Book of the Vampire

by Nigel Suckling, Bruce Pennington (Illustrator)

An examination of the vampire in legend and history, taking Bram Stoker's Dracula as a starting point since it is mainly responsible for the vampire's modern notoriety. Nigel Suckling examines Dracula's fictional ancestry as well as the folklore and historical characters (such as Vlad the Impaler and Countess Elizabeth Bathory) that informed Stoker's many-layered monster. The books ends with a look at the vampire legend today and the resurgence of belief in such monsters. Illustrations are by that master of fantasy and science fiction art, Bruce Pennington.

The vampire lives on and cannot die by the mere passing of time; he flourishes wherever he can fatten on the blood of the living. He throws no shadow, he makes in the mirror no reflection. He has the strength of many in his hand. He can transform himself into a wolf or become a bat. He can come in mist which he creates, or on moonlight rays as elemental dust. He can, when once he finds his way, come out from anything or into anything, no matter how close it be bound. He can see in the dark... - Dr Abraham Van Helsing in Bram Stocker's Dracula

Genres: Vampires, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Krysztyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opracowanie popularnonaukowe napisane przystępnym językiem. Autor zawarł w nim wiele podań na temat wampirów i im podobnych, bazując na źródłach z całego świata. Suckling nie cytuje ich wszystkich dosłownie, lecz opowiada je własnymi słowami. Nie skupia się tylko na charakterystyce wampirów, ale także na idei picia krwi i skąd wzięła się ona w różnych kulutrach; pisze o wierzeniach i przesądach.

[niskichlotow · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

Oh bardzo chciałabym poznać opinię autora na temat "Zmierzchu".
Cudowne kompendium wiedzy o wampirach z każdego zakątka świata. Dla mnie jednak styl pisania nijaki, średnio się czytało.
Znalazłam odpowiedź na nurtujące mnie pytania jakie miałam po "Draculi". Najbardziej zastanawiające i interesujące jest dla mnie to, że tak naprawdę kult wampiryzmu (głównie europejskiego) został stworzony jako propaganda chrześcijańska, żeby ludzie się obawiali. 🧛‍♀️🩸

[Candice Bentley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, there was some interesting information on the myths of vampires. Unfortunately, the narrative was a bit messy sometimes in addition to an error confusing the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty with the fairy tale of Snow White.

I enjoyed the illustrations.

[Patricia Woodruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a fascinating book! A really interesting blend of old folklore, history and modern accounts. Good illustrations.

[burnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first few chapters of this book are really great. You learn alot about the vampire myth and the inspirations for Bram Stoker. My favorite part was about all of the unkown authors who wrote about this myth. Also you learn still more about what an uber mega tool Lord Byron was. How he stole a man's ideas and drove him to suicide.