rosekk's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the short introductory essays; some short story collections skimp on giving much information about the author & their other work, but part of the fun of an anthology is being exposed to a lot of different writers, so it's nice to get a quick feel for them. For a relatively narrow scope, there was a fair amount of variety in the collection, and all of the stories were at the very least easily readable, while some were exiting to discover. Luella Miller was probably my favourite story of the lot, and I'd never heard of it (or the writer) before.
lillyreads_08's review against another edition
3.0
This was not as interesting a read as I thought it was initially.
nettleflare's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is an excellent vampire anthology. The introduction provides valuable historical context for the emergence of vampire stories during the Victorian era. Each story is accompanied by a short biography that situates the author and their work within broader trends.
The collection includes both stories that are well-known and unheard of. I was especially surprised by the fact that pre-Victorian vampire stories did not tend to focus on class struggles and elitism and were instead related to misunderstandings about decomposing bodies. My favorite story highlights include: a vampire town, male vampire victims, melodramatic Varney the Vampire, and Bram Stoker's atmospheric writing. I loved the volume, bought a copy, and will likely read it again.
The collection includes both stories that are well-known and unheard of. I was especially surprised by the fact that pre-Victorian vampire stories did not tend to focus on class struggles and elitism and were instead related to misunderstandings about decomposing bodies. My favorite story highlights include: a vampire town, male vampire victims, melodramatic Varney the Vampire, and Bram Stoker's atmospheric writing. I loved the volume, bought a copy, and will likely read it again.
kriedesel's review against another edition
2.0
I could barely get through the book. It wasn't for me.
jackievr's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
spookyelm's review against another edition
3.0
Thank goodness this is finished! I have to admit I really did enjoy this book and some of the stories inside. But man did it take long for me to finish this! I enjoy books that are all one story rather then tiny little ones and theres like 10 of them. 3/5 isn't bad though because it contained some great 'proper' vampire stories.
avanders's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellent introduction/compendium of victorian (as well as some pre-victorian and post-victorian) vampire stories.
Michael Sims does a superb job of not only gathering some of the most noteworthy and influential pieces of the genre, but he introduces the work as a whole and each piece with aplomb.
I typically do not read the introduction to a book until after I've read the book (and only then if I feel that it's "worth my time"). I know that this is counter-intuitive, but generally I want to read the work without someone else's opinion about the work first. (I typically do not read reviews until after I've read the book either.)
In this case, however, I read the introduction as it was meant to be read -- first. What a wonderful introduction. I have dog-earred many pages (I know, gasp!) in the intro for me to follow up on and read more about the topic. I also note that Sims explains his choices effectively and intriguingly. I could not wait to get started.
The stories themselves are wonderful. They represent true vampire culture and fears in the earlier times and we are able to see the morphing of the culture of vampire lore.
All in all, excellent choices and excellent work.
I would not recommend this book to people who think that Twilight is the end-all of vampire tales. But for those of you who are interested in the backdrop of current lore, the history, the progression, and are willing to take the time and energy to read victorian style prose... by all means, sink your teeth in...
Michael Sims does a superb job of not only gathering some of the most noteworthy and influential pieces of the genre, but he introduces the work as a whole and each piece with aplomb.
I typically do not read the introduction to a book until after I've read the book (and only then if I feel that it's "worth my time"). I know that this is counter-intuitive, but generally I want to read the work without someone else's opinion about the work first. (I typically do not read reviews until after I've read the book either.)
In this case, however, I read the introduction as it was meant to be read -- first. What a wonderful introduction. I have dog-earred many pages (I know, gasp!) in the intro for me to follow up on and read more about the topic. I also note that Sims explains his choices effectively and intriguingly. I could not wait to get started.
The stories themselves are wonderful. They represent true vampire culture and fears in the earlier times and we are able to see the morphing of the culture of vampire lore.
All in all, excellent choices and excellent work.
I would not recommend this book to people who think that Twilight is the end-all of vampire tales. But for those of you who are interested in the backdrop of current lore, the history, the progression, and are willing to take the time and energy to read victorian style prose... by all means, sink your teeth in...
tipsytarsier's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great group of vampire stories from an interesting group of authors. I wouldn't have expected some of them to have written vampire stories, but I highly recommend these.