Literary Horror discussion

_The Dracula Papers_ is a marvelous novel. Novels like this should be written to the end of time.

This book deserved to be a Hardcover book.

Has anyone heard when the sequel "The Monk's Tale" is supposed to be published ?

It's such an energetic book that I found it good but pretty draining. And while I wouldn't have wanted to read the Monk's Tale immediately after DP: Book I, it's been a little too long now and I'm afraid I'll have to revisit anyway by the time that one shows. The secret passage scenes were vivid and the digression having to do with the "murony" creature. Randolph, you are so right to pick up on the "picaresque vibe": it's there for sure and surely to make it feel like an early novel--perhaps the "true" story of Dracula and an attempt to supersede Stokers novel (does he say something about this/"the drunken Irishman" in the introduction? I can't remember).

Randolph wrote: "I agree. It should have come out as a hardcover, trade, and ebook. Oh well.

I'm picking up a picaresque vibe more than anything. There is an undercurrent of humor. It appears that Verney is ..."

I loved the humor.

I plan to participate, but my copy just arrived so I'll be catching up to all of you.

I have a brand new never read copy for sale--email a reasonable offer.

Randolph wrote: "“ Then the Frog Maiden, a scrawny old person dressed all in green for the occasion, stepped out in front of the crowd, muttering under her breath, a violent little pulse throbbing in the leathery s..."

I just e-mailed my representative to see how to institute this custom in our district.

I'd forgotten that scene which is pretty representative of the general "anything-can-happen" feel to this wonder-filled book.

“I longed for madness or death, or some kind of mental numbness to lift me out of such endless torture, but it never did.”

Randolph wrote: "This book, 80% complete, is nothing like I imagined it would be."

What did you imagine. Reggie Oliver's forte is usually the short story. In fact he is quite the master of that form. In this longer tale he has kind of linked a number of short stories, even using different voices, linked together with a binding narrative.

It isn't scary at all but neither are his short stories, brilliant as they are.

Do not forget about the fear of midgets, dwarfs or small people it is called Achondroplasiaphobia. Often times people who have this fear, do not discuss it. Though it is a very real phobia that can produce symptoms such as dry mouth, feeling extremely hot, shaky, feelings of dread, and wanting to run away. It is a relatively common fear affecting over 200,000 just in the United States alone.

Randolph wrote: "84%, now we're talkin'. Supernatural mayhem. Dracula wasn't scary either."

I found chapter XXV to be quite Lovecraftianly cataclysmic.

I liked The Wounds of Exile section on the boat with the Rhino (on fire?), etc. The book is episodic and I wish that each episode (or two) had continued to be issued as Passport Levant editions--though I think I am crazy for feeling this way--at any rate, my wallet is thankful that didn't happen.

I am LOVING this book! Not at all what I expected.

They should make a TV series out of this book. Heck, a TV show brought Thomas Ligotti and Robert W. Chambers to the attention of a mass audience.

12% in - really enjoying the book so far. It reminds me of The Manuscript Found in Saragossa more than Dracula, which is great in my opinion. Great approach to horror, and seems to be written with love.

I think the casual meeting with The Wandering Jew might actually be a direct reference to Saragossa. Has someone here read it / seen the film?

Teddy wrote: "I think the casual meeting with The Wandering Jew might actually be a direct reference to Saragossa. Has someone here read it / seen the film?"

Not yet, although I have the book. I do believe I've found a riff on the whole Rushdie/Satanic Verses controversy, as well as a tongue-in-cheek critique of authors who write overly-complicated works -- pp. 353- 355. It made me laugh.

Randolph wrote: "This reminds me a bit of Umberto Eco's novels where a lot of obscure references are made to other things."

I also thought of Umberto Eco. A very surprising book.

When I first started reading it and the trio were starting on their way to Transylvania, I thought it was a lot like The Canterbury Tales -- with the stories within a story and the little bits of moral (and otherwise) wisdom being imparted.

Yes, he did, but it worked. Does anyone know the status of the second book?

Randolph wrote: "Did Verney die? I don't think so, but he kind of dropped out of the end of the tale. Do you think he will figure again in the Monk's t
Tale?"

I don't think he died. I had the impression he was still in the castle when Bellorius left. I do wish the next book will come soon!

Verney was the student who dabbled in alchemy, right?

While reading the novel I anticipated that Verney would have a major part in the transformation of Vladimir into Dracula. But that did not turn out to be the case in this novel. Maybe in a future installment.