OCTOBER 22, 2012 1:49PM
V is for ... (31 Days of Halloween, Oct. 22nd)
VARNEY THE DINOSAUR!
When a horror kid
starts learning his vampires, he learns of Dracula’s parents – Lord
Ruthven, Carmilla Karnstein, and of course, Varney the Vampire (thank you Nancy Garden. Your excellent book thrilled this 12 year old with vampire lore and just enough of a hint of horror to keep me awake nights!).
Well, Librivox now has had many a volunteer narrate Varney the Vampire, and it’s been my pleasure to listen to it on my work commute. This is not to say that the writing isn’t florid, dragging, melodramatic and silly. But in between all of that, there are thrilling moments.
Some factoids of this Penny Dreadful (Wikipedia is doing all my writing for me these days):
Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood was a Victorian era serialized gothic horror story by James Malcolm Rymer (alternatively attributed to Thomas Preskett Prest). It first appeared in 1845–47 as a series of cheap pamphlets of the kind then known as "penny dreadfuls".
The story was published in book form in 1847. It is of epic length: the
original edition ran to 876 double-columned pages divided into 220
chapters.[1] Altogether it totals nearly 667,000 words.[2] Despite its inconsistencies, Varney the Vampire is more or less a cohesive whole. It introduced many of the tropes present in vampire fiction recognizable to modern audiences to this day.[3]
Also:
Varney was a major influence on later vampire fiction, particularly Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker. Many of today's standard vampire tropes originated in Varney: Varney has fangs, leaves two puncture wounds on the necks of his victims, has hypnotic powers, and has superhuman strength.[3]
Unlike later fictional vampires, he is able to go about in daylight and
has no particular fear or loathing of crosses or garlic. He can eat and
drink in human fashion as a form of disguise, but he points out that
human food and drink do not agree with him. His vampirism seems to be a
fit that comes on him when his vital energy begins to run low; he is a
regular person between feedings.
This
is also the first example of the "sympathetic vampire," a vampire who
loathes his condition but is nonetheless a slave to it.
Here’s
what stood out to me as I began listening to Varney: the story starts
out with an ominous phantasmagoric storm, leading right into the bedroom
of the heroine, where lightning illuminates a hideous figure by the
window. A figure that soon gets inside and manages to drink her blood.
It’s
simple, right? And yet, that thought, of the vampire skulking right
outside, observing you as you’re falling asleep, waiting for the chance
to attack you? That once held the power to terrify.
And Varney is soon subsequently shot out of the room, where he leaps away and continues to be shot and keep running. Like a good action/horror movie should! It may be dumb and florid but aren’t these the basics of what we want in a vampire story sometimes?
Also: despite the languid, wilting qualities of its gothic heroine Flora, she may well should have been the poster girl for the NRA!
He
gave to Flora a pair of pistols of his own, upon which he knew he could
depend, and he took good care to load them well, so that there could be
no likelihood whatever of their missing fire at a critical moment.
"Now,
Flora," he said, "I have seen you use fire-arms when you were much
younger than you are now, and therefore I need give you no instructions.
If any intruder does come, and you do fire, be sure you take a good
aim, and shoot low."
"I will, Henry, I will; and you will be back in two hours?"
"Most assuredly I will."
And:
"I
would have left her one of my pistols had I been aware of her having
made such a request. Do you know if she can use fire-arms?"
"Oh, yes; well."
"What a pity. I have both of them with me."
"Oh, she is provided."
"Provided?"
"Yes;
I found some pistols which I used to take with me on the continent, and
she has them both well loaded, so that if the vampyre makes his
appearance, he is likely to meet with rather a warm reception."
Spunky, spunky Flora! Too bad Varney seems to be bulletproof…
I have half a mind to write a hip-hop opera based on Varney the Vampire, but I can't rap worth a damn.
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Comments
I wonder if Polodori influenced this guy. R
I wonder if Polodori influenced this guy. R
I wonder if Polodori influenced this guy. R
Sorry for the repeated comments: slow server.
OMG, what a story.
Interesting overview on a character I knew nothing about.
LOVE the cover graphic. Ah, those epic, serialized Victorian novels!
LOVE the cover graphic. Ah, those epic, serialized Victorian novels!
Trudge, no worries,
I've had those stupid hiccups myself. And I don't recall the timeline,
exactly. I think Polidori was influenced Byron?
VA - isn't that graphic great? It's so old school "blee blee I Vant to suck your bloood!" I don't know if Stephenie Meyer could deal with it!
VA - isn't that graphic great? It's so old school "blee blee I Vant to suck your bloood!" I don't know if Stephenie Meyer could deal with it!
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