The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre

 

The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre by Robert Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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I have long wanted to read John Polidori's tale, The Vampyre, as it dates from very early in the literature of that creature and this year's Halloween Bingo was an excellent excuse. I am an enthusiastic consumer of vampire fiction and it was rather like wanting to visit the ancestral home. I hadn't realized that writers have been exploring this mythos since the 17th century and the trend shows little sign of giving up yet. Interestingly, the tale contains echoes of old fairy tales, with the main character, Aubrey, forbidden to speak what he knows for a year and a day. Of course disaster occurs on the last day before this restriction is finished.

The other tales were of less interest to me, although they had their moments. The horror in them derives from issues that all of us can recognize: illness, misfortune, getting mixed up with the wrong people, making an awful life changing mistake, or losing a cherished loved one. It was particularly interesting in these days of covid-19 to read Some Terrible Letters From Scotland by James Hogg about a cholera epidemic of the time. It seems there will always be those among us who refuse to believe that they can be laid low by disease. It seems to me they had more excuse then, without the knowledge of bacteria and viruses that we have now.

I also wonder if the Sheridan Le Fanu story, about an uncle oppressing his orphaned niece was a practice piece which eventually became the novel Uncle Silas.

If you have no patience for old-timey writing, I would advise you to give this short volume a miss. Especially The Confessions of a Reformed Ribbonman, which was somewhat difficult to decipher in spots, but is apparently based on a true story. That fact upped the horror ante for me. If you are interested in the historical roots of the horror genre, this may be a book you are looking for. Sporting vampires, ghosts, curses, and gothic shenanigans, this is a perfect choice for Halloween Bingo.




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