Status Updates From The Blood of the Vampire (V...

Chapter 16 done. I wonder if Harriet will do herself in because the novel seems to posit she is cursed and doomed, no matter what her good intentions are towards Anthony Pennell. Such a terrible premise!

So far this is a dreary soap-opera melodrama with unpleasant shallow characters and a rascist supernatural/eugenics element of energy vampirism... I hate them all.

Back in London and Harriet discovers that the Barroness' Red House is a dump.

Ethel died. Infant death is hard to handle see if it will be carried by Marryat.

Unsurprisingly the vain and good looking Ralph Pullen is hooking up with hot young Harriet Brandt (and energy vampire) over his cold prudish fiance Elinor Leyton. Except for all the sucking... Well, actually Harriet is abnoxiously saccarine and just wants to devour babies and it turns out gents too.

Lots of sub/dom stuff with the Baroness G and hubbie and son (aluded to). Harriet Brandt's eyes are scarey 'sullen contempt' with smoldering fires that could burst forth into flames, and Harriet's obsession with Margret Pullen's baby Ethel.

Certainly feel like set up for a murder mystery. The Baroness Gobelli being the prime, person everyone hates and then gets killed figure. Also sapphic longing from Harriet to Margret, which freaks out M. And is Bobby Bates gay? Coded as dominated, emasculated young man with Baroness G as his tyrant mother. Also Elinor Leyton as the fridgid withhold fiance. And the SHAME and HUMILATION of beach bathing!!