 "V
is for Vampire"
by David J. Skal
Plume/Penguin, 1996
Everything you wanted
to know about undead but were afraid to ask. What bachelor hasn't, at one
time, put on that back cape and lunged for the neck of some sleeping beauty?
Well, this book is here to help you so that you don't wind up with a steak
through the heart. "V is for Vampire" is an encyclopedic
look at the vampire legend in word and deed. The entries are sparse, but
to the point, giving you a basic concept of all that is vampire. Along
with the historical accounts of the people and places, you get a touch
of vampire pop psychology which sometimes comes off more like kitsch critism
than insight. Most of the focus of the book is the Bram Stoker's vampire
Dracula, and his many appearances in films and tv. All the famous Draculas
are featured like Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, and Max Schreck. And we
can't forget television's own children of the night like Vampire, Grandpa
Munster, and the vampire soap-opera "Dark Shadows." When you think
about it, Dracula is just like the classic bachelor, but with a darker
suit and fangs, but unlike us, he has to be in before dawn.
Buy this book from
Book Shelf Archives>>>
|
