A review by morganisblue
The Vampyre by John William Polidori

dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A very quick read but what better way to kick off my Fall/Gothic reads than with the genesis of one of my favorite genres on a stormy Sunday? Speaking of conception, this story’s creation is fascinating - what with Polidori, the Shelley’s and Lord Byron slumming it up together one summer, living the degen life. I, too, have walked away from a drugcation (shrooms, not laudanum in this case) with stories to tell, but none that created a whole genre! So kudos to John. 

Anyway, this is prime Victorian period - the atmosphere and quick descriptions of the lives of the characters was perfect. It was refreshing to read about a man being wrongly accused of mental instability once in a while :) but also :(