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The Vampyre
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
The Vampyre "The Vampyre" is a short work of prose fiction written in 1819 by John William Polidori. The work is often viewed as the progenitor of the romantic vampire genre of fantasy fiction. The work is described by Christopher Frayling as "the first story successfully to fuse the disparate elements of vampirism into a coherent literary genre." Aubrey, a young Englishman, meets Lord Ruthven, a man of mysterious origins who has entered London society. Aubrey accompanies Ruthven to Rome, but leaves him after Ruthven seduces the daughter of a mutual acquaintance. Aubrey travels to Greece, where he becomes attracted to Ianthe, an innkeeper's daughter. Ianthe tells Aubrey about the legends of the vampire. Ruthven arrives at the scene and shortly thereafter Ianthe is killed by a vampire. Aubrey does not connect Ruthven with the murder and rejoins him in his travels. The pair is attacked by bandits and Ruthven is mortally wounded. Before he dies, Ruthven makes Aubrey swear an oath that he will not mention his death or anything else he knows about Ruthven for a year and a day. Looking back, Aubrey realizes that everyone whom Ruthven met ended up suffering. Aubrey returns to London and is amazed when Ruthven appears shortly thereafter, alive and well. Ruthven reminds Aubrey of his oath to keep his death a secret. Ruthven then begins to seduce Aubrey's sister while Aubrey, helpless to protect his sister, has a nervous breakdown. Ruthven and Aubrey's sister are engaged to marry on the day the oath ends. Just before he dies, Aubrey writes a letter to his sister revealing Ruthven's history, but it does not arrive in time. Ruthven marries Aubrey's sister. On the wedding night, she is discovered dead, drained of her blood and Ruthven has vanished. John Polidori John William Polidori (7 September 1795 24 August 1821) was an English writer and physician. He is known for his associations with the Romantic movement and credited by some as the creator of the vampire genre of fantasy fiction. His most successful work was the short story "The Vampyre" (1819), the first published modern vampire story. Although originally and erroneously accredited to Lord Byron, both Byron and Polidori affirmed that the story is Polidori's.
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review
Caterina
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Mehso-so

Very short and mildly interesting for literary history reasons. I enjoyed some of it, but the ending was dull and abrupt. Overall, it was nice to read this once, especially in a month where I'm reading a lot of vampire fiction, but I'd not read it again. #Scarathlon #Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash #Pointsathon #BookSpinBingo #SerialReader @StayCurious @TheAromaofBooks @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @SerialReader

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 2y
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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#OnThisDay in 1819, the first English language story about a vampire was published. Almost 80 years before Dracula, this story was responsible for introducing the public to the idea of a vampire as an aristocratic Romantic. John William Polidori's The Vampyre came from an idea given to Polidori by his friend Lord Byron, and was first developed as part of the same storytelling contest in which Mary Shelley created Frankenstein. #HistoryGetsLIT

TheKidUpstairs (As you can see in the image, the story was originally credited to Lord Byron, but a correction was issued one month later after both Byron and Polidori pointed out the error) 2y
vivastory I had no idea that it was originally credited to Byron! 2y
TheKidUpstairs @vivastory Polidori submitted it for publication anonymously. Because the vampire's name is Lord Ruthven, and that name had been used by another author for a character based on Byron, the magazine's editor assumed it was written by Lord Byron and so he put his name on it. 2y
61 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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PuddleJumper
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Mehso-so

A very quick read and interesting from a literary history point of view not so much as a result experience

The pacing is a bit off and it's not very well written

#Screamathon, #SpookOWeen #scarathlon2021 #TeamSlaughter #BookSpinBingo

@TheSpineView, @TheAromaofBooks, @4thhouseontheleft @Clwojick

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MsRadioSilence
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Mehso-so

This one was…interesting? The book credits it as being the first vampire tale, written in 1819. I‘m not sure what the excerpts about Lord Byron were about? They didn‘t seem to have a point. Anyway, I think it‘s funny that this is where vampires started and Twilight is where they are now lol.

#scarathalon #scarathlon2021 #teamhendrix #spookoweenreadathon #screamathon #readlikehellathon #getspookedreadathon

MsRadioSilence This satisfies the Tier 2 Myers requirement (resurrection theme - Lord Ruthven dies and comes back to ruin Aubrey‘s life) of the Read Like Hellathon 3y
StayCurious How interesting! 3y
18 likes2 comments
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Inazea
Mehso-so

Being a big lover of "monster classics" I had to read the first vampire novella - and be disappointed. Due to the length I knew it wasn't going to play in the same league as Frankenstein or Dracula and it was nice to see where later authors may have gotten some ideas from but that's about it. To me it felt a bit all over the place, what would have been interesting to explore was dropped after a sentence or two.

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hilded
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Pickpick

The first Vampyre tale ever told (or so I‘ve heard at least). First published in 1819, as a product of the competition that produced Frankenstein. I found the story itself intriguing. But to my surprise, very little blood gore as is normal in a vampire tale. But the writing was so-so, and the pace slow with little action. Classic ending though!

3⭐️

#serialreader
#Booked2020 || #GothicHorror

Cinfhen Yay!! Another prompt completed ✔️♥️ 4y
50 likes1 comment
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tjwill
Vampyre: A Tale | John William Polidori
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Mehso-so

Meh. If you want a classic vampire story, definitely read Dracula instead. This one is short, but not that interesting.

#scarathlon #teamslaughter

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IndoorDame
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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I‘ve know about Dracula and Carmilla, but I think this #scarathlon I might see where the VERY first #vampire came from as well. #chillingphotochallenge #teamstoker @TheReadingMermaid @Clwojick

BeansPage 🧟‍♀️ 5y
46 likes1 comment
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Malisa
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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REPollock
Vampyre: A Tale | John William Polidori
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Saw this first edition at the Frankenstein exhibit at the library!

wanderinglynn 😍😍😍 6y
cj82487 😍 wow, just wow😍 6y
18 likes2 comments
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Samplergal
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Panpan

Ugh. I read this as a book required for a challenge. It‘s me. It‘s not you. 😂

EllanaRose I read this during my lunch breaks in college, and I quite enjoyed it. 6y
Samplergal @EllanaRose that‘s why there are so many books. We all like different genres. I thought this would be more interesting, as it appears to be one of the first vampire stories. Just not my thing. 6y
EllanaRose Oh absolutely true! Sometimes the first in a genre isn't the best 6y
75 likes3 comments
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LadyRuthven
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Pickpick

Speaking of classics...Love #vampires? I do!!!

Well, this is the book that started it all. Before Dracula, Varney, before Louis and Lestat, before Buffy, Twilight and all the rest. This book was the very first vampire story ever made.

Lord Ruthven was the first vampire. *hints my user name.*

It was created along side Frankenstein on the same day. The history of the book is just as interesting as the book.

A must read for all vampire lovers.

Rebonkula I just found out yesterday that another great classic, Camilla, had been made into a movie! I love the old vampire stories! 6y
LadyRuthven Oh really?! I will have to check it out. That story is also very interesting. The first vampires of fiction were so interesting and showed fascinately view points of the time period. 6y
68 likes5 stack adds2 comments
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LynnMPK
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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6 likes2 stack adds
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MMenefee
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Who knew?! I have not encountered any vampire tales, I can currently recall, that utilize this - counting grain or rice - to occupy the undead. Are any of you Littens familiar with this?

brilliantglow Very interesting. That's the first I've heard this connection. 7y
[DELETED] 3323341091 i have only encountered this in an X-Files episode. Mulder escaped a vampire attack because he tossed sunflower seeds on the floor and the vampire had to stop and count them. 😬
7y
Wife Yep! 7y
60 likes3 comments
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sprainedbrain
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Mehso-so

Meh.

I can appreciate that it may have been the first English vampire story. But I very much appreciate that it was only 4 issues in Serial. ⭐️⭐️

jpmcwisemorgan I read this one in October. It was a bit flowery for me but I had to keep in mind that was how things were when it was written. 7y
85 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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NadiaBatista
Vampyre: A Tale | John William Polidori
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Pickpick

My first read at #SerialReader is done! A great tale, and a classic author I shall read more.

5 likes2 stack adds
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NadiaBatista
Vampyre: A Tale | John William Polidori
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Found out, yesterday, Serial Reader. So, so, so in love!! 💖💖💖

#currentread #vampyre

Reviewsbylola Serial is the best! 7y
5 likes1 comment
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Jen2
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
Pickpick

Pretty good!

65 likes5 stack adds
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Jen2
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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First Serial Reader book!

jpmcwisemorgan This was the first one I read too! 8y
Beholderess I really should read that 8y
eri.reads I am also just finding serial and started out with Grimm's Fairy Tales. I think I'll read this one next! 8y
109 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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CoveredInRust
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Pickpick

Short and creepy and everything I love about vampire tales. It was the perfect time of year to read it, too.

17 likes3 stack adds
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Zakia
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Pickpick

Now that's what an English undergraduate wants to see! All books Q9... Happy days were had rummaging through the Halcyon Bookstore shelves. I saved a mint on all the texts I needed. Call me crazy, but there is nothing more relaxing than walking into a shop that has mini Everest's of books teetering precariously on every available surface. Some really nice rare editions to be found here too #getindie #greenwich #royalgreenwich #boroughoflondon

MrBook You're not crazy in the least! 😊😎👍🏻 8y
26 likes1 comment
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jpmcwisemorgan
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
Mehso-so

This isn't going to scare anyone today and it starts off very flowery, which makes it a little hard to read. For what it is, when you put it in its historical context, you can see its influence on later stories of vampires.

jpmcwisemorgan I'm a little sad because I started another story on Serial Reader and while I read part of this one I didn't think to read from the new one and I screwed up my streak. I'm going to pretend like to still perfect because I didn't realize that would be a problem. 8y
12 likes1 comment
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jpmcwisemorgan
The Vampyre | John William Polidori

I have discovered @SerialReader and this is more first selection. It's super short too! I can see this is going to be a problem because instead on working I'm going to be concerned about maintaining my streak. Yes, I'm competitive, even with myself.

MrBook *cheers you on" ????????????????? 8y
jpmcwisemorgan @MrBook I don't know, this could be bad for my productivity at work. I'm already considering listening to ebooks at work. I mean, it is 40 hours a week that I could be more productive with my reading. 8y
MrBook Exactly. Work, pfft. 😎👌🏻 8y
16 likes1 stack add3 comments
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SerialReader
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Two hundred years ago, the nightmarish Year Without a Summer prompted John Polidori and companions Mary Shelley and Lord Byron (among others) to weave dark fantastical stories. Frankenstein was born of this summer, as was The Vampyre, which kicked off the romantic vampire genre.

18 likes3 stack adds
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DragonSadhana
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Mehso-so

While it began slowly, as it picked up I was enthralled. However, the ending was insipid. It reminded me of camp outs with ghost stories where someone tries to jump out and scare you at the end, only to trip over themselves and land face flat into your freshly made smore.

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StephTKO
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Panpan

It always feels wrong to review classics, especially transformative or revolutionary classics such as this one. With that said, I just didn't enjoy this. However, I am glad I read it for the experience of reading it.

callunakeep I have read this and felt exactly the same way! 8y
18 likes1 comment
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StephTKO
The Vampyre | John William Polidori
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Alright, alright. Per the FBing of Bookriot, I'm trying out this Serial Reader app and my first book is going to be The Vampyre per the Litsying of Brendan. 👻

thelibraryofmars Totally just downloaded. Thanks! 8y
[DELETED] 3558467437 I can't decide on my first book for that app. Is Vampyre good? 8y
StephTKO @Currysunshine I'm not sure yet, it's a classic horror story, but I hadn't heard of it until it was mentioned in a Litsy post. 8y
RickMoody Yes! 8y
18 likes4 comments