of blood and vanity and I feel like all I got was a lousy t-shirt of some sort.

The ending...well actually the whole story left a lot to be desired. I would not have minded for the book to be longer because I kept waiting for greatness but all I could muster was disappointment. It built a good foundation but as the blocks were being piled higher the structure started to shake, wiggle, and sway and ultimately it was a FLOP!

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Apr 21, 2012 Daark rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think the author pretty much just read Tony Thorne's bio of Elizabeth Bathory, "Countess Dracula," and turned it into a fiction book (she even has the same trivial details as Thorne, such as list of food items brought in for a banquet). The portrayal of Bathory is the same old (new) portrayal we've been seeing in a recent spate of new movies, such as "The Countess" and "Bathory," in which the world's worst female serial killer is presented with this softer, gentler side, as if all of her crime...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

The Countess: A Novel by Rebecca Johns is a novel about the life of Countess Erzsebet Bathory. Before I review the book let me give you some background information.

Most people don't know much about Countess Erzsebet Bathory. She was a Hungarian countess that lived from 1560-1614. She was accused of torturing and murdering hundreds of young virgin girls. There is evidence that she mistreated and killed many of her servants but most her crimes have probably been greatly exaggerated and made into a...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Blake16 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Madre, Amante, Strega, Assassina. A volte il male è l'unico modo per difendersi.

Ormai era da parecchio tempo che sentivo parlare di questo libro, più che altro commenti positivi… anzi SOLO commenti positivi… e così mossa dalla curiosità che questi mi suscitavano, decisi di acquistare “La Contessa Nera”.
La decisione è stata lunga, è vero – il libro è uscito all’inizio del 2011, io l’ho acquistato appena un mese fa – ma come si dice: “meglio tardi che mai” e il libro è stato un buon acquisto… ne è...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a really well written book about Hungarian countess, Elizabeth Bathory. Painted by some historians as a bloodthirsty woman, feasting on peasant folk's blood for her youth, this has been widely exaggerated and untrue.

My first exposure to Elizabeth Bathory was a horrible book I read years ago that did not use any references/bibliographies and capitalized on the shock value of a Hungarian woman of means slaughtering fair maidens in blood baths. It was so outlandish and lacked depth, I larg...more This is a really well written book about Hungarian countess, Elizabeth Bathory. Painted by some historians as a bloodthirsty woman, feasting on peasant folk's blood for her youth, this has been widely exaggerated and untrue.

My first exposure to Elizabeth Bathory was a horrible book I read years ago that did not use any references/bibliographies and capitalized on the shock value of a Hungarian woman of means slaughtering fair maidens in blood baths. It was so outlandish and lacked depth, I largely forgot about it and her. My second introduction was far more satisfactory.

The author writes the novel as first person and begins as Elizabeth is a child and learns of a visiting gypsy's unforgivable deed of selling his daughter to the enemy to be used and/or abused. It is in this scene that the reader is introduced to the social hierarchy and the differing opinions of women at the time. The man is punished under Elizabeth's father's order and Elizabeth's character is also revealed. Curious, unkind to those who deserve punishment (in her mind) but also a child of some means which gives her some amount of power.

Although subtle, this scene plays out over and over again throughout the book. Elizabeth, with a large dowry, is "sold" off to be married at a very young age to a man whose first love is the battlefield but, like many marriages of stature, was political. She learns to rule her home in his absence, and punish when her servants slept with her husband, got pregnant with any child out of wedlock, and any untoward behavior.

Peppered throughout the story is the history of Hungary and the politics involved at the time. This also frames Elizabeth's attitude and actions differently than the gory history books. In addition to the politics, is the nearly utter powerlessness of a woman in Hungary (like nearly every other nation at the time). Their only value was the dowry they could bring to the marriage and the ability to produce a male heir. A widowed woman was a sitting duck to be conquered.

What the author provided was a more accurate framework of the world that Elizabeth Bathory lived in. She did not, in fact, drink the blood of young peasant girls in order to maintain her youth. On the other hand, many girls died within the walls of her property and even at her hand. It is not as gory as I had anticipated. In fact, I found myself feeling empathetic toward her. Put into this perspective, especially told by the Countess, the reader understands the pressures she is under. She's still cruel and the girls who died were treated inhumanely, but I understood the role of Hungarian noble women much better by the time I finished the book. Highly recommend.(less)

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Oct 25, 2011 Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Countess: A Novel of Elizabeth Bathory was a creepy read that left me feeling unsettled.
The book is based on the real life of Hungarian Countess Erzsébet Báthory who was also known as the Blood Countess. Erzsébet who was an educated and wealthy woman who came from noble blood, is known as one of the most famous female serial killers in history.

The story starts in 1611 when Erzsébet is imprisoned in a tower in Hungary for her crimes. She is sentenced to live the remainder of her life in this...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Naomi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, let me premise that this book is written very well. Now with that out of the way, I cannot help but take the premise that this author was writing from a perspective that Bathory was some innocent, helpless, innocent victim instead of the vicious murderess that she was. There was many a time while reading the book that I had to go back and reread things to make sure that I hadn't misread it, because I couldn't believe that anyone would portray this woman as "innocent" in her life.

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Sep 13, 2011 Lya06 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Qui la recensione completa: http://bookland89.blogspot.com/2011/0...

La contessa nera è un libro che mi è piaciuto molto poiché come ho giá detto, sono un’appassionata di biografie romanzate e questa è davvero ben fatta, sono davvero rimasta soddisfatta a conclusione della lettura, tra l’altro molto veloce visto che volevo assolutamente sapere cosa sarebbe accaduto e come sarebbe finito.
Lo sviluppo della storia, sotto forma di diario- lettera, è articolato in modo da rendere il tutto molto vivace...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Autumn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

The back cover copy promised depraved cruelty. The flap copy hinted at a dark and sadistic relationship. What I wanted was a tale of Bathory that offered an explanation for at least some of the bloodcurdling rumors that surround her name.

And when Erzsébet and her husband find the missing erotic spark to their marriage through her degrading and painful punishment of a servant girl, I thought the novel was on the right track. This is it, I thought, two sadists who meet and fall in love with each...more

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May 13, 2012 Natacha P rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, horror

I had vaguely heard about Elizabeth Bathory and after some brief searching, decided to start with this book. I know now that this is basically the watered down, more human portrait of the countess herself. This might work well for those less keen on gory details, but honestly I didn’t even think that a tame account on such a notorious character would even exist (or that it would be the one I’d stumble upon first, LOL).

The main thing that comes across is Elizabeth’s state of denial; constantly fi...more

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Oct 17, 2010 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

I went to high school with the author!

The Countess: A Novel tells the tale of Erzsébet Báthory, the Blood Countess, of Hungary. I had never heard of the countess, so I was eager to read this book. I seem to have a fascination for evil people and what makes them tick. And, with a moniker like the "Blood Countess" I was anticipating some True Blood type antics throughout the novel. While I am not a sadist or masochist, I enjoy reading about the cruelties humans perpetrate upon each other.

I truly...more I went to high school with the author!

The Countess: A Novel tells the tale of Erzsébet Báthory, the Blood Countess, of Hungary. I had never heard of the countess, so I was eager to read this book. I seem to have a fascination for evil people and what makes them tick. And, with a moniker like the "Blood Countess" I was anticipating some True Blood type antics throughout the novel. While I am not a sadist or masochist, I enjoy reading about the cruelties humans perpetrate upon each other.

I truly enjoyed the historical aspect of this novel, especially considering 1600s Hungary is not a time period I've studied in any depth. Johns provided not only considrable biographical information of Báthory's family line and that of her bethrothed, but also of the political climate of the region.

The vast majority of the book was spent with Erzsébet's youth and the early years of her marriage. While this did explain her fastidiousness in running a household, all of the background felt like too much exposition. Basically, I was looking forward to reading about her monstrosities, but there was very little of that in the novel. There was truly no revelation as to why she was the Blood Countess. One could extrapolate from the few gory scenes presented just how ruthless Báthory could be, but I was wanting more.

The Countess, rather than becoming feared and loathed by the reader becomes a very sympathetic character. I could feel the pain of isolation early in her marriage. I could empathize with her infertility and her loss. I could feel her frustration of being solely responsible for the household and help while her husband was off galavanting and fighting wars. But, again, I didn't want to like her. I wanted to be horrified by her misdeeds and actions. Instead, I found myself wanting to befriend her.

Overall, The Countess provided great background knowledge of an historical figure I knew very little about, but I will be looking for other accounts of her life that show her more hideous side.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Cate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

This is a Reading Good Books review.

I am pretty familiar with Elizabeth Bathory. The Hungarian noble is notoriously remembered as "The Blood Countess". History and true crime books call her the "most prolific female serial killer in history". Also, some books mention that she is the female Dracula, saying she used to bathe in the blood of virgins to preserve her youth. Whatever else she's known for, her reputation can be described in one word: gruesome.

I did not plan to read this book originall...more This is a Reading Good Books review.

I am pretty familiar with Elizabeth Bathory. The Hungarian noble is notoriously remembered as "The Blood Countess". History and true crime books call her the "most prolific female serial killer in history". Also, some books mention that she is the female Dracula, saying she used to bathe in the blood of virgins to preserve her youth. Whatever else she's known for, her reputation can be described in one word: gruesome.

I did not plan to read this book originally. I had other things lined up to kick off 2012 including two that were given to me for review purposes (and their release dates are darn close but whatever). I saw this on the shelves at Target and I was instantly intrigued. Immediately, I thought of another Dracula-related book, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which I loved. The cover is rather minimal but there's something about it that grabbed me. And I haven't read anything about Elizabeth Bathory yet.

(Elizabeth Bathory is one of my favorite serial killers. Really. I just said that.)

The book serves as a fictionalized memoir of the Countess told in first person through her letters to her youngest child, Pal. She writes the letters while imprisoned in her room on orders of the palatine. The book starts and ends in that room:

"Was I wrong to treat them thus? Was it not my right, as the mistress of the house, to punish them as I saw fit?" - Part Two, Chapter Twenty-five.

The author captured the unapologetic and vulnerable tone of Bathory. Elizabeth Bathory had a lot of power but at the same time, she was very flawed and alone. In her narration, she never once felt remorse. She justified her actions as she saw fit. Her jealously, her grief, greed... all became denial. All these made her more terrifying. She was capable of doing horrific acts of depraved cruelty with no emotion; sometimes blacking out the whole episode because of anger. It was so well-researched. The voice was consistent all throughout the book. It made Bathory seem more human than an exaggerated, almost fictional version of herself. (Honestly, if you've read up on her, you have to stop and wonder could one person be really capable of the things she allegedly did.)

The author used the original Hungarian spelling (and what I would guess, pronunciation). It didn't bother me much but I would've wanted to be able to say the names in my head as I read on. There is a pronunciation guide in the beginning but I didn't see the point of flipping back and forth. Also, the overall pace of the book is rather on the slow side. There was a lot of explanations, detailing this and that. Some paragraphs were very long. I found myself just skimming through the location descriptions because they weren't really helpful in the bigger scheme of things.

Also, it did not dwell so much on her "crimes". Or at least, they weren't explained in depth. It seemed as though Bathory was narrating them as if they were nothing. I guess what I am trying to say is the author did a darn good job of establishing Elizabeth Bathory's voice; definitely my favorite aspect of this book.

Rating: 4/5.

Recommendation: A worthy addition to historical fiction lover's shelf. It also speaks to fans of vampire myth (more on the Anne Rice genre than Stephenie Meyer) and fans of dark and gothic POV storytelling.
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Nov 02, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

The Countess is a fictional piece of work where the reader is taken to the letters of the Countess Erzebet Bathory to her son written in the last years of her life where she was kept prisoner; literally blocked away as she was left in a tower surrounded by stone except a small hole to send food from.

In her letters, she talks of her life right from when she was a happy and clever child to her unhappy marriage where her husband did not enjoy her company until they both found they had a common inte...more

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Sep 06, 2012 K likes Tea rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was very excited to read this book about the Coutness Bathory of Hungary, often referred to as the first felmale serial killer. Having a Hungarian heritage, I was very earger to know the true story about the Countess and the many murders she was accused of. Well, this book did not satisfy my curiosity. This reads more like a historical romance than a murder mystery. Esterbet doesn't even kill her first victim till 200 pages into the novel! In the whole book, only a dozen pages or so even detai...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Arabella rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although this novel is well written and contains some accurate historical detail, it is not based on fact but on slanderous accusations made against Countess Bathory by greedy and overambitious noblemen who wished to seize her lands and wealth. This book is the trashy literary equivalent of The Enquirer.

Why did Rebecca Johns rely on sensational hearsay to spice up her book, when the more enlightening, more believable truth would have shown more respect and regard for her readers? The answer is...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Rick F. rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Johns's creepily enticing second novel (after Icebergs) travels to 1611 Hungary as Countess Erzsébet Báthory--aka the Blood Countess--is being walled into a castle tower as punishment for the murder of dozens of women and girls. She begins writing her life story as an exposé of the many betrayals that have brought about this--as she sees it--outrageous and unjust imprisonment. The steady, calm tone of Erzsébet's narration lulls the reader along so that the first hints of madness in her girlhood...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I enjoyed this quite a bit. The Countess is the story of Hungarian woman who is accused of being a serial killer/witch. It's primarily told in the past tense -- she has been imprisoned, and is writing her life story down for her son. I found it fascinating, but one thing that bothered me a little was that we only get the story through her own perspective. There's nothing to really explain why people are supposedly so afraid of her and think she's a witch, rather than just a regular murderer. Mos...more

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Oct 08, 2010 Amy L. Campbell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: advanced-copy, 2010, blogged, reviewed

Note: this review pertains to an Advance Reader Copy and may not coincide completely with the final printing.

Johns spent so much time making Countess Bathory human that I wasn't convinced that anger, entitlement, and abandonment/trust issues were enough to make her snap and commit the atrocities she did. While Bathory did seem to exhibit quite a few signs of megalomania, I didn't see enough other mental illness or cruelty that would indicate she was capable of torturing and killing her servants,...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Teresa rated it 3 of 5 stars

“The Countess” opens in Hungary in 1611 with Countess Erzsebet Bathory being walled up in a castle prison to spend the remainder of her life in solitary confinement. What crimes did she commit to warrant such a brutal punishment? She and a number of her employees were accused of the murder of hundreds of local young girls who had incurred the wrath of their mistress, later known as the Blood Countess. Erzsebet has been the subject of numerous myths and legends which portray her as the most proli...more

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May 07, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eastern-europe, fiction, historical-fiction, horror, owned, vampires, women

Countess Elizabeth Bathory is known to history as a blood-thirsty Hungarian murderess who bathed in the blood of virgins in order to stay young. Like Vlad Tepes (Dracula), her name is linked to vampire legends. In The Countess, Rebecca Johns presents a literary version of the life of Erzsebet Bathory from her childhood to her eventual imprisonment in a walled up tower (not a spoiler, this is revealed in the early pages of the book). Through letters to her son, Bathory reveals the motivations beh...more Countess Elizabeth Bathory is known to history as a blood-thirsty Hungarian murderess who bathed in the blood of virgins in order to stay young. Like Vlad Tepes (Dracula), her name is linked to vampire legends. In The Countess, Rebecca Johns presents a literary version of the life of Erzsebet Bathory from her childhood to her eventual imprisonment in a walled up tower (not a spoiler, this is revealed in the early pages of the book). Through letters to her son, Bathory reveals the motivations behind some of her terrible actions.

I really enjoyed reading The Countess. I appreciated the research Johns had obviously completed and how she placed Bathory squarely in her historical context. From the early chapters about Bathory's childhood in which a gypsy man is sewn into the bowels of a dead horse, it's clear that violence had a different role in seventeenth century Hungarian society than it does now. Indeed Bathory's main argument throughout the book is that she is punishing her maids as she, a Hungarian noblewoman, is entitled to;

"I was not a madwoman who enjoyed the suffering of others but a fair mistress who had meted out punishment under the eyes of everyone in the house, who had nothing to hide." p181

Although lots of the acts in the book are repulsive to a modern day audience, it's interesting that only some of Bathory's actions cross the line into unacceptable. Her husband, mother and father all engage in horrific acts of punishment against their servants; Bathory just goes too far by actually killing them.

The Countess is very evocative of place too. Anyone who has read Dracula or The Historian and wanted to visit the gloomy, foggy forests, castles and mountains will enjoy losing themselves in the setting of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the only criticism I will make is that it was perhaps a bit too slow paced throughout the beginning and middle with the pace picking up towards the end. I also wanted to know a bit more about how Bathory's children reacted to her imprisonment.(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Cayleigh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

1. This is a story of This is a story of Countess Erzsébet Báthory of Hungary who became known to the world as "The Blood Countess". I've never read anything set in the Hungarianof Hungary who became known to the world as "The Blood Countess". I've never read anything set in the Hungarian courts and after reading all of the books I have set in Tudor England the new names/places were refreshing.

We start out meeting Erzebet as a young lady and follow her from there to her death, walled up in a to...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Sariah rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book started out with so much promise. A historical fiction about Elizabeth of Bathory, who was a noblewoman in the 1600s in Hungary who many consider to be the most notorious of female serial killers. She is also the basis for a lot of legends, and the rumors of the time were of witchcraft and vampirism. It was said she tortured and murdered hundreds of young women and even bathed in their blood. Yup, pretty gruesome stuff, right?

The story starts when Elizabeth (or Erzebet, which is more h...more

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Nov 24, 2010 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Countess Erzsebet Bathory was a character who made a mistake and killed a number of her female servants. She was walled inside a castle to keep her from hurting anyone else. All of the town forks thought she had lost her mind. She was called a witch by a number of town forks. This Historical fiction story will have longing for more. This fiction book makes you want to look inside and try to find out what made the Countess Erzsebet commit such horrible crimes and torture young servants for no...more

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About Rebecca Johns

Rebecca Johns is the author of two novels, Icebergs (Bloomsbury USA, 2006), which was a PEN/Hemingway Finalist, and The Countess (Crown 2010), which has been translated around the world. Her writing has appeared in Ploughshares, the Mississippi Review, and Narrative, and numerous commercial magazines and newspapers such as Bride's, Cosmopolitan, Fitness, Mademoiselle, Self, Seventeen and Woman's D...more

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Quotes from The Countess

“Beauty was a curse to be borne, not a blessing.” — 3 people liked it

“Even if God forgives you, you do not forgive yourself. You live in your sorrow like a room of mirrors that reflects on and on to eternity.” — 1 person liked it

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