Reviews for House of the Vampire

The average rating for House of the Vampire based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-07-19 00:00:00 Donald Steirer A 1907 vampire novel in the style of Oscar Wilde! This is one of those obscure classics that is actually entertaining and not simply dust on the shelf of literary history. Nearly five stars, but it would be unfair to Dorian Gray to rate them both the same. Also, Viereck was a Nazi. So that's problematic. Before he was a Nazi, however, Viereck published this book in 1907 at the youthful age of 22. I won't spoil what kind of vampire we're dealing with, but know that it isn't the kind who drinks blood. Creative minds and vampire scholars will find Viereck's monster unique and unforgettable. Stylistically, the characters often speak in profound witticisms that are clearly modeled after Oscar Wilde. Male friendships are also described with the same veiled eroticism. There's even a direct ode to Dorian Gray where the protagonist imagines a pleasant portrait of the vampire deforming into something sinister. Apparently some hail this the first "gay vampire" novel, but other than some oddly sexy word choices to describe a bond between bros, the characters are all straight. Honestly I think George was just a huge Wilde fanboy and wanted to follow his style in every possible way. That said, nearly 50 years later, Viereck would become significant to gay literature with his memoir Men into Beasts (1952). I haven't read that one yet, but apparently it describes situational homosexuality witnessed while he was locked up for crimes as a Nazi propagandist. From what I could research, the memoir was intended to shame the prison system, but instead it is remembered for starting a wave of "gay pulp fiction" publications. I guess I will have to hunt down a copy someday to find out why. As for House of the Vampire, I actually give it a hearty recommendation. In addition to the intriguing vamp, there's some lovely New York City descriptions and sense of life from 1907 that is hard to find in an entertaining package. Too bad young Viereck grew up to be a horrible person.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-06-30 00:00:00 Yoshi Rio 3.5* This book is a very different approach to a vampire story. There is no darkness, eerie and creepy atmosphere or any blood drinking associated with the usual vampire books. Still I enjoyed reading this novella as the writing kept me interested and the idea of this book was in a way scary though not in the conventional way. Reginald Clarke is the star of any function he attends and everyone's eyes follows him wherever he goes. He is a great writer and an orator, handsome and proud. When young Ernest, an aspiring writer gets the opportunity to stay with Clarke and be mentored, he is thrilled. But what he experiences there is totally unexpected. I don't want to give away any spoilers. I would definitely reccomend this book because first of all its small, secondly its interesting. Most importantly, its a vampire book! Who can resist one?