Desmond: A Novel About Love and the Modern Vampire [Paperback]

Ulysses G. Dietz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2000

When a gay vampire falls in love with a young man, his dark world is forever changed, in this welcome addition to the canon of vampire literature.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ever since Bram Stoker published Dracula in 1897, there's been a sexy aura surrounding vampire fiction--the vampire's central interaction with humans is, after all, incredibly intimate--and Anne Rice was one of the first modern writers to boldly push the genre out of the closet, beginning with Interview with the Vampire. But while Rice's vampire Lestat is a bad boy who sometimes tries to be good, the eponymous character in Ulysses G. Dietz's Desmond is a good boy who is always trying to be better, although his constant dependency upon the (mostly unoffered) kindness of strangers makes it difficult. Dietz's novel is set in present-day New York, but it also includes several trips into the past, as financial wizard and creature of the night Desmond Beckwith seeks to uncover the hidden secrets of his 250-year life even as he searches for true love with a mortal. Sharp writing and ingenious plotting make Desmond both scary and charming. --Michael Bronski

From Publishers Weekly

As proven by Dietz's not-quite-undead debut, it takes more than a serial killer and a couple of vampires to give us a chill. There's little tension, no moral conflict and everyone (except the occasional homophobe) is utterly agreeable, including vampire protagonists Desmond Beckwith and Roger Deland. Desmond volunteers for AIDS organizations, never kills his victims and uses his wealth to help peopleAyet for all his niceness, he's unhappy. He's gay and pines for Roger, who's straight, so he picks up beguiling Tony ChapmanAand they fall instantly in love. Since Tony is an unemployed museum curator, they discuss Desmond's antiques in great detail. The insipid dialogue is a showcase for stereotypical camp banter ("You cad"), and even the erotic encounters are disappointingly dull: "Their lovemaking was like a spring breeze to Desmond's winter-bruised soul. They romped happily and intensely until both were exhausted and content." Although they're aware of an at-large gay serial killer whose M.O. is vampiric, there's no sense of danger until near the end, and even that quickly subsides. Two flashbacks, one to England for Desmond's transformation and one to revolutionary Paris, fail to bring those periodsAor this bloodless taleAto life.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Alyson Books; 1st edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555834701
• ISBN-13: 978-1555834708
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #426,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Something a little different - and that's not a "bad" thing, November 6, 2000

By 

Tracy Podgorski - See all my reviews

This review is from: Desmond: A Novel About Love and the Modern Vampire (Paperback)

I'd have to disagree with those who complain about Desmond being an "anti-vampire" as well as being a "benevolent sugar daddy" to young boy toys. Good grief, folks, where's your *imagination*! Sure, Mr. Dietz has created a vampire that doesn't follow the "old rules" about vampire folklore (which was, basically, a fiction in and of itself, one must remember). And no, Desmond isn't a terribly frightening character, unlike most of his violent, also fictional predecessors.

But I really don't think it was Dietz' intent to write a great work of literary horror, so much as to write something that one can sit down and read, laughing at the funny parts, crying at the sad ones and just *enjoying* a very unusually touching story.

Which I did.

Who needs literary snobbery, anyways?

BTW, this one's going on *my* recommendation list, for sure.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Romance that happens to star a vampire- not a bad thing, December 6, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Desmond: A Novel About Love and the Modern Vampire (Paperback)

This book is a hopelessly romantic novel that happens to star a vampire (which is not necessarily a bad thing)- not bloody vampire pornography (which is not necessarily a bad thing either).
Just know what you're getting yourself into, and you won't be disappointed.
Perhaps you should read with a grain of salt the negative reviews on this page. It sounds to me like they were expecting something more "modern vampire" and less "a novel of love". (...)

Sure, this book reads like a first novel- some of the dialog is a little strained.
But loving or not loving this book depends on your dreamy romantic quotient. Remember the old "Beauty and Beast" TV series? It wasn't about half-human-half-cat horror- it was about outsiders finding each other; about wanting to be swept away by some big warm emotionally tortured mythical creature who wants to love and protect you. Or conversely, about being the mythical creature who has given up on love but is drawn to a beautiful man who needs to be saved.
If you can get all misty picturing yourself in either role, you will love this book. Yes, it's giddy, bodice-ripper, goofily romantic stuff-- and ain't that wonderful!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Desmond: too sappy and totally destroys the vampire legend, September 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Desmond: A Novel About Love and the Modern Vampire (Paperback)

Desmond is written as the anti-vampire, rather than as a vampire himself. Though he has a lust for blood, and regularly goes out "hunting," his character is written in such a way that almost all conventions of vampire lore are tossed out the window (forget crucifixes, fire, water, sunlight, home soil... what's left?). It made this reader wonder why anyone would fear vampires at all! Indeed, there are characters in the book who welcome the opportunity to be hunted by this breed of vampire. The author appears to be a bigger fan of furniture than the paranormal/supernatural. So why two stars? Somewhat interesting use of historical background in describing Desmond's past generations. Limited to two historical eras. One last note: the dialogue and interaction between lovers in this story are sappy, overly melodramatic: parts of this story read more like a romance novel.