The Vampyre
John William Polidori
Henry Colburn
1819
Ms. Hen came to read this story because she is currently
interested in vampires. “The Vampyre” came out of the same ghost story contest
during which FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley was imagined and created. Polldori
told ghost stories with Mary Shelley, Percy Shelly, and Lord Byron one stormy
night in Switzerland, and this story was born.
“The Vampyre” is a simple story about a young man who
travels to Greece, falls in love, and comes in contact with a vampire. When he
returns to London, he discovers that his sister is betrothed to said vampire,
and he becomes upset and attempts to explain to his sister what happened. He
tries to tell his sister that her fiance is a monster, but she pays no heed to
him. The results are fatal.
This short story reminds Ms. Hen of FRANKENSTEIN, of course,
and DRACULA, and other horror stories written in the nineteenth century. Ms.
Hen usually reads scary stories during Halloween, but she doesn’t mind being
frightened any time of the year, especially when the world is so
horrible. Even now in April, Ms. Hen finds it fearful to leave the house,
even in daytime. She does not usually venture further than her yard most
days, unless she has to work.
Ms. Hen read this short story on her phone when she was at
work, since her job is boring now. She doesn’t think it’s right to break out a
book while she is on the clock, but everyone is constantly on their phones, so
she doesn’t feel uncomfortable reading a book on hers. She liked this story, though
she wished it were longer. But she did find it predictable. It was the first
story written in English about a vampire, which is impressive. This
story was a trailblazer, and she is glad she read it during these dark days of
springtime, when the world is broken from sadness and pain.
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